April 10, 2020
Dear MECHS learner and family,
Since the school closure began in March, our staff has provided ongoing educational activities and nutritional support through our Grab and Go meal program. With Gov. Whitmer’s Executive Order #2020-35 extending school closure, we will move forward with the MECHS Remote Learning Plan to support your child’s educational needs and well-being through the remainder of the school year. Although remote learning can not replace face-to-face instruction, we will work together to provide essential instruction to support your child’s academic growth.
Meridian Public Schools is required to provide a Continuity of Learning Plan to support remote learning. In anticipation of this request, MERPS administrators and faculty have been working to develop a plan for the last few weeks. The basic concept of this plan will be to deliver instruction and learning remotely, so your child and family can remain safe in their homes. To prevent any additional loss of learning time, we will begin delivering this plan on Monday, April 13th. We understand this plan will not be without challenges, but are grateful to be working together with your family to ensure learning continues during this school closure. To address additional questions or concerns regarding remote learning, on Friday, April 17th, MECHS Instagram Live Video event will focus on this plan and how we will support each other. To join, simply follow @meridianPS on Instagram. Please note the date change of this event.
Below you will find a brief description of MECHS’ Learning Plan:
Trust, respect, and responsibility are the hallmarks of our culture at Meridian Early College High School, where students and teachers alike share ownership of the learning experiences. MECHS’ whole-child approach to education provides a strong foundation to support your family during these challenging times. MECHS has unique advantages to support remote learning. Throughout their learning at MERPS, your child has been challenged to solve complex problems, work independently, and utilize resources to support success.
As we move forward into an extended school closure period, we know these are stressful times and are here to support your family along the way. We appreciate your continued partnership as we work together to provide essential learning opportunities for your child during the COVID-19 crisis. To find more information about the contents of this plan, please visit HERE or www.merps.org.
Well-being of your child:
Learning at home is not the same as learning at school or virtual/online learning. The COVID-19 crisis also creates additional challenges. Please understand that our primary focus is the health and well-being of your student and family. Counseling staff is available to support your child’s mental health and well-being. In addition, academic and career counseling staff is also here to support your post-secondary planning. To access any of MECHS Student Support Services, please fill out the request form HERE: http://tinyurl.com/mechshelp.
Academic and Instructional Plan for Students:
Our faculty has worked to target essential learning that must occur for your child to be successful next year and beyond. Learners are expected to check ECHO daily for updates on assignments and essential learning activities. We ask for a commitment of at least 3 hours of learning a day during the week. Although faculty will not require a set schedule, it is extremely important that you work with your child to develop a schedule that best fits your family. Class work MUST be completed to earn credit in your classes. Coursework will continue to be delivered remotely until school ends on June 10th, 2020. Faculty has weekly virtual office hours to provide support. They are also available via phone or email HERE.
Technology and Learning Platform:
All of our learners, grades 9-12, have their own personal laptop devices. If you require any technology support during this time, please email help@merps.org or call 989.687.3300. We can help! All Meridian Public Schools students use an online digital platform, ECHO, to complete daily course work and support instruction. As we launch our remote learning plan, we will continue to use ECHO to support learning from home. Beginning April 13-June 10th, learners should check their ECHO daily for course work and virtual meetings. As a family member, you also have ECHO access. Forgot your log in? Please email help@merps.org for support.
No internet access? PLEASE email help@merps.org as soon as possible. We are working on securing internet connectivity for families. In the meantime, your child’s learning will continue in a non digital format through the use of a flash drive and their laptop.
Grading:
With the sudden school closure, we want to ensure that grades are not unintentionally creating additional stress. As a result, we have created an opportunity for your child to submit any late/missing work from Marking Period 3 until April 24th. Grades for Marking Period 3 will be finalized after this date.
To earn credit in a course, your child is required to complete assigned work during this COVID-19 closure through remote learning. As noted above, instructors will have daily/weekly course expectations to be completed April 13-June 10th. Marking Period 4 grades will be based exclusively on the Agency learning outcome. A description of Agency is as follows: Learners will strive to grow their intelligence and skills through effort, practice, and challenge. They will also take ownership of their learning by monitoring their own progress, completing tasks, and managing their time. Failure to complete assigned material with accuracy could result in an "incomplete" issued in the course.
Semester 2 grades will be calculated by averaging the final Marking Period 3 grade (50%) with the final Marking Period 4 grade (50%). Each Marking Period is weighted equally at 50%. No semester exams will occur. Semester grades will be issued for each course at the conclusion of Semester 2. A pass/incomplete option will be also available for learners. Additional information will be communicated about this process.
Support:
MECHS Faculty and staff are here to help! Learning at home is not the same as learning at school or virtual/online learning. The COVID-19 crisis also creates additional challenges. Please understand that our primary focus is the health and well-being of your student and family. Counseling staff is available to support your child’s mental health and well-being. In addition, academic and career counseling staff is also here to support your post-secondary planning. To access any of MECHS Student Support Services, please fill out the request form HERE: http://tinyurl.com/mechshelp
Each faculty member will hold weekly virtual office hours via Zoom. Faculty will also be available via email and phone: Find a list of email addresses and phone number HERE: tinyurl.com/mechsstaff . Support programs, including PASS and Summer Learning Academies will also continue. More information to come!
MECHS stands together with your family to provide continuous learning for your child during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with additional questions or concerns: tara.mager@merps.org or 989.687.3300. Thank you for your continued support as we navigate these challenges together.
Sincerely,
Tara Mager, MA, LPC, LBSW