Coronavirus Response Updates and Resources

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

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.

Approval of Continuity of Learning Plan

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 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) 

(MI Start Map Risk Levels) 

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:   

1. 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).   
2. Schools open for in-person instruction with more stringent required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 4).   
3. 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. 

1. Traditional Face to Face Learning. (Phase 5 and 6) 
2. Distance/Remote Learning. (Phase 1 – 3)  
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 

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:  

1. 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).  
2. Schools open for in-person instruction with more stringent required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 4).  
3. 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.

1. Traditional Learning. (Phase 5 and 6)
2. Distance/Remote Learning. (Phase 1 – 3) 
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. 

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.  

1. Select Quick Links om the left tool bar. 

1. Choose Main Portal Page from the options. 

1. 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.  

1. Traditional Learning.  

1. Distance/Remote Learning.  

1. 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:  

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  

1. ClintondaleVirtual Online: www.clintondalevirtualschool.com  
2. Keystonecreditrecovery.com:www.keystonecreditrecovery.com 
3. 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: 

1. Students who were already enrolled in credit recovery will work to complete those courses.  

1. Students will enroll in a course that they haven’t earned credit in.  

1. Students will work on one course at a time.  

1. 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: 

1. Credit Completion Coach will reach out to families to discuss credit completion options. 

1. Coach and student will select 1 course 

1. Coach will communicate enrollment information to our Credit Completion administrator 

1. Student and family will receive enrollment information via email to families (link to course, username, password, orientation video)  

1. Credit Completion Coaches will check in on students/families at least once a week to offer support.  

1. 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! 

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.  

1. 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.  

1. 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.  

1. 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! 

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!!  

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!! 

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.  

1. 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. 
2. All students will have access to required learning opportunities to earn credit for this semester. 
3. All families will continue to receive support from our Social Work, Student Support, Special Education, and Counseling professionals. 
4. 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. 
5. 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. 

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.

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.

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.

1. 1. Our top priority is to reach out to families to check on the safety and stability of our community members.
   2. 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.
   3. Our teachers will also prioritize updating Unified Classroom/PowerSchool gradebooks and identifying the most important standards for 3rd and 4th quarter through departmental collaboration.
   4. 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.

1. If you need support using Unified Classroom, there is a very helpful resource available here

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.