COVID Protocols
Overview of COVID-19 Isolation Guidance for K-12 Schools
- Students, teachers & staff who test positive for COVID-19 and/or display COVID-19 symptoms should isolate regardless of vaccination status:
- If positive with no symptoms, monitor for symptoms from day of exposure through day 10 of isolation; and
- Isolate at home for 5 days (day “0” is day symptoms begin or day test was taken for students, teachers & staff who do not have symptoms); and
- If symptoms have improved or you continue to have no symptoms, return to school, while wearing a well-fitted mask, for days 6 -10; or
- Stay home for 10 days if unwilling/unable to wear a mask.
If you have a fever, stay home until you are fever free for a period of 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.
MDHHS updates COVID-19 guidance for K-12 schools (michigan.gov)
COVID Reporting
Arts Academy in the Woods families should contact our main office attendance line to notify our staff of any COVID related concern. When our office staff is notified by families of COVID related absences, we will follow the following procedures. Families will be encouraged to continue to monitor for symptoms and notify us of changes.
These procedures are based on the Macomb County Health Department Guidelines.
Our staff asks:
- Has the student been vaccinated? Students that are vaccinated do not need to quarantine.
- Does the student have symptoms? If so, we recommend quarantine and testing with a medical professional.
- What was the last date of attendance at school?
- Has there been a test? We recommend quarantine until results are known.
- What kind of test was taken? We recommend PCR from medical professional. Positive PCR indicates a confirmed case of COVID. Positive antigen test indicates a probable case of COVID.
- Can you provide a copy of the test results?
Our staff report Confirmed and Probable COVID cases to the county Health department as well as our normal infectious disease reporting. Our administration coordinates with Health Department on follow up. We notify close contacts of confirmed and probable cases.
Families are directed to follow Quarantine guidelines as outlined in the Macomb County Health Department Guidelines.
Students and staff with symptoms or exposure updated 01.04.2022
Confirmed – positive PCR test.
Probable – positive antigen test OR exhibiting symptoms AND close contact of someone with a positive test
Continuity of Learning Plan
The Arts Academy in the Woods Staff has created our Continuity of Learning plan
Arts Academy in the Woods MICLPlan
Arts Academy in the Woods MICLPlan Updated 04102023
The plan has been approved by the Macomb Intermediate School District and submitted to the State.
Arts Academy in the Woods response to COVID–19 Message #19 08/14/2020
To help our families keep up with our plans, there is a running list of previous communications regarding COVID 19 and the Academy’s response on our website at this link Arts Academy in the Woods Coronoavirus Response Updates and Resources
For our current families, you can expect to continue to receive emailed updates throughout the summer and into the new school year.
For our new families, we will be adding you to our regular emailing list at the beginning of August. Until then, keep an eye on your email for information about Orientation, follow us on Facebook, follow our Arts Integration blog, and watch our website for updates!
As we plan and prepare for the fall, it is so important that we understand the needs of our community. The best opportunity to provide feedback and perspective is through our Reopening the Arts Academy Community Survey
Planning for 2020 – 2021
As a public school, we are required to submit an outline of our plan to the County and State.
You can click these links to view a summary overview, a more detailed overview of the plans that were discussed in the Community Town Hall on Thursday 11/13/2020. These plans describe general expectations of how we will maintain safety and educational expectations for our community.
Our Board of Directors has met to approve the plan as written and submitted to the County.
Our Board of Directors have also determined that we will begin the 2020-2021 academic year with distance learning and we will review the possibility of reopening for face to face instruction as safety allows before each quarter.
For details for the first quarter return to school, please review the Board approved document
Families who choose to, can still enroll for the full virtual option. Families can make that selection by completing this survey. We will allow families to reconsider and recommit to the decision each quarter after the Board decision.
Our staff and administration will be able to provide a significantly improved, individualized, and engaging online curriculum with many more options for student support and engagement this fall.
We look forward to seeing everyone again as soon as possible!!
Dr. Mitchell
Arts Academy in the Woods Response to COVID–19 and Back to School Message #18 08/12/2020
To help our families keep up with our plans, there is a running list of previous communications regarding COVID 19 and the Academy’s response on our website at this link Arts Academy in the Woods Coronoavirus Response Updates and Resources
For our current families, you can expect to continue to receive emailed updates throughout the summer and into the new school year.
For our new families, we will be adding you to our regular emailing list at the beginning of August. Until then, keep an eye on your email for information about Orientation, follow us on Facebook, follow our Arts Integration blog, and watch our website for updates!
As we plan and prepare for the fall, it is so important that we understand the needs of our community. The best opportunity to provide feedback and perspective is through our Reopening the Arts Academy Community Survey
Planning for 2020 – 2021
The Academy’s staff and administration has worked throughout the spring and summer to build plans that will support all of our community members.
We want to assure all of our families that we will have an online only option for anyone who chooses it regardless of our schoolwide reopening plan. If a family selects the online only option, we expect that there will be an opportunity to revisit that choice before each marking period begins, but the student will have to choose for the entire day and the entire quarter. There will be a survey for signing up for the online option by early next week.
As a public school, we are required to submit an outline of our plan to the County and State.
You can click these links to view a summary overview, a more detailed overview, and the official document that will be submitted to our Board for Approval. These plans largely address how we will operate when staff and students are in the building.
This Thursday, the administration will host a virtual Community Town Hall at 3:00pm to review the plan. This meeting will be held using Microsoft Teams. You can participate in TEAMS meetings using your Internet Browser or downloading the TEAMS app. To participate please click this invitation link, you will see the options by clicking the link.
This Thursday at 5:30, our Board of Directors will meet to vote on the plan and to decide on our initial reopening status for the start of the 2020-2021 school year.
Answers to frequently asked questions
What is the plan for this fall?
According to the MI Safe Schools Return to School Roadmap there are three scenarios for school opening in fall 2020:
A. Schools open for in-person instruction with minimal required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 6). Schools open for in-person instruction with moderate required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 5). We will likely have face to face instruction schoolwide in Phases 5 and 6
B. Schools open for in-person instruction with more stringent required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 4). We will likely have hybrid of face to face and online instruction schoolwide in Phase 4
C. Schools do not open for in-person instruction and instruction is provided remotely (MI Safe Start Phases 1-3). We will definitely have full online instruction schoolwide in Phases 1 – 3
These plans must be approved by our Board of Directors. They will be deciding our first quarter reopening status on 08/13/2020.
We want to assure all of our families that we will have an online only option for anyone who chooses it regardless of our schoolwide reopening plan. If a family selects the online only option, we expect that there will be an opportunity to revisit that choice before each marking period begins, but the student will have to choose for the entire day and the entire quarter. There will be a survey for signing up for the online only option by early in the week of August 17.
When will we receive our schedules?
The administration has been working to create new schedules that will align with all of our new scheduling options. We have built a modified block schedule that works well for every re-opening scenario. We expect to open up Unified Classroom for families and teachers to preview student schedules by the end of next week.
What is being done with the classrooms and school to make it safe for us to return?
Everyone entering the building will be required to wear a mask and wash/disinfect their hands. We have installed hand sanitizing stations throughout the building. We have ordered reusable cloth (see the picture) and disposable facemasks for every student and staff member. Individuals can choose to wear their own, but they do have to wear one.
All areas of the school have been thoroughly cleaned, sanitized, and disinfected over the summer.
We have worked on our heating and cooling systems to ensure safe, effective ventilation in all areas.
We will implement plans for social distancing during hybrid instruction. (Fewer than 14 kids per classroom; one way traffic in the hallways; different doors for entrance and exit; additional seating for fewer kids during lunches, etc.)
Is there any change in the staff this year and is there anyone replacing them?
We have had a few teachers leave the Academy, but have been very lucky to find great new teachers for every current vacancy. Ms. Stanley and Ms. Guilmette have both accepted new positions. We have also added an additional Middle School Teacher and an Additional Special Education teacher to the staff.
How will we do new student orientation this year?
We are planning for a virtual orientation this year. We will be sharing details after our Board level decisions this week.
We are also hoping to do a school wide picture day scheduled in small groups before school starts, but those plans details are dependent on how we start the school year and we will know more by the week of August 17.
We look forward to seeing everyone again as soon as possible!!
Dr. Mitchell
July 28 2020 Update
Arts Academy in the Woods response to COVID–19 Message #17 07/28/2020
To help our families keep up with our plans, there is a running list of previous communications regarding COVID 19 and the Academy’s response on our website at this link Arts Academy in the Woods Coronoavirus Response Updates and Resources
For our current families, you can expect to continue to receive emailed updates throughout the summer and into the new school year.
For our new families, we will be adding you to our regular emailing list at the beginning of August. Until then, keep an eye on your email for information about Orientation, follow us on Facebook, follow our Arts Integration blog, and watch our website for updates!
As we plan and prepare for the fall, it is so important that we understand the needs of our community. The best opportunity to provide feedback and perspective is through our Reopening the Arts Academy Community Survey
Planning for 2020 – 2021
Our planning committees have been referencing the feedback we have already received through the survey and through other means of communication and we will continue to monitor the responses as we build our plan. Once we have a draft plan, we will share it with our broader community and host a virtual town hall for feedback before we submit it to the County and State.
Based on feedback from the survey, questions and feedback I’ve received directly from our community, and the State of Michigan guidance provided in the MI Safe Schools Roadmap (among other resources) our staff and Board of Directors are working to ensure that we have safe and equitable options for all of our families.
Based on the current phase of the Michiga’s economic reopening plan (we are currently in Phase 4.) (MI Safe Start Plan to Re-Engage Michigan’s Economy) (Detroit Regional Chamber Business Restart Center)
As we have previously communicated, the Academy will follow State and local guidelines for school opening scenarios for Fall 2020. Our re-opening plans are being crafted and will be available for community review within the next few weeks.
According to the MI Safe Schools Return to School Roadmap there are three scenarios for school opening in fall 2020:
- Schools open for in-person instruction with minimal required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 6). Schools open for in-person instruction with moderate required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 5).
- Schools open for in-person instruction with more stringent required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 4).
- Schools do not open for in-person instruction and instruction is provided remotely (MI Safe Start Phases 1-3).
Our teachers, counselors, Social Workers, administrative team, and I are working to ensure that our plans reflect our community’s needs. Our plans and options will be in place for all of our families, even those who aren’t comfortable returning to face to face instruction.
We are preparing for three scenarios.
- Traditional Face to Face Learning. (Phase 5 and 6)
- Distance/Remote Learning. (Phase 1 – 3)
- Hybrid Learning. (Phase 4)
We are still finalizing details for student support, classroom structure, daily schedule, and every other aspect of a day at school and these details will be included in our plans that are presented in the coming weeks. After we share our plans, we will schedule a virtual town hall for all who would like to participate.
With that said, we do expect that we will be able to provide a plan that ensures the following:
- All families will have the option of a full distance learning experience at the Arts Academy if they so choose.
- Our staff will improve upon the communication and learning platforms that were used in the Spring. We have learned a great deal about what works and what doesn’t work in regards to distance learning and all teachers will have specific and consistent office and communication times and processes.
- Our classrooms, hallways cafegymatorium, and daily schedules will be prepared in accordance with the State Return to School guidelines to provide appropriate social distancing and reduced occupancy for each phase of the plan.
- We will allow and encourage families to provide their own technology and PPE and we will also provide resources to for families to obtain needed tech and PPE.
- We will be expanding our contract with our maintenance provider to include additional staff and supplies for cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting as appropriate.
- Accommodations for IEPs and 504 plans will be coordinated on a case by case basis, as each plan is highly individualized. Our Social Workers, Counselors, and Special Education staff are already collaborating on our school wide plan and individual plans.
- We are coordinating with our food service provider for significant reductions in contact for providing and paying for school foodservice. We have ordered additional seating to facilitate social distancing in the cafegymatorium.
- We are aware that classes like dance, choir, and music will require significantly more details in order to ensure staff and student safety and we are working to address those concerns.
- We are coordinating with the County Health Department to ensure appropriate student screening and support.
- We have begun discussions with SMART bus to continue transportation in a safe manner.
- We are working with our staff to determine how and if we can continue to provide after school clubs. and the Hangout
So, although we are still working out details, we have been working to address the concerns as they are identified by our community members, but we really appreciate your input! So, if you haven’t already, please complete the Reopening the Arts Academy Community Survey
Seeking Parent Volunteers!
At the Arts Academy, we are always looking for ways to keep our parents involved in the success of the school and the enrichment of our students.
We are excited to announce some major advancements occurring with the Board of our foundation, the Arts Academy in the Woods Educational Excellence Foundation. We would like to have a parent, community member, or student relative to volunteer who has experience in capital campaigns in fundraising for educational institutions. It will likely be a small commitment of time each month with the potential for a huge impact on the lives of our young artists. Please message me directly if you are interested or you know someone who might be.
As always, if you would like to participate or financially support our Parent Teacher Association, please be sure to follow our PTA on Facebook (search for AAW PTA) or email the PTA aawpta@gmail.com
We look forward to seeing everyone again as soon as possible!!
Thanks,
Have a great summer and stay safe!!
Dr. Mitchell
July 16 2020 Updates
Arts Academy in the Woods response to COVID–19 Message #16 07/16/2020
COVID-19 Return to School Advisory Council
On June 30, Governor Whitmer and the Return to Learning Advisory Council released an executive order and a robust document called “Michigan’s Return to School Roadmap” that provides details on what will be required and what will be recommended for schools. The governor also highlighted the need for support and flexibility from the federal government to help ensure resources for students and educators. For additional details, please see the online MI Safe Schools Roadmap
We intend to use this document and guidelines from local, state, and national health departments to clarify the details of our plans, but we have every intention of providing options for every family to feel comfortable!
Planning Survey
As we anticipated, the State guidelines for school opening scenarios for Fall 2020 are very closely aligned with the status of MI Safe Schools and there are three scenarios for school opening in fall 2020:
- Schools open for in-person instruction with minimal required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 6). Schools open for in-person instruction with moderate required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 5).
- Schools open for in-person instruction with more stringent required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 4).
- Schools do not open for in-person instruction and instruction is provided remotely (MI Safe Start Phases 1-3).
As our last communication indicated, our teachers, counselors, Social Workers, administrative team, and I are working to ensure that our plans reflect our community’s needs. We will have plans and options in place for all of our families, even those who aren’t comfortable returning to face to face instruction. If your family is interested in considering distance learning exclusively, there is an option on the survey.
We are still preparing for three scenarios.
- Traditional Learning. (Phase 5 and 6)
- Distance/Remote Learning. (Phase 1 – 3)
- Hybrid Learning. (Phase 4)
We would like to ensure that all members of our community have a voice in deciding our next steps. Please be sure to share your perspective by completing the the Reopening the Arts Academy Survey
2020 Academic Calendar
Next year’s academic calendar is officially approved and available on our website.
Credit Recovery and Completion Plans
For students who did not earn credit in courses during first semester, you should reach out to Mrs. Burrage rburrage@artsacad.net for Credit Recovery information
For students who did not demonstrate proficiency and earn credit during second semester, our summer student mentors Mr. Messel, Mr. Wotherspoon, and Mrs. Szopjak have been reaching out. If you haven’t been in contact with them, please let Dr. Mitchell know.
In all cases of credit recovery and credit completion, we will update grades when the student has completed the coursework and we have gathered final documentation.
Yearbooks
We are still awaiting delivery of 2019 Yearbooks. Apparently, the publisher had an extended shutdown at their printing facility which caused a significant delay. We will have a very limited number of yearbooks available for folks who forgot to order. If you are interested in ordering one, please contact Ms. Allen callen@artsacad.net
Seeking a Parent Volunteer!
At the Arts Academy, we are always looking for ways to keep our parents involved in the success of the school and the enrichment of our students. We are excited to announce some major advancements occurring with our Arts Academy in the Woods Educational Excellence Foundation board in the coming months and we are seeking a parent, community member, or student relative to volunteer who has experience in capital campaigns in fundraising for educational institutions. It will likely be a small commitment of time each month with the potential for a huge impact on the lives of our young artists. Please message me directly if you are interested or you know someone who might be.
June 24 2020 Updates
Arts Academy in the Woods response to COVID–19 Message #15 06/24/2020
Report Cards were sent today
Families should focus on the grades for second semester. As we have shared before, all courses are CR (credit) or NC (No Credit) for the second semester. At this point, third and fourth quarter grades are unimportant and only semester credit will be reflected on transcripts.
For students who have not earned credit in courses that they have taken, we have two scenarios, please see below for Credit Completion and Credit Recovery options.
Check Graduation Progress in Unified Classroom
Now that report cards have been sent home, students should double check their graduation progress in Unified Classroom.
- Select Quick Links om the left tool bar.
- Choose Main Portal Page from the options.
- Choose Graduation Progress from the left menu to see which courses you have taken and which courses you have requested for next year.
COVID-19 Return to School Advisory Council
On June 30, we anticipate that Governor Whitmer and the Return to Learning Advisory Council will release an executive order and a robust document called “Michigan’s Return to School Roadmap” that will provide details on what will be required and what will be recommended for schools. The governor also highlighted the need for support and flexibility from the federal government to help ensure resources for students and educators. For additional details, please see the Next Steps for School Reopening Press Release
We intend to use this document and guidelines from local, state, and national health departments to clarify the details of our plans, but we have every intention of providing options for every family to feel comfortable!
Planning Survey
Based on the latest information released by the Governor, we are working to ensure that our plans reflect our community’s needs.
As previously communicated, we are focusing on three scenarios.
- Traditional Learning.
- Distance/Remote Learning.
- Hybrid Learning.
We would like to ensure that all members of our community have a voice in deciding our next steps. Please click the link to complete the Reopening the Arts Academy Survey
We will have plans in place for all of our families, even those who aren’t comfortable returning to face to face instruction. If your family is interested in considering distance learning exclusively, there is an option on the survey.
2020 Draft Calendar
Next year’s academic calendar is not officially approved, but I wanted to share our working draft. In order to address a few oddities in next year’s calendar based on the late date of Labor Day, we are planning to start on August 31.
Please feel free to review the DRAFT CALENDAR by clicking this link
Credit Recovery and Completion Plans
For students who did not earn credit in courses during first semester, you should reach out to Mrs. Burrage rburrage@artsacad.net for Credit Recovery information
For students who did not demonstrate proficiency during second semester, we will reach out early next week to individual families to discuss options.
For students who are significantly behind, we will assign your student a summer mentor and enroll the students into online Learning Loss courses to earn credit. Students will focus on one course at a time.
In all cases of credit recovery and credit completion, we will update grades when the student has completed the coursework and we have gathered final documentation.
Credit Recovery Details
- Students who have failed courses must complete credit recovery to meet graduation requirements.
- Students will not be scheduled to repeat courses at AAW.
- Students may elect to take credit recovery courses with any public school district summer school program. Contact your local public school district for information.
- Students may choose to complete online or correspondence credit recovery with AAW approved online providers (listed below).
- Please contact Ms. Burrage for course registration approval: rburrage@artsacad.net
Recommended Online Options for Credit Recovery
Edgenuity – Preferred option
Cost of each course:
Lunch Status | Cost per Course |
Full-Pay | $80 |
Reduced Lunch | $40 |
Free Lunch | $0 |
When you are ready to enroll in an Edgenuity online course, contact Mrs. Burrage. She will confirm your required courses and communicate with the main office. At that point, you can pay online using EZPay or you can bring your payment (cash or check) to the main office. Once payment is received, you will be enrolled in the course.
Other Approved Online Programs¹
- ClintondaleVirtual Online: www.clintondalevirtualschool.com
- Keystonecreditrecovery.com:www.keystonecreditrecovery.com
- BYU Credit Recovery:www.is.byu.edu
¹ Additional information available from Mrs. Burrage.
Credit Completion Details Summer 2020
Students who have not earned credit for second semester courses can complete those courses over the summer of 2020 at no cost.
Courses that were not passed prior to June of 2020 will need to complete the requirements via the standard credit recovery guidelines.
All required courses must be completed through credit recovery or credit completion in order to meet graduation requirements.
Credit Completion 2020 – Edgenuity
We have assigned a group of teachers to act as credit completion coaches over the summer of 2020. They will be reaching out to families to discuss how we can assist in completing coursework from the last semester of 2019-20.
Our priorities will be as follows:
- Students who were already enrolled in credit recovery will work to complete those courses.
- Students will enroll in a course that they haven’t earned credit in.
- Students will work on one course at a time.
- Students who have not completed coursework by August 30, will have NC added to their transcripts and will be required to participate in Credit Recovery.
The process will proceed as follows:
- Credit Completion Coach will reach out to families to discuss credit completion options.
- Coach and student will select 1 course
- Coach will communicate enrollment information to our Credit Completion administrator
- Student and family will receive enrollment information via email to families (link to course, username, password, orientation video)
- Credit Completion Coaches will check in on students/families at least once a week to offer support.
- When student completes course, they will communicate with their Coach who will communicate with our counselor and administration.
Yearbooks
We are still awaiting delivery of 2019 Yearbooks. Apparently, the publisher had an extended shutdown at their printing facility which caused a significant delay. We will have a very limited number of yearbooks available for folks who forgot to order. If you are interested in ordering one, please contact Ms. Allen callen@artsacad.net
We look forward to seeing everyone again! Be safe!
June 18 2020 Updates
Arts Academy in the Woods response to COVID–19 Message #14 06/17/2020
COVID-19 Return to School Advisory Council
In May, Governor Whitmer announced the creation of the Return to Learning Advisory Council, which will create a process for determining how schools may be able to reopen in the fall. The panel will inform the COVID-19 Task Force on Education within the State Emergency Operations Center with recommendations on how to safely, equitably, and efficiently return to school in the Fall.
The COVID-19 Task Force on Education will create a roadmap and framework for schools to utilize to plan for various public health scenarios. Going forward, the Task Force will be informed by the Return to School Advisory Council, including voices from educators, health experts, and other community stakeholders. The Advisory Council will gather critical stakeholder feedback on the content of the Roadmap. For more information, please see the Path for the Safe and Equitable Reopening of Schools Press Release
Yesterday, the Governor announced that Michigan schools may resume in-person learning in phase 4 of the MI Safe Start plan, with strict safety measures in place. The governor also announced that on June 30th, she will release an executive order and a robust document called “Michigan’s Return to School Roadmap” that will provide details on what will be required and what will be recommended for schools. The governor also highlighted the need for support and flexibility from the federal government to help ensure resources for students and educators. For additional details, please see the Next Steps for School Reopening Press Release
Planning Survey
Based on the latest information released by the Governor, we are working to ensure that our plans reflect our community’s needs.
As previously communicated, we are focusing on three scenarios.
- Traditional Learning: A return to face-to-face instruction at the school building with additional health and safety precautions. This option will require that the State of Michigan COVID-19 Return to School Advisory Council determines that face to face instruction is safe at all levels of building occupancy and capacity.
- Distance/Remote Learning: A continuation of virtual/digital learning at home with adjustments and improvements based on feedback we’ve received from our community. This option will require that the State of Michigan COVID-19 Return to School Advisory Council determines that face to face instruction is NOT safe at any reasonable level of building occupancy or capacity.
- Hybrid Learning: A blended model of instruction that uses both Traditional Learning and Distance/Remote Learning that requires a limited number of our students to be in school at any given time. A hybrid model may be necessary due to space constraints at schools and to allow for social distancing requirements. This option will require that the State of Michigan COVID-19 Return to School Advisory Council determines that face to face instruction is safe only at significantly reduced levels of building occupancy and capacity.
We would like to ensure that all members of our community have a voice in deciding our next steps. Please click the link to complete the Reopening the Arts Academy Survey
We will have plans in place for all of our families, even those who aren’t comfortable returning to face to face instruction. If your family is interested in considering distance learning, there is an option on the survey.
2020 Draft Calendar
Next year’s academic calendar is not officially approved, but I wanted to share our working draft. In order to address a few oddities in next year’s calendar based on the late date of Labor Day, we are planning to start on August 31.
Please feel free to review the DRAFT CALENDAR by clicking this link
Town Hall
While we really hoped to coordinate an opportunity for our community members to discuss the current events through our Virtual Town Hall meeting, we received less that 10 responses, so we’ve decided to postpone these discussions until school resumes in the fall. Our staff will continue to participate in Professional Learning related to Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity and we will bring our learning to our students. If you feel that you would benefit from sharing your thoughts or hearing from someone else, you are always welcome to reach out to us!
You can reach me by responding to this message
School Counselor – Mrs. Burrage rburrage@artsacad.net
School Social Worker – Mrs. Prainito’s – mprainito@artsacad.net
School Social Worker – Mrs. Ziolkowski – aziolkowski@artsacad.net
Final Grades
Teachers have submitted final grades and we will be sending digital report cards by the beginning of next week. Please let me know if you haven’t received yours by next Wednesday.
Credit Recovery and Completion Plans
For students who did not earn credit in courses during first semester, you should reach out to Mrs. Burrage rburrage@artsacad.net for Credit Recovery information
For students who did not demonstrate proficiency during second semester, we will reach out early next week to individual families to discuss options.
For students who are significantly behind, we will assign your student a summer mentor and enroll the students into online Learning Loss courses to earn credit. Students will focus on one course at a time.
For students who were nearly finished with their coursework, we will assign a mentor who can assist your student in completing the remaining assignments for credit.
In all cases of credit recovery and credit completion, we will update grades when the student has completed the coursework and we have gathered final documentation.
Student Materials Pick up and Drop Off
For families who weren’t able to attend pick up and drop off or who have found that they are still missing something, you can schedule an appointment with Ms. Allen callen@artsacad.net
We will have to reorganize the materials but expect to be ready early next week.
Yearbooks
We are still awaiting delivery of 2019 Yearbooks. Apparently, the publisher had an extended shutdown at their printing facility which caused a significant delay. We will have a very limited number of yearbooks available for folks who forgot to order. If you are interested in ordering one, please contact Ms. Allen callen@artsacad.net
We look forward to seeing everyone again, even if only for a short time!
Be safe!
May 28 2020 Updates
Arts Academy in the Woods response to COVID–19 Message #11 05/28/2020
We want to ensure that our families are up to date on our plans as they are developed and as they change, so please keep an eye out for emails over the coming weeks.
Please don’t forget that our number one priority is the safety and education of our students. If there is anything that your family needs, please reach out to me or one of our staff members. We are here for you, please let us know how we can help!!
Social, Emotional, and Academic Planning Support
As many/ of our teachers have scheduled office hours for our students, our Social Workers and Counselors are also available during this time. If you or your family are in need of social work support please email Mrs. Ziolkowski or Mrs. Prainito and one of them will get back to you. Our social workers are here for social emotional support, financial assistance, resources on food distribution, and shelter resources. Mrs. Ziolkowski’s email is aziolkowski@artsacad.net; Mrs. Prainito’s email is mprainito@artsacad.net
Our counselor, Mrs. Burrage is available to discuss college planning, academic planning, and other concerns related to progressing as a learner. Her email is rburrage@artsacad.net
2019-2020 Academic Year Pick up and Drop Off of materials
As we continue receive the last few items for kids to pick up at the end of the year, we are finishing a plan for students to return books and other school materials and to get each student their belongings and any items that have been ordered. Again, we are focused on minimizing opportunities to spread germs, so we want to have everything ready for a single pick up and drop off day.
June 10
Our staff is organizing a drive-thru pick up/drop off on June 10.
We will have all student materials, belongings, and artwork that was left in the building prepared for easy pick up without having to get out of your car!
There will also be stations to return books, instruments, and other supplies that were signed out.
Juniors, Sophomores, Freshmen, and Middle School Students will be allowed to drive-through for pick up/drop off between 12 and 5pm.
Graduation and Senior Send Off
Seniors will be scheduled for pick up/drop off between 6 and 8pm on June 10. During this time, we will pass out graduation materials and participate in a drive through diploma ceremony and Senior Send Off.
2019-2020 Academic Year Final Grades
On June 12, all Second Semester grades will be CR for Credit or INC for incomplete. These grades will not impact GPA or class standing, but will count toward graduation.
We expect that we will change all grades marked Incomplete to NC for No Credit by June 30 for students who haven’t demonstrated proficiency or made a plan with Mrs. Burrage, Mrs. Szopjak, or Dr. Mitchell to complete the course. Courses that have a final grade of No Credit will not count toward graduation and must be made up.
Seniors
Seniors who have already demonstrated proficiency will receive an email from each of your teachers letting you know that you are done. May 29 will be the last day of school for Seniors who have demonstrated proficiency and earned credit in their classes.
If there are things that still need to be completed, a detailed description will be included in the emails.
There is no set number of assignments or activities that students must do. For each course, teachers will compare the course standards to what the student has demonstrated.
We have been clear throughout the process about what is required and we will do whatever is necessary to help kids finish, but they have to finish. We can allow extensions, but Seniors won’t get their diplomas until they have earned all of the appropriate credits.
For seniors who need additional time, please reach out to Mrs. Burrage to discuss options.
Students in Grades 7 – 11.
All other students will receive an email from each of their teachers letting them know if they have demonstrated proficiency and earned credit by Friday June 5.
If there are things that still need to be completed, a detailed description will be included in the emails. These last two weeks of school will be focused on assisting students in finishing work, similar to our focus during the last two weeks of Third Quarter. The last day of school will be Friday, June 12 for students who have demonstrated proficiency in their courses.
If students are unable to demonstrate proficiency by June 12, the administration will reach out to discuss options for completing the list provided by teachers or for participating in summer school.
For students who need additional time, please reach out to Mrs. Burrage to discuss options.
2020-2021 Academic Year
The Academy’s staff, Board, and Administration are still working to create plans that will allow us to be prepared for whatever possibilities we are presented with this fall. We are working to ensure that whatever situation our community is in will be met with a flexible and equitable plan that allows all of our community members to safely engage in the arts and academics at the Academy.
We haven’t made final decisions yet, but we are considering options that will provide for social distancing and reduced class sizes. Regardless of the details, we will ensure that we have appropriate safety and sanitation measures in place.
If any member of our community is interested in being part of the planning team, please let Dr. Mitchell know.
Registering for Classes
Many students have already completed their course requests for 2020. If your student hasn’t completed their requests yet, please remind them to do so. As our most popular classes fill up, we can’t always add additional sections, so some kids don’t get the courses they wanted. If you need assistance, please contact Mrs. Burrage.
Spread the Word
We are continuing to process applications for students wishing to enroll for the 2020-2021 academic year.
If you have friends, coworkers, or family members who know a young artist who would benefit from an inclusive and arts-integrated educational environment, be sure to spread the word!! Share on your social media, wherever you are engaging with other artists, and anywhere you think that there may be a student who needs more art in their life.
Our continued growth and success are dependent on you spreading the word that we are helping young artists to Prepare for Possibility!
Please follow the Academy on Social Media and share our messages for recruiting new artists. Facebook – @ArtsAcad
Instagram – arts.academy.woods
Twitter – ArtEveryDayAAW
Arts Academy Hats, T-shirts, hoodies, and bags are available on our AAW Merchandise page Arts Academy Merch
May 22. 2020 Updates
We want to ensure that our families are up to date on our plans as they are developed and as they change, so please keep an eye out for emails over the coming weeks.
Please don’t forget that our number one priority is the safety and education of our students. If there is anything that your family needs, please reach out to me or one of our staff members. We are here for you, please let us know how we can help!!
As many of our teachers have scheduled office hours for our students, our Social Workers and Counselors are also available during this time. If you or your family are in need of social work support please email Mrs. Ziolkowski or Mrs. Prainito and one of them will get back to you. Our social workers are here for social emotional support, financial assistance, resources on food distribution, and shelter resources. Mrs. Ziolkowski’s email is aziolkowski@artsacad.net; Mrs. Prainito’s email is mprainito@artsacad.net
Our counselor, Mrs. Burrage is available to discuss college planning, academic planning, and other concerns related to progressing as a learner. Her email is rburrage@artsacad.net
2019-2020 Academic Year
As we wrap up this year, many families are asking about how to return books and other school materials and how to get student belongings. We are focused on minimizing opportunities to spread germs, so we want to have everything ready for a single pick up and drop off day. Seniors will likely be scheduled during the first week of June. We will have graduation materials and a final plan for some type of ceremony for distributing diplomas by then as well. Juniors, Sophomores, Freshmen, and Middle School Students will likely be scheduled for pick up/drop off during the week of June 15.
Seniors
Senior classes are no longer being assigned new work as of today. Seniors will receive an email from each of your teachers letting you know if you have demonstrated proficiency and earned credit in your classes by the end of next week (May 29.) For most Seniors, that will be their last day of school. If there are things that still need to be completed, a detailed description will be included in the emails. For seniors who need additional time, please reach out to Mrs. Burrage to discuss options.
Students in Grades 7 – 11.
All other students will stop receiving new work as of Friday, May 29. Students will receive an email from each of your teachers letting you know if you have demonstrated proficiency and earned credit in your classes by Friday June 5. If there are things that still need to be completed, a detailed description will be included in the emails. The last day of school will be Friday, June 12. The last two weeks of school will be focused on assisting students in finishing work, similar to our focus during the last two weeks of Third Quarter.
If you are unable to demonstrate proficiency by June 12, the administration will reach out to discuss options for completing the list provided by teachers or for participating in summer school. For students who need additional time, please reach out to Mrs. Burrage to discuss options.
2020-2021 Academic Year
The Academy’s staff, Board, and Administration are working to create plans that will allow is to be prepared for whatever possibilities we are presented with in this fall. We are working to ensure that whatever situation we are in as a community is met with a flexible and equitable plan that allows all of our community members to safely engage in the arts and academics at the Academy.
We have considering plans for the three most likely scenarios for next year.
A) Normal Open–If our community is safe to return to a traditional school day, we will provide educational experiences in our classrooms at the Academy.
B) Online Learning –If our community continues to be under stay at home orders, our educational resources will be provided remotely.
C) Combination of online and traditional classroom learning– If our community is safer, but we are still implementing social distancing, we will provide options that honor those needs and ensure a safe learning environment.
We want to ensure that families are informed regarding what we are anticipating. We haven’t made final decisions yet, but we are considering options that will provide for social distancing and reduced class sizes. We are considering options such as alternating days of attendance and staggered start and end times, minimizing the number of communication methods we use for our courses, providing additional resources and tools for distance learning. Regardless of the details, we will ensure that we have appropriate safety and sanitation measures in place.
We are preparing for all three of the most likely scenarios in order to ensure that we have a flexible and supportive plan that can be adapted to whatever changes take place even after school starts. We are confident that planning for all three scenarios will allow us to modify as the situation changes, because we know that the situation will continue to change for the next several months.
If any member of our community is interested in being part of the planning team, please let Dr. Mitchell know.
Registering for Classes
Many students have already completed their course requests for 2020. If your student hasn’t completed their requests yet, please remind them to do so. As our most popular classes fill up, we can’t always add additional sections, so some kids don’t get the courses they wanted. If you need assistance, please contact Mrs. Burrage.
We are continuing to process applications for students wishing to enroll for the 2020-2021 academic year.If you have friends, coworkers, or family members who know a young artist who would benefit from an inclusive and arts-integrated educational environment, be sure to spread the word!! Share on your social media, wherever you are engaging with other artists, and anywhere you think that there may be a student who needs more art in their life.
Our continued growth and success are dependent on you spreading the word that we are helping young artists to Prepare for Possibility!
Please follow the Academy on Social Media and share our messages for recruiting new artists.
Facebook – @ArtsAcad
Instagram – arts.academy.woods
Twitter – ArtEveryDayAAW
As always, we are all working to make sure that we get everything we need together!!
April 23, 2020 Updates
Grading and Coursework
All of our teachers are working to ensure some level of consistency between classes and we have posted an updated schedule for teacher office/workshop hours below. We will begin the schedule on Monday 04/27/2020
In general, the expectation are about 80 minutes of work (20 min/day for 4 days) per week in each course. We are working to ensure that we have a better handle of what that looks like as we progress and to ensure that all posted resources are working, up to date, and appropriate.
Teachers are expected to post each week’s work by 9:00 Monday and that work is due by 3:30 Friday. Some teachers are posting all of their assignments for the remainder of the term now, with due dates throughout April, May, and June, but they should be the weekly assignments as described above.
All students who were passing at the time of closure will earn credit. With that said, the new work that we are providing will ensure that all students are prepared for their next step so the new work is important. All new learning experiences will be marked either proficient or incomplete on those assignments.
At the Arts Academy every student is still eligible to earn credit for second semester regardless of their grades for third quarter. It is absolutely essential that you communicate with your teachers to determine what you need to do to earn credit.
We are still finalizing plans for how we will assist students who do not earn credit, but we expect that there will likely be some type of credit recovery or extended learning options.
If you still haven’t received your Office 365 or Unified Classroom log in information, please email Dr. Mitchell.
Students should be checking Unified Classroom for assignments and expectations from their teachers. Students can also check their Teams Calendar for invitations to meetings. Some teachers have set up other tools like Khan Academy and Google Classroom. There are links to all of these resources within each class in Unified Classroom. Unified Classroom is ALWAYS the first step in communicating with teachers!
I know that this is frustratingly fluid, but please remind yourselves and your students that although they are struggling, they are not alone. We are all working to make sure that we get everything we need together!!
April 22, 2020 Updates
This week, we are continuing to implement our Continuity of Learning Plan as described last week and our most important message is that every district in the State is making it’s own plan to implement the Governor’s Executive Orders and how students will earn credit for the second semester of the 2019-2020 academic year.
At the Arts Academy every student is still eligible to earn credit for second semester regardless of their grades for third quarter. Students can still turn in late work and continue to communicate with their teachers in order to show that they are able to meet the class expectations and earn credit for the semester, even if they failed last quarter. It is absolutely essential that you communicate with your teachers to determine what you need to do to earn credit.
We are still finalizing plans for how we will assist students who do not earn credit, but we expect that there will likely be some type of credit recovery or extended learning options.
If you still haven’t received your Office 365 or Unified Classroom log in information, please email Dr. Mitchell.
Students should be checking Unified Classroom for assignments and expectations from their teachers. Students can also check their Teams Calendar for invitations to meetings. Some teachers have set up other tools like Khan Academy and Google Classroom. There are links to all of these resources within each class in Unified Classroom. Unified Classroom is ALWAYS the first step in communicating with teachers!
Please be patient with yourselves and each other. We will figure this out together!!
April 2 2020 Updates
Our next steps will involve the creation of a Continuity of Learning Plan. We will have access to the template application for schools by tomorrow and we will begin work to create a plan that includes details for how we will meet these goals.
- All students who were on track to graduate or progress to the next grade level will have the opportunity complete any requirements for their current courses. Students with credit recovery obligations prior to the beginning of this semester must still complete them.
- All students will have access to required learning opportunities to earn credit for this semester.
- All families will continue to receive support from our Social Work, Student Support, Special Education, and Counseling professionals.
- Our Spring activities will be rescheduled as much as possible. We will plan a graduation ceremony and Senior Prom to take place as soon as it is safe to gather in large groups.
- Our staff will receive the pay and benefits that their families had previously anticipated.
We will continue to meet with county representatives and our teaching staff to update our plan for our students. We will continue to align our expectations and plans with most of the Macomb County Districts. As our plans are finalized, we will communicate this to our community.
Calendar Updates March 2020
We do not anticipate additional adjustments or changes to our previously scheduled breaks or end of year. To help mitigate the community spread of Coronavirus, the Academy will be closed Monday, March 16 through the end of our spring break – Sunday, April 12, 2020.
All activities scheduled to occur after the closure are continuing as planned until further notice.
Food Service 2020
Most, if not all, local School Districts in the state are offering free breakfast and lunch service for all individuals under 18 years of age.
Please see the website of the district in which you reside for additional details.
Based on the availability of these resources, the Academy will not be providing food service during the closure.
Instruction March 2020
Our staff will continue to provide resources and learning opportunities via Unified Classroom. Please be sure that your family has access to Unified Classroom. If you need assistance, please reach out to the office.
We are working to ensure that this will NOT impact any student’s ability to earn credit or to progress toward graduation.
Students already enrolled in online credit recovery classes should continuing as planned
Our response planning team has identified the following priorities for instruction and support during the extended closure.
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- Our top priority is to reach out to families to check on the safety and stability of our community members.
- Teachers have been assigned a group of students to follow up with and will ask families questions about any needs during the school closure and will refer any families in need of support to our support team. Teachers will be using Google voice and the number will be a (586) area code. Please remain on the lookout for those calls from our teachers.
- Our teachers will also prioritize updating Unified Classroom/PowerSchool gradebooks and identifying the most important standards for 3rd and 4th quarter through departmental collaboration.
- Our students should work to ensure that they have completed any missing or outstanding work, continue to make progress in any online credit recovery courses, and to communicate with their teachers about anything that may interfere with their learning during this time.
Going forward, we plan to provide learning and enrichment opportunities through Unified Classroom and continue to reach out to families to ensure we are doing all we can to meet the needs of our community.
- If you need support using Unified Classroom, there is a very helpful resource available here
Free online resources for teaching and learning 2020
The Smithsonian’s Learning Lab provides free access to millions of digital resources from across the Smithsonian’s museums, research centers, libraries, archives, and more. Teachers, parents, and students can find ready-made lessons, activities, and resources made by museum educators and classroom teachers.