August 12, 2020

Virtual School for elementary ages accommodates students who cannot or elect not to return to “regular school” due to Covid-19 or other family decisions. The curriculum will provide direct digital instruction developed by master teachers through Google Classroom and will utilize the same curriculum offered to all site-based students. Additionally, face to face access with certified elementary teachers will be offered as needed for tutoring in sites throughout the district.

No, there are different guidelines and application processes.

There will be a base site located behind the Baldwin County Virtual Middle and High School. The address is 605 U.S. Hwy. 98 Daphne, AL. 36526

At this time, we are only offering an online application process. 

Yes. Documentation is still required to validate residency within Baldwin County.  

Please visit our What to Expect page here. Or send an email to our team at bcves@bcbe.org . Or call us at 251-607-5628.

The deadline to apply is July 31^st for elementary school students.

Virtual school online registration will once again open for parents that did not take advantage of the program by the end of July (July 31 at noon) when online registration ended for both traditional and virtual school.

On Monday, at 9am we will once again open registration for one day for virtual school for any parent that needs or would like to register for the program. If you would like to take advantage of the virtual school program please make sure that you have completed the SNAP registration for new or returning students, then on Monday you will only need to complete the online virtual registration. All can be found at www.bcbe.org/registration

The last day to register for virtual school is Friday, July 31. 

Virtual school online registration will once again open for parents that did not take advantage of the program by the end of July (July 31 at noon) when online registration ended for both traditional and virtual school.

On Monday, at 9am we will once again open registration for one day for virtual school for any parent that needs or would like to register for the program. If you would like to take advantage of the virtual school program please make sure that you have completed the SNAP registration for new or returning students, then on Monday you will only need to complete the online virtual registration. All can be found at www.bcbe.org/registration

All students are accepted into the Elementary Virtual School. A confirmation email will be sent following the submission of the application.

To enroll in the Baldwin County Virtual Elementary School, the student must be entering K – 6th grade and live with a parent/guardian who is a Baldwin County resident.

A parent must notify the virtual school they are withdrawing and notify the base school that they will need to make an appointment to enroll.

Your child will have scheduled times to take assessments at designated locations and times scheduled with instructors to assist with any academic needs.

Your student will be learning through online instruction comprised of videos of actual teachers as well as computer generated instruction. Baldwin County teachers will be available for scheduled in-person tutoring and instruction periods to support your child’s learning and monitor their progress.

BCBE teachers will return to school on August 3^rd.

Yes, there are teachers who are not excited and are even opposed to us returning to school. We respect their opinion but schools are designated as an essential industry by Homeland Security and we believe the reopening of school is critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many children and families are experiencing additional economic hardships, social isolation, and stressors. To date, we have received about 60 retirements and our HR department is working with an equal amount to provide accommodations for qualified reasons.

Some teachers have specific medical conditions, or situations which place them or family members at high-risk. Some teachers are just fearful, anxious and worried. They are just like us, just like you and just like me. They don’t know what to expect in all of this. We empathize with their concerns but also realize the reality of this virus, the steps we are taking to protect everyone and the need for us to do our jobs.

Concerned teachers and employees should be in touch with their principals and our HR department if they have concerns but fear and worry is not a reason to be out of work. Millions of people go to work in offices and retail environments every day and some with less precautions than we are providing.

Yes. Students will be required to participate in online activity. Course progress will be monitored and evaluated on a regular basis.

No, this spring was more flexible due to only having eight weeks left of instruction in the school year. However, you will not be on the same schedule as you would on a school campus daily.

Distance learning is what happens if we close our school and we go to our virtual classroom. Virtual school is what you enroll in at the beginning of the school year to give your child a full year of a virtual educational experience with no classroom.

Elementary students will follow the same curriculum as students in a face-to-face classroom.

The program is not a self-paced program. Students will need to log in each morning with their teacher to receive attendance credit.  The day will have a prescribed schedule daily.

All of our classes in traditional school are being tracked digitally with your child. Our teachers and administrators are being required to complete significant professional development before starting school. This ensures they are up to speed on all of our new digital requirements for distance learning. We are prepared to switch our traditional students immediately to distance learning as a whole system, as an individual school or on a student by student basis as a result of sickness. All of their work, assignments, lessons and studies are posted and will be available digitally on Google Classroom each day. As of the first day of school, we are prepared make this move at any moment and without further preparation.

Students will be online for assignments and instruction in a home setting with teachers available at designated locations as needed. Assessments will be taken with a proctor unless we have another complete shutdown of our system for COVID-19.

This varies per grade level.

Again, the attached schedule is a sample of what the week would look like.

Monday is the BIG instructional day. Live group class meetings involving a Leader in Me lesson for the week and then, in most cases, pre-recorded teacher lead instruction on the standards for the week will follow.

The pre-recorded instructional lessons may be stopped and replayed, as needed, throughout the week. After that, the student has the remainder of the week to complete assignments. We strongly recommend parents have a printer/scanner, printer paper and pencils, especially for K, 1^st and 2^nd. This is our preference, for all grades, so they are not sitting in front of their laptop for hours on end.

Students/parents will submit weekly assignments online on Friday. Friday will be online assessments for 1^st-6^th. Friday will also be pre-recorded art, music and later on, virtual field-trip day (later on in the nine weeks).

Students will need to login each morning by 8:00.

The teacher will welcome the entire class to the day with the pledge and a Leader in Me activity.

Please see the attached sample schedule. It may not be the exact schedule the kindergarten teacher uses but it's close. 

The teacher will notify parents when instructional video will be available for viewing. Some will be live and other will be pre-recorded, either way your child will receive instruction by a real teacher. All will be available for viewing over and over again. After that, there will be periods of time your child will work on assignments.

We STRONGLY suggest, for our younger students, parents have a printer/scanner so the student can use paper and pencil for practice work. This will also cut down the amount of screen time. A safe guess for kindergarten would be approximately 3 to 4 hours a day of schoolwork. That could be stretched throughout the day.

We have provided a suggested schedule for virtual elementary students at this link.

The student will use our new distance learning software. This is not the distance learning of last year. Time has given us the ability to develop a much more comprehensive, digital instruction and assessment program that will be tracking along the same pacing guide your student is learning from in their classrooms.

Once we start school, if a child is sick, we will send the child to the nurse. From there, we will process the child quickly to identify if they are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 which include: new onset cough or shortness of breath by themselves OR at least 2 of the following: fever (100.4ºF or higher), chills, muscle pain, sore throat, loss of sense of smell or taste, and gastrointestinal symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting or nausea. If they are, then the child will be sent to a wellness area isolated from others while we notify their parents for immediate dismissal as being suspected of having COVID-19.

Students who have been out sick or have been sent home will not be allowed back to school until they have had no fever for at least three days without medication AND improvement of other symptoms.

If students are sick but do not qualify under the COVID-19 symptom checklist, they will be processed as we have previously for any sick child. Note that we have amended our wellness policy for this school year to require additional time at home before returning to school for ALL sick students.

The student’s absences will be excused and they will be able to continue to their academic work from home, digitally, under our distance learning plan as outlined.

You can see by the schedule that we would like all assignments in by Friday.  You can work with your teacher assigned to your student.  

This is different from homeschool because you will be following all policies and procedures put in place by the Baldwin County Board of Education including pacing and curriculum. Students will be required to take assessments with a proctor at designated locations and students will have teachers available to assist with academic needs at those same locations.

Yes, you can login and complete assignments anywhere you have internet access.  

This is really when parental involvement comes in. The teacher will give instruction and directions through videos and then it's up to the parent to follow those directions and practice with their child.

You will be directed to practice sites as well as sites to find a reader that matches your child's ability level. The teacher will actually conduct small group sessions through Google Meet.

Should your child need face to face tutoring, you will see there are times built into the schedule. This is arranged by appointment with the teacher and parents.

We have 4 sites we are working to have ready after the first 9 weeks of school. They are Bay Minette, Robertsdale, Foley and the main campus in Daphne. You will be assigned a site closest to where you live.

Both, depending on the assessment.

Students have the option to come to sites (per attached schedule) for tutoring but it’s optional. 

The only time students are REQUIRED to come to their site is for State Assessment.  K-3 will have one when school starts.  We will practice social distancing and students will need to wear a mask.There is no schedule from the State yet. 

Teachers are available for tutoring as needed. Additionally, students will come to a determined site for testing.

Yes, elementary students with an IEP or 504 can participate. For middle and high school, they, along with all students, must follow the guidelines to be accepted. The attached schedule shows built in times to service students with IEPs along with RtI and ESL. One or both days will be determined by the mins. required by the IEP. Upon registration, an IEP committee meeting or 504 meeting may be held to discuss any changes needed in the child’s IEP or 504 plan based on enrollment in the Virtual School. For specific questions please reach out to Barbara English, Special Services bmenglish@bcbe.org.

Virtual School gifted services will be provided for those students who have enrolled in the elementary virtual program. These services will be provided using the same schedule as the traditional model. 

Parents and students who choose the virtual school (instead of attending the traditional school setting) will be informed of the day/time for gifted “pull-out” services and students will log into Google Meet for instruction at their scheduled time each week.

Students will have resources and activities in Google Classroom to complete and submit to the gifted specialist.

To comply with the Governor's order, we will be making a slight revision to our previously released mask requirements. Kindergartners and first-graders have the option to voluntarily wear masks at school but will not be required. All other students will be required to wear masks in line with the Governor's order. Masks worn by students will be subject to our uniform policy. Printed words or graphics on masks will not be allowed if they violate our uniform policy, if they are offensive to others or create a distraction. 

Masks will be used when a student is at a testing site or BCBE location. 

There is no cost to attend Virtual School, but fees apply as in any other school in our system.

 No. A Chromebook will be provided for every child enrolled in the program.

Students do not have to return the Chromebook.  All materials needed will be placed in the students Google classroom.  This is all done online. No additional software needs to be added to these Chromebook.

General supplies, similar to regular site-based classrooms, will be required. A list will be provided upon registration.

Yes.

 Each request is reviewed on an individual basis.

Yes, Helpdesk Support will be provided during the school day to assist with technical issues.

The only time a student would be required to come into one of our Virtual Program sites would be for State Assessments. K-3 has one at the beginning of the year.  Other than that, we will have teachers available at sites for tutoring as needed and by appointments. The tutoring groups would be very small, with social distancing practiced and more than likely mask being required.

Proctors will be used for assessments at designated locations.

Students will be monitored by teachers; however, parents and students will have to be self-motivated to make sure they implement a daily schedule which keeps students working daily.

 Teachers monitor assignments daily.

Tutoring is available and scheduled as needed. Additionally, instructional videos, face to face or small group virtual meetings may be held.  

Parents are expected to sign students in and out for tutoring or testing sessions. Parents should consult with teachers in charge to determine time needed for either activity.

Elementary students do not have an opportunity to participate in on campus activities such as art, music, PE or sports. Activities will be provided virtually for elementary students.

Elementary students are not subject to athletic eligibility.

Students visiting campus for tutoring sessions or testing may come in contact with other students and faculty. The elementary school does not offer extracurricular or on campus electives.

PARENTS - Before your child leaves for school you should check their temperature, ask them if they have felt ill and make certain they have a mask and do not send them to school if they or someone in their house is diagnosed with or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. 

Yes, virtual school teachers will follow the Baldwin County Public Schools grading policy.

Virtual school is an individual family decision. Parents know their child and how they learn best.

 No.

You’ve likely heard the old saying that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. We are all linked here in one big chain I like to call our school family. So, parents, we need you to know your responsibilities, ethically and morally. If you have a sick child at home, please, please DO NOT send them to school.

BCBE is exploring filtration systems to further clean the educational environments of our students and staff. For the start of school there have been no recommended enhancement in air turnover or ventilation enhancements. We are evaluating technology items daily. Our focus is on sanitization and we accept there is a risk associated in returning to traditional school.  

No, do not send your student to school with a fever or after having taken fever reducing medicine. We will be monitoring for temperatures all day and it is very likely you will be called mid-day to come get your child when the medicine wears off. At that point your child will not be allowed back for at least three days, unless they are suspected as having Covid-19 in which case they will be sent home for 14 days.

You should monitor for symptoms and take additional precautions away from people in high-risk health conditions. We expect that your child will come in contact with the Coronavirus daily, both at school and other places as we have now reached community spread. 80% of children are asymptomatic, meaning they don’t show symptoms, therefore we are implementing safety requirements expecting daily contact with the virus and cleaning our schools everyday as though we have a confirmed case in your child’s class.

Parents, please note the test results generally come days after the test is given and the test isn’t given until symptoms are present, which can be days after first contracted. As a result, when we notify you that your child may have come in contact with someone, that contact will have happened days or even a week prior to us receiving notification. 

Notify the school so that we can excuse all absences and provide any work instructions. Your student will be provided ample academic make-up time, but they will be prohibited from returning to school until they have ONE of the following:

1. Presented a signed doctor’s note clearing them to return to school
2. Presented a negative COVID-19 test result
3. Remained away from school for 14 days AND have been clear of fever for at least three days without medication AND improvement of other symptoms

We are identified as an essential industry by homeland security because if we close, businesses, hospitals, law enforcement and others cannot operate properly. We expect employees and students will continue to come to school even after being notified that they may have been in contact with a symptomatic person while at school. Why? Because we are all coming in contact with the virus each day we are outside our homes but we may not know about it. Because we are already treating our school facilities and operations with the highest level of preparedness expecting this to take place. Because schools are designated as essential by Homeland Security, it is expected that following an exposure, we should “continue operations while ensuring that everyone remains symptom free and additional precautions are taken in order to ensure continuity of essential operations and functions.” Knowing our reality, we have already directed that we will be requiring the highest level of precautions, while also constantly monitoring for symptoms every day.

We will notify you daily as we get this information on positive COVID-19 tests in our schools. We will not be able to give out the name, personal or identifiable information about the person(s) who have been diagnosed.

Should a teacher, staff member or nurse fall sick and be absent from school we have identified over 1,500 active substitutes currently on our roster. We have also been hiring additional teachers throughout the summer and have just recently opened additional positions to ensure we are well supplied with more excellent teachers to join our already excellent team of instructors.

Of course, but we’ve been here. We’ve had flu outbreaks and holiday breaks where we didn’t have enough substitute coverage. We have plans at each school level to deal with that and our experience shows we can handle these adjustments.