Is Richland One providing meals for children during the summer?

Yes. Starting Monday, June 8, families will be able to pick up free summer meals for their children at eight Richland One school sites. The 2020 Summer Food Service Program will operate on Mondays only from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the following schools: South Kilbourne Elementary, Caughman Road Elementary, Southeast Middle, Lower Richland High, Carver-Lyon Elementary, Eau Claire High, St. Andrews Middle and Hyatt Park Elementary schools.

 

The federally-funded Summer Feeding Program, which offers seven days’ worth of nutritious breakfasts and lunches to any child at no cost to parents, is expected to operate through July 30. Organizations that provide summer camps, day care or other programs for children may be eligible to receive free meals for their participants. Limited home delivery services will be available during the summer.

 

Although the online application has closed, families that have not previously signed up may still receive meals. To pick up meals, children must be present in the vehicles for the first pick-up, unless they or the community organization have been previously verified for the program by the district. No further applications are necessary. For more information and updates, go to the district’s website www.richlandone.org, click on the Departments tab then click on the Nutrition Services link.

Inquiries may be directed to Richland One Nutrition Services at (803) 231-6953, mailed to Richland One Nutrition Services, 201 Park Street, Columbia, SC 29201 or sent via email to sfsp@richlandone.org.

What is being planned for the 2020-2021 school year? Will we continue to have remote learning, or will things be back to normal?

 

The State Department of Education engaged a group of educators, parents and others as a part of the AccelerateEd Task Force to provide statewide recommendations for the opening of the next school year. The Task Force met several times to discuss issues related to (1) buildings and student services, (2) instruction and (3) safe operations. 

State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman released the final guidance and recommendations from AccelerateEd on June 22. View the report at dedicationtoeducation.com. 

 

In Richland One, we are considering multiple options for the 2020-2021 school year. Our goal is to provide as much face-to-face instruction as we can and as permitted, taking into consideration the health and safety of students, staff, and families. We recognize that some parents may not feel comfortable having their children in a traditional face-to-face environment. Therefore, various “hybrids” that include face-to-face learning complemented by virtual learning are being explored as well as a virtual model.

 

 

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What information will the district consider in making decisions regarding the reopening of schools?

 

Our team members are engaged in several activities to inform our decisions regarding the reopening of schools. These activities include but are not limited to:

 

1. communicating daily with staff in districts and agencies across our state and nation; 
   
   
2. examining research on virtual and “hybrid” learning models, social and emotional learning and support, learning loss and a variety of other relevant topics; and 
   
   
   
3. working together to examine the impact of various factors such as transportation, student nutrition services and personal protective equipment that are integral in providing face-to-face instruction during the pandemic. 
   
   

 

We recognize how important it is for parents/guardians to feel comfortable about their child's learning environment. We thank parents/guardians for responding to our initial survey to give us their input/feedback. We will be conducting another parent survey soon.

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Will sports conditioning/workouts be held this summer?

As a health and safety precaution for its student-athletes and coaches, Richland One has decided to delay conditioning activities for fall sports, which were scheduled to begin July 6.

 

Richland One Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon said the decision was made based on recent data regarding the spread of COVID-19 in the Columbia area.

 

“The information we received from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control lists Richland County’s rate of COVID-19 cases as high, so we feel it’s prudent to postpone workouts and other pre-season athletics activities at this time,” said Dr. Witherspoon.

 

“We will continue to monitor the situation, stay in communication with state and local public health officials, and keep our parents and students informed.”

Will students still have to take state assessments?

The SCDE applied for and received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education that eliminates the requirement for the administration of the following assessments:

• SC READY (English language arts (ELA) and mathematics in grades 3-8);
  
  
  
• SCPASS (science in grades 4 and 6);
  
  
  
• End-of-Course Examination Program (English, Algebra, Biology, United States History and the Constitution) – the requirement that these examinations count 20 percent has been waived;
  
  
  
• Pre-kindergarten assessments – 4-year-old kindergarten (Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS Pre-K™), Individual Growth and Development Indicators (myIGDIs™) and Teaching Strategies® GOLD); and
  
  
• Alternate assessments – some students have already taken the alternate assessments.

Will the school day SAT and ACT exams be given?

ACT school day exams and make-ups were completed before schools closed. SAT school day exams were administered, but make-ups are currently canceled.

Will IB exams be given?

No, the International Baccalaureate program has canceled all end-of-year assessments. For more information, go to https://www.ibo.org.

Will AP exams be given?

Yes, The College Board has decided that students will take Advanced Placement exams online at home. The exams will be 45-minute free-response exams that will not include content typically covered in March and April. The College Board will release the exam dates by April 3.

Access to free, live review lessons is available online. For more information, go to https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/coronavirus-updates.

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CTE Program: Automotive

Will my student be able to receive his/her automotive certification (ASE) for Automotive/Diesel Technology Programs at Heyward Career and Technology Center?

At this time students are not able to complete the certification process. We are currently awaiting additional guidance from the State Department of Education on the certification process and will update this document as soon as we receive that information.

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CTE Program: Barber/Master Hair Care

Will my student be able to complete barbering service hours required by the State Board of Barber Examiners?

Students may work with their instructor to complete online hours that will count toward hours for their state assessment but will not be able to test until the State Board opens testing.

The South Carolina Board of Barber Examiners has approved the use of distance learning platforms for up to 25 percent of the required hours for each program over a 10-week period during the current health emergency. They also voted to give school administrators the ability to extend student permits and 90-day work permits that are affected by the current public health emergency.

The Board of Examiners is continuing to monitor the challenges presented by COVID-19 as the situation progresses and will provide additional guidance in regards to issues that may emerge, as circumstances warrant.

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CTE Program: Cosmetology, Nail Technology, Esthetics

Will my student be able to complete cosmetology service hours required by the State Board of Cosmetology? Students may work with their instructor to complete online hours that will count toward hours for their state assessment but will not be able to test until the State Board opens testing.

The South Carolina Board of Cosmetology has approved the use of distance learning platforms for Cosmetology, Nail Technology, and Esthetics programs for up to 25 percent of the required hours for each program over a 10-week period during the current health emergency.

The Board of Cosmetology is continuing to monitor the challenges presented by COVID-19 as the situation progresses and will provide additional guidance in regards to issues that may emerge, as circumstances warrant.

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CTE Program: Health Science

What if my student is very close to finishing the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program, but cannot complete the program requirements due to the closure? Are there any options to help them finish their clinical rotation?

Students cannot perform patient work in long-term care, nursing facilities, or hospitals. Students must work with their instructor to gain hours online to meet hour requirements. State testing will not be available until the State Board opens the testing window.

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CTE Program: Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Do students have access to PLTW online resources?

Yes, the PLTW network is providing technical assistance to all schools, teachers, and students, so that there will be limited interruption in the instructional delivery process. For example, students can access PLTW through their normal login process and complete online lessons.

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How can students access the PLTW end-of-course portal?

Project Lead the Way (PLTW) has suspended end-of-course assessments for the spring 2020 semester due to the complications with the COVID-19 pandemic. The end-of-course exams are not available at this time.

We are awaiting additional guidance from the State Board of Education and Project Lead the Way and will update this document as soon as we receive this information.

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Work-based Learning Opportunities

Are students permitted to participate in work-based learning?

At this time work-based learning activities are following the state and district guidelines. Students are not asked or required to report to work-based learning activities.

Teachers and students may utilize the free virtual resources provided by Microburst to complete work-based learning activities. Microburst job shadowing videos are being offered to all students statewide. Each video is accompanied by a reflective worksheet for students. Offline paper and pencil opportunities are also available for students without access to connectivity.

For access to the online Microburst Portal, visit www.microcareerburst.com.

Students may use the following login information:

Username: SC2020      Password: gr8tcareers

For onsite work-based learning opportunities, we are awaiting additional guidance from the State Department of Education.