NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Newport News Public schools updates families on the school system's plans following the closures of all schools due to coronavirus.
NNPS says they are committed to keeping families informed during the school closure. School officials have answered many frequently asked questions that both students and families have.
Dr. George Parker, superintendent of schools, has announced an academic plan designed to continue learning and provide support for students in Newport News Public Schools through the end of what would be the regular school year.
As far as the school calendar, school officials say at the time there are no plans to change next year's school calendar. The last day of school is still slated for June 15.
Newport News Public Schools will continue to offer at home learning until June 15.
Instructional packets for schools are posted on the at-home learning website. While there will be an emphasis on reading, writing and mathematics, students will receive continued learning opportunities and activities in science and social students during the fourth quarter. Additionally, families may access resources for fine arts, physical education, art, gifted education and special education on the At-Home Learning website.
Third quarter grades will conclude on April 3 as scheduled and the calculation of the student's grade will be based on everything up to March 13. That said, students also can improve their third quarter grade by completing missing assignments that would have normally been allowed had the quarter continued with schools open. This includes any packet work that has been completed since schools have closed.
The fourth quarter grading period will begin after spring break.
NNPS says students who were at risk of being retained will be invited to attend a summer program to address their specific learning needs. Those that are recommended for summer school will be notified on the 3rd quarter report card.
For elementary students, the remaining course curriculum, which would have been introduced from March 16, 2020 to the end of the school year, will be incorporated into the start of the 2020-2021 school year.
For parents concerned if students will move on to the next grade, NNPS says all elementary students who were in good standing as of March 13 will progress to the next grade level.
High School seniors who have not completed the necessary work to be successful as of March 13 will be contacted by their teachers to ensure they are aware of the possibility of not graduating on time.
Any seniors who were not on track for graduation on March 13 due to grades will have the opportunity to improve their grades during the fourth quarter.
Senior class rankings were determined based on the student's grades at the end of their first semester.
NNPS says they still plan to hold a graduation ceremony for seniors. School officials say they have secured the alternate dates of July 9 through July 12 with the Ferguson Center for the Arts and the Hampton Coliseum.
For students enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) classes, the College Board has announced that students will be able to take their AP exams online at home and has provided preparation materials for home access for AP teachers and students.
International Baccalaureate (IB) has announced that their exams will be canceled.
Regarding dual enrollment at Thomas Nelson Community College, if students are receiving instruction by a NNPS teacher as part of the dual enrollment program, they should adhere to the guidelines for learning and work completion being shared with all students. However, students in dual enrollment programs who receive instruction from a TNCC instructor will continue to have graded assignments that need to be completed on the timeline their TNCC instructors lay out for them, per TNCC requirements.
New Horizons teachers will be in touch with their students on how their courses are continuing. All New Horizons teachers are required to have office hours.
While students continue to learn online, if parents are looking to purchase a device, NNPS offers discounts through vendors. NNPS parents and staff can receive members only pricing on all personal PCs from Dell, and exclusive members only elite offers.
Beginning April 15, all schools will have office hours every Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., for parents to pick up any medications or essential items by appointment only.
During this time, students may feel overwhelmed mentally so NNPS has set in place a social and emotional support area within the website.
NNPS says they will update students and families on any more updates.
