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Video List Learn More About IECHS
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Please visit this site frequently for updates on how COVID-19 is impacting school.
April 5. Update:
Good evening IECHS families,This is Mrs. James with your weekly update.I first want to start by saying that we hope everyone is doing well, is healthy and staying safe. If any of our family’s needs anything please do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Val, Ms. Putney or Mrs. James.Parents please remember that during this time your child may be experiencing a variety of emotions. We are all in a different reality than what we thought we would be in over a month ago. Many students may experience fear, loneliness, grief, anger, a loss of emotions, sadness, trauma or other emotions. As parents please take time to help your child with their thoughts and emotions regarding our current situation. At IECHS we want our students to secure, feel loved, and have their social and emotional needs met before their academic needs are met. If there is any way, we can help you as parents to help meet these needs please let us know.Our first week of digital learning at IECHS started off well with over 80% of our students engaging in online learning. We also have some students that are engaging in learning by completing paper and pencil work from their courses. This week is the third week of ECU online courses for our students. Most of our students are doing extremely well in these courses. If your student is having any issues with either ECU or IECHS course work please have them reach out to Ms. Putney.Please encourage your student to check their email on a regular basis and to read the student weekly memo. This memo is sent every Sunday night and contains very important and valuable information. This memo is the main way that IECHS stays connected with our students.We love our IECHS family and we miss all of our students. We hope that we will get to see each of them soon.We hope you all are well. Stay safe!Have a great evening!March 26 Update:
Check out our Hello Students Video from today. We recorded this video during our Zoom staff meeting today. It is not perfect, but you get the idea. We love our students and miss them. Be well and stay safe! Please subscribe to our YouTube channel in order to receive all of our videos.
1) Any student that needs access to a Chromebook for digital learning, that will begin next week, please complete this survey.
2) Any student that does not have access to the internet needs to call the school to notify them of the need for paper assignments. We will work with families to get assignments to students.
3) Virtual and Modified Learning will launch March 30th for PCS students. Our teachers will contact students with more information. Parents, find more information here: bit.ly/PCSWithoutWalls
March 25 Update:
Check out our update video. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel in order to receive all of our videos.
March 23 Update:
Governor Cooper's summary for schools as of 1pm 3/23/2020:
Schools closed for K-12 IN-PERSON instruction until May 15. Online instruction encouraged. PCS is working hard and will have more updates soon...March 23, 2020 (4:30pm)
Based on today’s recommendations from the Governor of North Carolina and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Pitt County Schools will continue to be closed for in-person instruction through May 15, 2020. The Pitt County Department of Public Health also issued new advisories today for non-essential establishments to close in our County while essential services can remain in operation.
We know you have many questions regarding what this means for Pitt County Schools, our students, our staff, and our families.
MEALS AND OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS
First, providing meals for children ages 1-18 in Pitt County is an essential service, and the school buildings that provide these services will remain open, just as our county’s restaurants and grocery stores will remain open to continue the supply of food to our citizens. We are continuing our grab and go meal services at many of our sites and our school bus meal distribution. Please check our website for the latest schedules and sites at www.pittschools.org. Last week, we served 40,000 meals in Pitt County, and we are now averaging 12,000 meals served per day. The state’s education system as a whole provided over 1 million meals statewide. Our state and local leaders believe it is vital that our schools remain open for this purpose. In order to maintain safety, we have reduced our staff in each building to include only those who are essential in keeping these programs running while also keeping our staff and parents informed and provided with necessary nutritional or educational supplies.
INSTRUCTION
Regarding instruction, communication from our State Superintendent is that we will remain closed for IN-PERSON instruction through May 15, 2020. This means we will continue operating under our current status of providing OPTIONAL learning opportunities for our students. Our State’s Governor and State Superintendent of Schools commended our educators and specialists for working to provide educational resources and to create extended online learning plans in order to reach our students. Therefore, Pitt County Schools will continue providing educational resources and will be utilizing Virtual resources beginning Monday, March 30th. Teachers and staff are training virtually this week to reduce the number of employees in any one building. When educators or staff members are required (or request) to be in a building to perform essential tasks, we are practicing social distancing. Our school sites are also continuing to be regularly cleaned and disinfected per CDC guidelines. Our teachers and our staff members have been working tirelessly to provide both safe environments and continued rich instruction, and they deserve to be commended for these efforts.
ONLINE INSTRUCTION
For instruction beginning on Monday, March 30th, there are several options for parents and students in order to provide the most equitable SUPPLEMENTAL education possible. Teachers will begin virtual instruction through several online platforms and will be in touch with students and parents through their Pitt County Schools email addresses or other means, depending on the age level of the student and the school. Our website will also be a great resource. Please look for COVID-19 Virtual Learning at the top of the page by Wednesday of this week for comprehensive information.
FOR THOSE WHO NEED DEVICES
For those who have access to the internet, but do not have access to DEVICES, we will begin to distribute one device per household for students to access online learning. Devices, device contracts and device instructions will be distributed at each school site beginning Wednesday of this week. Please check our website by Wednesday for device requests and online forms as well. We thank many local providers for extending internet access at a reduced rate or free for our students and families temporarily. Please contact internet providers in your local community to access the internet if it is available in your area.
FOR THOSE WITHOUT INTERNET SERVICE
We realize that there are several spots within Pitt County without the capability of internet access and many families will need alternative means of education. Therefore, we are providing comparable paper packets of material provided UPON REQUEST from families. Families should contact their home school to request packets of information. Please communicate with those you know and with your neighbors to make sure all families have this information so we can provide the widest possible extension of education in Pitt County.
FOR STUDENTS OF VARYING ABILITIES
We also realize that all of our students operate on varied levels, methods, and capacities for learning. We are working diligently so that all children of all abilities have access to excellent educational resources. Our Exceptional Children’s department staff, district staff, school counselors, school psychologists and school social workers are all working to provide extra educational resources and assistance to our students as well. This information will also be available on our website, as we desire to be a comprehensive resource to parents who are now assisting in a child’s education in the home more than ever during this unprecedented time.
TESTING AND GRADING
Regarding student grades and testing, as of today, our state is working on requesting testing waivers. Please see the requests listed on the COVID-19 District Updates section of our website for further details. Today, the Governor did mention prioritizing this year’s senior class in order to ensure the students of the class of 2020 can graduate and continue into further education, the workforce, or other endeavors next year. We agree that this year’s seniors are a priority for Pitt County Schools and our high schools will continue to provide comprehensive information regarding the class of 2020.
PITT COUNTY AND PITT COUNTY SCHOOLS STRONG
Finally, remember that as the landscape of our community is changing as rapidly as the landscape of education, we are all in this together as valued community members. Pitt County Schools will continue to be a vital community connection and we appreciate your support. We are Pitt County and Pitt County Schools Strong.
March 22 Update:
Please visit the IECHS YouTube Channel for current video updates from Mrs. James, school principal. Click here for today's video.
IECHS student begin their ECU courses digitally tomorrow, March 23. It is very important that students log into their ECU email accounts, ECU Blackboard or ECU Canvas accounts to learn about expectations for the ECU courses. If students cannot access their accounts due to a lack of Internet, they need to reach out to their professors via phone. Professor phone numbers are listed on the course syllabus. Every student should have their ECU course syllabus.
Every Sunday night a student weekly memo will be emailed to students. It is very important that all students read this email in order to understand expectations for the week. There is a lot of information in this memo, so please read carefully!
Meal delivery will continue tomorrow. Please visit the Pitt County Schools webpage for pick up location details.
March 19 Update:
Beginning March 23, 2020 IECHS staff will be working virtually. Families can still reach out to IECHS by calling the school line, as we have forwarded the phone to Mrs. Val. She will answer any questions.
We will be in touch with families about our digital learning plan soon. This plan will not begin until March 31, so please stay tuned for more information.
Continue to be well and stay safe.
March 18 Update:
Meal Pick-up for Thursday and Friday of this week-
-We will keep Elementary and Middle Schools OPEN through this FRIDAY for Grab and Go CurbSide meal pickup.
-Breakfast 8-9am, Lunch 11am-1pm
Meal Deliveries for Thursday and Friday of this week-
-High Schools are hubs for meal delivery to each attendance areas.
-Meal delivery bus schedules for each attendance area are posted on each school’s social media accounts, or you can access the meal delivery schedules at this link: http://bit.ly/PCSFeeds.
-Two meals will be delivered by bus at one time during the middle of the day each day-lunch for the current day and breakfast for the next day. We will distribute meals until they run out.
Extended Learning Packets
EXTRA educational learning packets are NOW available on our website and at all schools if a family does not have online access. Pick up a packet during meal times, during the school day, or call the school if you have extenuating circumstances. Meal delivery school buses will also have learning packets each day for families who need them.
As always, you can access the most current information by visiting our social media accounts or our website at www.pittschools.org, or by calling 252-830-3500.
March 17 Update:
IECHS students should check their PCS Emal Accounts ASAP. IECHS has created a Student Weekly Memo to help organize important information into one locaiton. If a student does not have access to their email account at this time they should notify the school.
Here are today’s updates for meals and instruction for Pitt County Schools:
Meal Pick-up for Wednesday, March 17- Friday, March 20
-We will keep Elementary and Middle Schools OPEN through this FRIDAY for Grab and Go CurbSide meal pickup. This excludes Hope and Ridgewood
-Breakfast 8-9am, Lunch 11am-1pm
Beginning Monday, we will combine even more sites and move to a mid-day pick-up of two meals. Lunch for the current day and breakfast to take home for the following day.Meal Deliveries for Wednesday, March 17-Friday, March 20
-High Schools will now become the hubs for meal delivery to their attendance areas.
-37 school buses will be delivering meals to high need areas throughout the county.
-Meal delivery schedules for each attendance area are posted on each school’s social media accounts, or you can access the meal delivery schedules on the main page of our website later this evening.
-Two meals will be delivered by bus at one time during the middle of the day tomorrow. Lunch for the current day and breakfast for the next day. We will distribute meals until they run out.Extended Learning Packets
Pitt County Schools are currently closed for instruction from March 16-March 30. Remote or distance learning is not required by PCS students through March 30 since these have been declared non-instructional days by the NC Governor. EXTRA educational learning packets are NOW available at this link: http://bit.ly/PCSLearns and will be available at school feeding sites by Wednesday, March 18 if a family does not have online access in order to print the packet. Meal delivery school buses will also have copies of the learning packets each day for families who need them.Thank you for helping us to be #PittCountySchoolsStrong Use this hashtag if you see something amazing happening in your school community!
March 16 Update:
Meal Distribution
We are continuing to restructure our meal distribution to best and most efficiently serve our community. The schedule for Tuesday is as follows:
Tuesday, March 17-Monday, March 30
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Times: Breakfast- 8am-9am, Lunch- 11am-1pm
Delivery Style: Grab and Go- Follow instructions on site
Pick-Up Sites: Pitt County Schools Cafeteria Sites will serve ANY Pitt County child age 1-18 and any student enrolled in Pitt County Schools.
Important Note to Families: Please travel to any school that is most convenient for you and your family. The only schools that are not serving sites are Ridgewood, Hope, Innovation Early College and Pitt County Early College. Students at these schools can travel to other sites to be served. Students with dietary restrictions on file, please travel to the school where you are normally served.
We are finalizing the logistics of meal deliveries to high-need areas. More information will be available soon.
Extended Learning Opportunities
Pitt County Schools are currently closed for instruction from March 16-March 30. Remote or distance learning is not required by students. Dual-enrollment students, please follow instructions assigned by your college. As a school system, Pitt County Schools is, however, ultimately tasked with educating the children of Pitt County. EXTRA educational support is available online today at the link that says: COVID-19 Extended Learning Packets and will be available at school feeding sites by Wednesday, March 18, 2020 if a family does not have online access.
As always, the most current updates are available on our website at www.pittschools.org, through social media sites and on a recorded daily message at 252-830-3500. For our community members offering help, please be patient as we work to organize all of your generous offers and efforts. Again, together we are Pitt County Strong and #PittCountySchoolsStrong!
ECU Courses
Currenly ECU is having an extended Spring Break. ECU courses will begin on March 23 as online courses only. During this time IECHS students will be expected to complete their college course work online. The ECU professors will be in touch with students through Blackboard, CANVAS or ECU Mail. If students are not able to access the Internet they should contact Mrs. James or Ms. Putney ASAP.
March 15 Update:
During this current health crisis, we know that each citizen in Pitt County is facing the crucial challenge of protecting and managing our health and the health of our families and neighbors. We care about you, and we thank the community, our students, parents, staff and families for your patience and understanding during this time of uncertainty. We are also humbled by the community’s response to offer help to the school system. We continue to plan and are receiving continued guidance from our Board and from state officials. We have determined our most critical needs at this time that apply to our school system’s students and families:
Meal Distribution
It is important to Pitt County Schools to continue feeding the children of Pitt County similar to our summer feeding program. At no charge, we will provide meals at identified PCS sites beginning on Monday, March 16, 2020, and extending through our current closure period- March 30, 2020. The USDA and the NC Department of Public Instruction have worked to provide waivers and approve applications to make this possible for a non-congregant serving style (Grab and Go). We are following all required and extended sanitation regulations during this unprecedented time.
Monday, March 16:
Meal: Lunch only
Time: 11am-1pm
Delivery Style: Grab and Go- Follow instructions on site
Pick-Up Sites: 34 of 38 Pitt County Schools Cafeteria Sites will serve ANY Pitt County child age 1-18 and any student enrolled in Pitt County Schools.
Important Note to Families: Please travel to any school that is most convenient for you and your family. The only schools that are not serving sites are Ridgewood, Hope, Innovation Early College and Pitt County Early College. Students at these schools can travel to other sites to be served.
Tuesday, March 17-Monday, March 30
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Times: Breakfast- 8am-9am, Lunch- 11am-1pm
Delivery Style: Grab and Go- Follow instructions on site
Pick-Up Sites: 34 of 38 Pitt County Schools Cafeteria Sites will serve ANY Pitt County child age 1-18 and any student enrolled in Pitt County Schools.
Important Note to Families: Please travel to any school that is most convenient for you and your family. The only schools that are not serving sites are Ridgewood, Hope, Innovation Early College and Pitt County Early College. Students at these schools can travel to other sites to be served.
PCS is currently considering the logistics and needs of meal deliveries to high-need areas. More information will be available at our serving sites, on our website, social media outlets and through our PCS Information Hotline: 1-252-830-3500 for a daily, recorded message.
Extended Learning Opportunities
As a school system, Pitt County Schools is ultimately tasked with educating the children of Pitt County. To prepare for this unexpected school closure, our staff has been working to create extended learning packets for students. Online versions will be available on our PCS website by Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Distribution of paper learning packets will be available at school feeding sites for those who may not have online access at home. Please travel to any school site most convenient to you except for Ridgewood, Hope, Innovation Early College and Pitt County Early College, which are not current delivery sites.
School Cleaning
Our schools are continuing to be cleaned and sanitized by our school custodians and staff members, following our pandemic influenza protocols. Facility Services may expand the cleaning and disinfecting of schools based on the Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendations.
As always, the most current updates are available on our website at www.pittschools.org, through social media sites and on a recorded daily message at 252-830-3500. For our community members offering help, please be patient as we work to organize all of your generous offers and efforts
Note for PCS Employees
As reported on 3/14/20, Monday will be a required workday for all staff. Please see earlier communication on your PCS email account.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020 through Thursday, March 19, 2020 will be optional workdays for teachers and teacher assistants. All other employees, please contact your direct supervisor for reporting instructions. Please continue to monitor your PCS email account.
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