The Lafayette Parish School System announced that it will go fully virtual for two days before the Christmas holiday.
The announcement, issued on Tuesday, December 15, is said to be proactive to test system planning and is not due to significant changes in COVID-19 cases in the schools. LPSS says it’s an opportunity to be better prepared if there needs to be a full-time switch to virtual learning in the future.
LPSS says all students in grades PreK-12 already have devices for learning and lessons may be live or recorded. Individual schools will provide more details, but LPSS says students must log on “as attendance is mandatory.”
From LPSS:
LPSS Announces Virtual Learning December 21-22, 2020
In order to be proactive and to further test our system planning, the LPSS will go fully virtual for all students for two days only: December 21-22, 2020. It is important to note that this measure is ONLY for these two days and is not due to significant changes in COVID-19 cases in our schools. Rather, it is a unique opportunity for schools to enact the plans which have been developed in order to be better prepared should a full-time switch to virtual learning eventually become necessary.
According to Chief Academic Officer Dr. Rabalais, “By conducting this completely virtual exercise in advance, the district will be better able to evaluate and update current plans and provide our teachers, school leaders, and families valuable information regarding our school-wide virtual plans. It is also an opportunity for parents – oftentimes with multiple children – to prepare their home for virtual learning and test devices and connectivity on different platforms. By identifying barriers early on, parents can provide valuable feedback to the schools as we tweak the district’s virtual process.” This practice run gives stakeholders a few days to prepare for this transition wherein a real-world situation the decision to shift to virtual learning can happen at any time and within a matter of hours.
All students in grades PreK-12 already have devices for learning, and this will be a great opportunity for students to engage in virtual or digital instruction for two days. Virtual or distant learning may be recorded lessons, videos, live ZOOM sessions or office hours, or independent learning through a digital platform. Additional details will be forthcoming from each school.
It is important to note that all work for these two days will be required. Students must log on, as attendance is mandatory, and work can be used as a grade. All employees will report to their assigned work location. Grab-and-Go meals will be available for pickup. To order student meals, visit the LPSS website.
After the winter break on January 4, 2021, LPSS will return to our learning formats of hybrid instruction for middle and high school students and face-to-face instruction for elementary school students. The January calendar is located here for easy reference.
A trial run will instill confidence in students, families, and staff if and when virtual learning becomes necessary. Dr. Rabalais concludes, “Academically, the insights and feedback gathered from this exercise will pay dividends in the future.”
