Governor Henry McMaster and South Carolina Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman today released the following joint statement announcing that South Carolina’s schools will remain closed for the duration of the month of April:
“At this time, students, parents, and families should plan for South Carolina’s schools to remain closed through the month of April. Our dedicated teachers and school administrators have done a tremendous job in making it possible for our students to learn at home. We understand that the prospect of schools remaining closed for an extended period of time places stress and strain on parents and children. Rest assured, if there is any way to safely open our schools earlier, we will do that, but schools must remain closed to protect the health and safety of South Carolinians.”
On March 15, Governor McMaster issued Executive Order 2020-09, which closed public schools for students and non-essential employees through March 31st. The governor will issue an additional executive order to extend the K-12 school closures through the month of April in the coming days.
As his previous executive order did, the governor’s executive order will apply to the state’s public colleges, universities, and technical colleges, and encourage those institutions to maintain existing plans to provide instruction through virtual learning.
GCSD has developed an interactive map showing where WiFi and meals are available through the GCS FANS feeding program. Red pins indicate meals and WiFi, blue pins are for WiFi access only.
https://batchgeo.com/map/b5f7d46808351ef682a403e8e32885f9
After this week, there will be no more paper packets. All work and assignments will be online and virtual.
LA Update
March 23, 2020
Good Afternoon, League Academy! I hope this message finds you and your families well. Thank you all for your patience as we get eLearning off of the ground. We miss our students like crazy!
I have some very important information to share with you all. I would like to recommend that all students do their work online with the eLearning format. You will see that we are working hard to be prepared in the case that a closure is extended. If families have a hardship and are unable to access the internet in one of the ways below, parents will be able to pick up packets during designated times. I have linked a calendar to this message that shows the progression if our closure were to extend beyond March 31. Please see below the alternative ways that you and your students can connect to eLearning. There is also some information for parents below.
Remember that eLearning is every school day. This week it will be Tuesday-Friday and teachers will have office hours 9:00-11:30 and 1:30-3:00 each day.
1. Charter Spectrum is providing free broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 students and/or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription at any service level up to 100 Mbps. Call 1-844-488-8395 to enroll; installation fees will be waived for new student households. The program applies only in existing Charter service areas. Households should be clear on the terms of service before entering into an agreement with the provider (Spectrum) to be aware of the point at which charges will be assessed. At this time, Spectrum is stating that regular rates will apply after the initial 60 days. This program is in addition to an existing low-cost Internet program offered by Spectrum. For a list of free Spectrum Wi-Fi hotspots with locations visit https://www.spectrum.com/wifi-hotspots.
2. School buses will be at feeding sites and they have WIFI that students can access and download their materials. They can then return to that site to upload their materials.
3. Students can use any GCS parking lot to access the WIFI. There the documents can be downloaded and then return to the parking lot to upload and turn in their materials.
4. Information for Parents on eLearning: https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/Parents/main.asp?titleid=elearn
5. Feeding Sites for Students: https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/News/main.asp?titleid=2003meals
Please remember that you all can reach out to me for anything that you need. I am just a phone call, text, or email away. I am here for you as we continue to develop this new normal.
Thank you all for all that you are doing at home to support our students!
Mary Leslie Anderson
Principal
Please access our eLearning Calendar here.
Good Afternoon, League Academy! I hope your first day of eLearning has gone well! It is weird here at school without our students and teachers. I am used to being here in the summer when it is so quiet, but this is not summer. I miss you all very much.
Thank you for helping get our first day of eLearning off the ground! We have had to troubleshoot a few issues, but for the most part, we have had an overwhelmingly positive response. Whenever possible, we recommend students access the eLearning activities via Google Classroom instead of activities included in the paper packets. Paper packets are available for families without Internet and/or on a case-by-case basis, but they do not necessarily coordinate with the lessons teachers have prepared in Google Classrooms. Most digital assignments are unable to be replicated on paper since they include links to websites, longer reading passages, and activities that require virtual communication/collaboration. Moreover, students who work on the packets instead of the eLearning assignments will not have the benefit of receiving teacher feedback.
Regardless of which mode your child is using, we want all learners and their families to have the most positive experience possible. To help ensure student engagement, we are asking teachers to make contact every two days with any student who has not been online, in touch, or completed assignments. Please assist our teachers by ensuring your child has logged in OR reached out via phone/email by 3:30 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) and each day thereafter. Call the front office at 864-355-8100 if you need any of our teachers' contact information and are unable to access this information online.
Here are some additional tips and procedures to ensure a positive experience for all scenarios:
For students who have Chromebooks and are experiencing difficulties:
Some websites are experiencing heavy traffic which slows loading time. Please tell your children to be patient as sites make adjustments to support this demand. Ask them to communicate the problems to their teacher so they can document these issues, and check back often to see when the sites are back up and running smoothly.
If your child is experiencing connectivity issues, be sure they have taken steps to authenticate. These were emailed to your child, but directions can be found on this link as well. AUTHENTICATE
For students having trouble accessing YouTube videos, they may need to turn on their Safety Mode. These were also shared with your child, but directions are here as well: On any page in YouTube, scroll down to the page footer where you will see your current language, location, and safety mode settings. Change your safety mode setting by clicking Off. Then choose the On radio button and click Save to enable this safety feature.
For students without Chromebooks:
The district is working on a plan to get Chromebooks to BUS RIDERS who have transportation hardships and are not able to pick up their Chromebook at the school. These deliveries are expected to be made later this week.
For CAR RIDERS who are having transportation hardships, please contact the school at 864-355-8100 so we can help make arrangements to get those to you.
For families without Internet access:
For families without Internet access who HAVE picked up paper packets, please ask those students to contact their child's teacher by phone to let them know they will be completing their eLearning "offline." This will help teachers know how to best provide support to your child.
For families without Internet access who HAVE NOT picked up paper packets and are experiencing hardships with transportation, please contact the school at 864-355-8100 so we can make arrangements to get those to you.
Keep in mind that Charter is offering free Wi-Fi for 60 days for families who do not have it. To enroll in the program, parents will need to call 1-844-488-8395. The installation fees will be waived for new student households.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you need anything! I am just a phone call, email, or text away. If you would like to sign up for my Remind 101, those directions are linked on the League Academy homepage. Additionally, keep up with updates via our social media outlets. I will update everyone daily while we are eLearning.
Take Care,
Mary Leslie Anderson
Principal
Please use this link to sign up for Mrs. Anderson's Remind 101 text messages- this is for students and parents!
Mrs. Anderson's Remind 101 for Students and Parents
Free WiFi: Charter is offering free Wi-Fi for 60 days for families who do not have it. To enroll in the program, parents will need to call 1-844-488-8395. The installation fees will be waived for new student households.
Parents and Families!
Please sign up for our Principal's Remind 101 Message! Please click HERE for instructions!
League Update
3.16.2020
Good Afternoon, League Families.
I know in these uncertain times, there is little that I can say that may ease your anxiety. First of all, I would like to thank you for trusting not only me, but our school district, as we work very hard to put some of your worries and anxiety to rest. In an unprecedented event such as the one that we are currently in, it is difficult to understand the reasons decisions are made. I appreciate your understanding and support as we navigate this.
Second, all students will have the opportunity to participate in eLearning. Our staff have been working hard to put together all of the necessary information to get sent out to you all. Teachers have been supplied with an eLearning Template from GCS that they will post on their Google Classroom sites as well as their websites. On the teacher websites, which are accessible through our League Academy website, you will find the following information:
Teacher Name
Course Name
Virtual Office Hours (9:00-11:30 and 1:30-3:00)
Email Address
Phone Number
Counselors and administrators will be available by email and phone during these hours as well. During these hours, teachers will be available for consulting and questions via email, Google Classroom, Zoom, Screencastify, and Google Meet. The mode of communication is up to the teacher. Teachers have been instructed to prepare 10 days of lessons at 30 minutes per subject. Teachers have been instructed that all contact with students is to be virtual. Please use the communication methods above to contact the teachers for specific questions. Teachers will grade student work based on a rubric for participation and engagement of the material.
Students who have items that need to be picked up from school to ensure that their eLearning is accessible, may pick up these materials, (Chromebooks, instruments, textbooks, etc.) in the front office at League between 8:30 and 5:30 through Thursday of this week. Students who may need paper copies of their eLearning packets due to hardship may pick up packets of work during these same office hours.
Parents, if you have not already, I encourage you to sign up for my Remind 101 texts. Please access this document to sign up! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AHIbugXcBSNrn3SNxVQTFWkKS2epapQ744t8YOO63B0/edit?usp=sharing
I am here for you all, League Family. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or concerns. This is an unprecedented event, and all I ask of you is for your grace, patience, and positivity while we weather this storm together. Together we will come out on top!
Mary Leslie Anderson
Principal
The district has created a website to support parents and students through this e-Learning platform. We want the e-Learning experience to be a positive one for our students, so we encourage students to reach out to their teachers with any questions. This platform is new to everyone, and I want to assure you that we will get through it together. If you have questions or concerns, reach out to your student’s teachers.
Information Update: All GCS schools closed through the end of the month per Governor's order.
As you know, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has ordered all schools to close immediately. As a result, Greenville County Schools will be closed tomorrow (Monday, March 16) through March 31. School district leaders have been preparing for this eventuality for the last few weeks. All regular district employees will report to work on Monday. Families who need medication or other critical items may pick them up during regular school hours. On Wednesday and Thursday, parents or students can pick up Chromebooks, textbooks, and other items that have been left at schools. Teachers are preparing instructional material for students to continue their school work from home. Additional information on these plans will be available soon. During the COVID-19 school closures, IEP/504 meetings will be suspended while we seek additional guidance from the U.S. Department of Education. Starting tomorrow, GCS will be providing breakfasts and lunches free of charge to anyone 18 and younger at 15 District locations: TR High School, Berea ES, AJ Whittenberg ES, Welcome, ES, Grove ES, Sue Cleveland ES, Sterling School, Blue Ridge MS, Wade Hampton HS, JL Mann HS, Mauldin HS, Hillcrest HS, Eastside HS, Greer HS, and Fountain Inn ES.
Mrs. Perkins's 8th grade social studies classes participated recently in a SmartArts unit in collaboration with the Metropolitain Arts Council. Check it out!
League Academy curriculum and instruction operates under the Greenville County Schools Instructional Protocol. Have any questions? Contact us!
Click the link below for more information on our Extended Day Program!
Parents! Want to know more about our new Carnegie math curriculum?
Carnegie Parent Letter: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17_1a_CpNfeZJy13leUajTxdoArBORcAHB1RCZlZmUE4/edit
South Carolina School Report Cards
Below is the link to our School Report Card, released October 1, 2019 by the State Department of Education. Based on a number of factors, each school in the state has been rated as excellent, good, average, below average, or unsatisfactory. Please click here to access the site: https://www.screportcards.com/
These report cards factor in multiple data points, test scores and surveys. The report attempts to measure a school’s academic achievement, student progress, college and career readiness and school climate. The reports will also include data on English Learners’ Progress, Student Safety, and Financial information. High School reports will factor in graduation rates.
If you have any questions or concerns related to our school’s ratings, feel free to contact our principal via email or phone.
Parents!
Do you want more information about our new Chromebooks? Click the link below!
Let’s Make a Chromebook Deal
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LSGBiZ9N23e3xDKjGHbeCMLk_PiA1di5/view?usp=sharing
Please click HERE to access League Academy's Redo/Retake Plan for the 2019-2020 School Year.