Ashwaubenon schools adjusting to remote learning

By Kevin Boneske

Staff Writer

ASHWAUBENON – Though the district’s schools are now closed to students through at least April 24 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, instruction is continuing via remote learning.

Superintendent Kurt Weyers updated the Ashwaubenon school board Wednesday, April 8, on how the district has been providing instruction since going online March 30.

For instance, on the website the district set up with remote learning resources, Weyers said the high school section includes AHS administrators doing morning announcements online via video.

As noted on the website, high school teachers are using email and Google Classroom to stay in contact with students each school day from now until April 24.

With the third quarter for high school wrapping up April 14, students were asked to complete their schoolwork by that date to finalize grades prior to the fourth quarter.

For elementary students, Weyers said the focus of the online learning is literacy and math with science and social studies activities sprinkled in.

“Teachers are asking for one hour of instruction for students in (grades) 4K-2 and two hours for students in (grades) 3-5,” he said.

Weyers said Parkview Middle School students were provided work for each of their classes with the flexibility to do that work over several days.

“Parents email, comment to me, about how much they appreciate that,” he said. “For example, a teacher might give a lesson plan that says, ‘We want you to do these three activities, and you can do it over the next 3-4 days.’”

Weyers said the daily goals for the remote instruction are 60 minutes for grades K-2, 90-120 minutes for grades 3-5, 20 minutes per course for grades 6-8 and 30 minutes per course for grades 9-12.

When board vice president Brian Van De Kreeke asked about the participation rate for the online instruction at the elementary school level, Valley View Principal Andy Bake said it’s going well.

“I would say there are a couple of students maybe in each classroom where teachers have had a little bit of a hard time connecting with, and that’s something that we’ve really been working on,” Bake said. “Our social workers, school counselor, teachers are trying to reach out in different ways. (Associate Principal) Doug (Pieschek) and I have made some phone calls. We’re really trying to engage as many families as we can.”

Jamie Averbeck, instructional technology coordinator, said the district measures the amount of traffic going through its website set up for online instruction, as well as information to indicate the number of families connected.

Online evaluation

When asked following the board meeting about the district’s plans for evaluating students during the switch to online instruction, Weyers said there would be no grading for the rest of the school year in grades K-8, which will have a narrative piece included with the student assessments for the second semester.

He said high school students will be graded through April 14 when the third quarter ends, after which the fourth quarter will be evaluated on a pass/no pass basis with the possibility incompletes could be issued to allow students to finish their coursework.

Weyers said grade-point averages for high school students would be frozen after the third quarter.

He said he hopes the pandemic will be under control so students could return before the end of this school year.

Though he hopes there could still be a graduation ceremony for the seniors, Weyers said that may end up happening in June, July or August, while the start of summer school at Ashwaubenon may also have to be delayed.