Quail Call

Once our staff is back on August 26th, we will develop a specific plan to communicate to families.

I want to give you an update regarding our Remote Yet Connected Reopening Plan. This is a bit of a long letter and includes lots of information. We will post all the important answers in our PPCS FAQ document so that you can find them easily.

Over the past week, I have been working with our K-2 team, Special Education lead teacher and Title One teacher to develop a plan for our prioritized students. I have also been working with a small group of dedicated educators and technology staff to determine the best Learning Management System (LMS) for our remote learners. We know you’ve been eager for specifics, and we are sharing them with you in real time, as they are worked out. We will be able to provide more details once teachers begin their specific planning.

As a small school, we have more autonomy to make good decisions for our staff, students and families. We don’t take this responsibility lightly and are thinking critically about how to support every learner at our school. There is no doubt we will all face challenges during this time. I know that, for me, this has been the most challenging and stressful process I have ever gone through in my career. However, I am grounded by and grateful for the collective spirit of our families, Board, and staff to work together to support every member of our CREW. We also are supported by a national organization, EL Education, that has been working behind the scenes endlessly to support our students during this pandemic. Our dedicated and creative staff are committed to providing a high quality EL education in a very different way that continues to build students’ character and academic skills. In order to do this, we will integrate technology into our teaching in new ways, build strong relationships with our families, and truly demonstrate what we ask our students to do - show compassion, respect, engagement and welcoming - that’s CREW!

Read on for more information --

Jeneille Branen

Palouse Prairie Charter School Director

Students in grades 3-8 will be Remote Yet Connected until conditions in our community improve. Palouse Prairie will be aligning with the Moscow School District and using Canvas as our Learning Management System. Staff will take what they learned from teaching in the spring and your feedback, and use that to design remote educational experiences that reflect the EL principles that guide our learning model.

Teachers and students will follow consistent schedules on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday that mimic the regular school day. This format will create a predictable and engaged format that mirrors in-person instruction. Just as with in-person school, class time will include teacher facilitated lessons (in this case delivered live using video technology) followed by student work time. Mini-lessons can also be recorded and archived in the LMS for students who are not able to attend live lessons.

Remote learning will take place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday will be our “Meet Up and Connect” Day - an opportunity for teachers to check in with families and offer outdoor “meet-ups” with small groups of students. During pre-planning, staff will collaborate to plan specifically the best supports we can offer during remote learning, outdoor meet-ups and interventions on Wednesdays when all students are off-site.

Our kindergarten teacher will teach small groups of students (no more than 8) in the classroom and on school grounds while also providing live instruction through zoom and our LMS, 4 days a week, starting September 8th. To learn more about what kindergarten will look like, please visit our FAQ page.

Students in first and second grades will start remotely and will be one of the first cohorts to be brought back for in-person learning in small groups. We expect their learning model to be similar to kindergarten’s, but are waiting on funding that will support the additional staff needed.

We are only able to have a limited number of students on-site, and have prioritized groups of students including those who receive Special Education and Title One services, kindergarten, and students who need child care during the day. These students can receive in-person instruction and remote learning support in the PPCS Building on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. We will work with each family to determine the best way(s) for your student to learn.

Busing and lunch will be available for students who are on-site, through our regular contract with the Moscow School District - details to come.

PPCS will offer limited onsite childcare for families who need it. Please fill out this form by August 24th if it is essential for your student to receive on-site childcare. Our ability to accommodate students will be limited due to COVID-19 safety precautions and staffing. Students who qualify for free and reduced lunch will be given first priority for these limited spots. Please note, filling out the form does not guarantee your child/children a spot. You will be notified by August 28th if your child has secured a spot for childcare.

• Additional staffing to manage technology and support remote learners

• Professional development (beyond contracted time) for teachers and staff by the author of Empower to learn to implement high quality remote learning

• Additional professional development around the newest EL publication, CREW: A Teamwork Approach to School Culture

• EL Professional Development during the next few months:

• EL Education PD workshop: Remote Learning Within the Curriculum

• EL Education PD workshop: Deeper Instruction at a Distance

• EL Education PD workshop: Using Data and Addressing Unfinished Learning

• SWIVL cameras for teachers to set up in home or classroom, along with a Learning Management System (LMS) to ensure that parallel learning is seamless.

• The Free/Reduced lunch application and instructions are now available on the website. It is an online application this year. Please fill it out as soon as possible if you think your family might qualify, even if you will not order lunches. This information helps us with federal funding. If you would like a paper copy of the application, please email the office and we will mail you one to send in.

• Supply donations: To save families time and money, we purchase all student supplies through the school. Bulk ordering allows us to bring the cost down and save on packing materials. We request a donation of$30-$50 per student to cover the cost of providing all of your student's personal school supplies. If you have not sent in a donation, please consider helping the school in this way, Checks can be mailed to PO Box 9511 or you can donate online here. Supplies and chromebooks will be distributed before the start of school.

*If a supply donation creates a hardship for your family, please contact the school’s director at jbranen@palouseprairieschool.org.

• If you have not been receiving our latest update emails, you may not be on our Families mailing list. Please email the office (office@palouseprairieschool.org) to be added to our email list.

• If your child will be ordering school lunch, we would appreciate your putting a balance on their account before the school year begins and always maintaining a positive balance. The meal cost for all students is $3.75.