Hello Again! This is Superintendent Aaron Greene with a Polk Schools update regarding student work and instruction during closings. In dealing with the closing of our schools we have prioritized our work with the guidance issued by the NC State Board of Education. Our first priority is to ensure our Polk County children and families have access to food and that kids are being cared for. We hope to have meal pick-up sites set up and running in the coming days and will get that information to you soon.
We understand and believe in the importance of teaching and learning. We also know students are likely bored and may even be getting on your nerves! Our staff are working on developing lessons and activities for all students so we can provide equitable access to instruction. Many of our students and families do not have internet access making a solely online or digital solution inadequate. Our teachers and teams will be working to figure out the best ways to get resources and learning opportunities to all students. We want to take some time and be deliberate about that process so we can ensure what we do give students is of high quality and aligns with their grade level standards. The uncertainty regarding the length of time we will be closed makes any decision about instructional programming difficult. Therefore we once again ask for your patience as we prepare for the unknown.
We have posted some student resource links on our website at https://polkschools.org/coronavirus/ for your immediate use. I want to be clear that these activities and resources have educational merit but are not necessarily aligned to grade level standards. Also, there are no required assignments or lessons being issued at this time. Student grades and academic standing will remain as they were upon closing until we receive further guidance or are able to resume instruction.
We encourage you to use the resources and activities linked on the website. There will be more to come and we will update you as we can. Stay tuned for that information. Thank you, and take care of each other.
