Shiawassee Times

Byron Area Elementary School issued the following announcement on April 15

Dear Families:

We hope this letter finds you and your families staying safe and healthy. This has certainly been an unusual and challenging time in our nation’s history. Yet, Byron continues to demonstrate that we are a strong community with great pride in working together during even the most difficult times.

With the closure of school buildings through the end of this academic year, every district is required to develop a plan to continue learning for their students. Our “Continuity of Learning Plan” will ensure that our Byron students are able to continue learning with their teachers and classmates on the most important content expectations, essential skills, in the remaining seven weeks of the year. Our leadership teams and faculty have been working tirelessly to adapt to a distance learning format for teaching, communicating, and collaborating. Distance learning is now the norm for all of us, as we participate in webinars, online meetings, and review current research on effective remote teaching practices. We are and will continue to use email, telephone, mail, google classroom, and video conferencing to distribute learning as a means to connect with students and families

We submitted our “Continuity of Learning Plan” Monday, and we received approval yesterday!

We understand that all of our students are unique and each family has its own circumstances to navigate so it is our goal to engage all students in our distance learning beginning on Monday, April 20th. Providing teaching and learning with respect to essential skills and promoting healthy connections and building relationships with our students and families are the two areas of focus.

This type of learning is new for everyone so it may take some time. Working together as educators, parents, and students and by offering grace toward one another, we will be successful in keeping everyone connected to continue meaningful learning.

Even with this approved Plan, we continue to develop answers to many questions, such as student grades, high school credit, special student activities, and of course Commencement. As we finalize plans in these areas, we will continue to communicate the details to our students and families.

Our buildings might be closed but school and learning will move forward! Below we have provided more information that will hopefully answer many of your questions. Thank you again,

Timeline

When will our Continuity of Learning Plan begin?

 • April 20th When will we end our formal learning of this year?

 • June 4th Academic Learning

 What are the instructional resources that will be utilized

? • Essential Skills from Content Expectations

 • Online Learning Tools, such as ABC Mouse, Freckle, Zearn, IXL, Gizmos, and Khan Academy 

How will students access learning?

 • Internet with technology devices 

• Those students without Internet will receive learning packets through the US Mail 

What are the delivery platforms that will be used?

 • Most Teachers will utilize at least one of the following: 

K – 2nd Grades: District Email and SeeSaw 

3 rd – 12th Grades: District Email, Google Classroom, and Video Conferencing

 What if we do not have Internet connectivity? 

• We are providing an outdoor access point in front of Byron High School 

• Some of our students will receive learning packets delivered through the US Mail 

What if we do not have a device? 

• Through the individual check-in process by our teachers, each student in need of a device has been identified

 • We will be delivering Chromebooks to the home by a school bus on Thursday and/or Friday of this week Social and Emotional Support

 • Please speak with individual teachers through our communications systems

 • Call our Outreach Hotline (989) 720-1361 if you are in need of mental health and/or social emotional needs and are unable to reach current healthcare provider Basic Needs/Food 

• Community Needs Hotline 989-743-2460 • Variety of Basic Needs Resources Dial 2-1-1 

• Food Service Collaborations 

https://4.files.edl.io/582f/04/09/20/181423-3ec7fa2f-5eca-405f-8f39-49e65fe9498b.pdf

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SJ7AwUMBKbOzu1hR_-mhAHkZVaTx_oys/view

 https://www.lindenschools.org/apps/news/article/1198279

• Local Food Pantries

 Fenton Center of Hope (Freedom Center Church) 2525 West Shiawassee Ave, Fenton, MI 810-620-8167 

Lennon Area Food Bank (Lennon Wesleyan Church) 11280 Lennon Rd, Lennon, MI 810-621-3706 

Durand Area Food Pantry (St. Mary’s Catholic Church) 700 Columbia Drive, Durand, MI 989-288-6704

Original source can be found here.