Springfield Public Schools and 23 other area districts have announced the extended closure of schools through April 24 due to COVID-19. The announcement follows a stay-at-home order issued by Greene County and the City of Springfield, which takes effect Thursday.
While the impact of COVID-19 temporarily closes school buildings, SPS is focused on ensuring that learning continues from home.
In support of that goal, the state's largest district has launched SPS At Home, a learning platform featuring resources to support students and parents during this unprecedented time. The at-home learning platform is found at www.SPS.org/SPSatHome.
"Our talented teachers will remain the foundation of a student's educational experience. SPS At Home will help ensure that our students and teachers remain connected and engaged in learning together," said Dr. John Jungmann, superintendent of SPS. "We hope this tool will help our students and their parents in the days to come. We're learning together - wherever we are. We're just doing it differently for a while."
SPS At Home includes resources for elementary, middle and high school students. Guidance for both students and parents is provided. Content includes sample daily schedules, online and printed curriculum, activities, and links to other important tools. Families are encouraged to share photos of their learning together on social media using the hashtag #SPSAtHome.
As teachers work to deliver quality instruction through SPS At Home, families can expect the following:
Communication through SPS email.
Canvas announcements, messages and virtual conferences.
A workbook of learning opportunities for elementary students is provided online and a packet of materials has been mailed to each student's home. The packets are expected to arrive by the end of this week. The workbook contains 10 days of offline and online reading, writing, math, science, art and physical education activities. It also includes a sample daily schedule, directions to access online resources, a daily checklist for each activity by content area, parent guides, student activities for each subject area, and QR codes that open web links and other tools when scanned.
Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
SPS At Home for Secondary Students: Grades 6-8 & Grades 9-12
For secondary students, teachers will be contacting students and parents with information on how to access their lessons and activities using Canvas, the district's course management system that supports online learning and teaching. Packets containing offline activities will be mailed to middle school students without internet access.
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Grades 9-12
Special Education
Students receiving special education services and who have an IEP will be contacted by their case manager for specialized learning opportunities. In addition, SPS At Home provides the following special education resources:
Cross Categorical Student Resources
District Program Student Resources
Other Resources
Materials for PreK students are in development and will be provided soon, as will translated curriculum for English Language Learners. Other resources available through SPS At Home include the following:
Grab-and-Go Meals
Counseling Services
Tech Support
Digital Resource Access
Health Update
During the first week of COVID-19 closure, teachers have been conducting wellness checks with every SPS student by phone. As part of those checks, SPS is determining any unmet needs to be addressed by the district or its community partners. Unmet needs include internet access during this closure. The Board of Education has authorized SPS to order an additional 2,000 hotspots to provide internet access for previously identified students without this service. Those supports will be delivered to students soon.
Student and Parent Support
For support with learning at home, parents and students are encouraged to call their school to connect with the principal or classroom teacher. More information will be provided to parents and students in the coming days.
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