Message from Principal Isaac - Important Announcements and School Updates (Term 3 Reopening, Grading Policy, PSATs)

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December 11, 2020

Hello Walls Community,

We want to thank you for your continued support and engagement as we navigate virtual learning, reopening planning, and the effects of the pandemic on our community and programs. Please know that we are here to support you and your family as we encounter new information and guidelines and will do our best to implement empathic practices for our students and staff.

Please read this email carefully as it contains several pieces of news for the community:

Reopen Proposal Data and Follow Up
We had over 400 responses from families and students to our Reopen Survey. We thank you for your feedback. There was an overwhelming response around the possibility (and excitement) to welcome students back into the school building, in addition with the many concerns you and your families have, particularly around you, your family’s and our staff’s health and wellness and being able to develop a plan that meets the needs and wants from all stakeholders.
• 96% of respondents said that transparent protocols in case of in-school COVID transmission was very important to them; 86% of respondents said that understanding reporting requirements and measures for re-closure is very important to them

• 86% of respondents said that communication around expectations, rules and enforcement was very important to them

• Majority of respondents indicated that continuing with Virtual Learning and inviting small cohorts to address particular needs/concerns/activities was their top option

• A little more than half of the respondents noted they are interested in an in-person experience, but would have reservations returning pending a rise in COVID cases

After engaging with our community, our LSAT Chairs, and our Reopen Corps, administration will present a proposed reopen plan to DC Public Schools and will await further guidance on our next steps. We will continue to provide stakeholders with updates as we receive them.

Aspen and Grading Policy Changes
We want to remind families to continually monitor Aspen as it is our official gradebook of record and encourage your student to seek support from teachers, counselors and administration when needed. Teachers update their gradebook on a regular basis and note assignments that have been graded, and those that may be missing. If you require support logging in to aspen.dcps.dc.gov, please email kip.smith@k12.dc.gov. If you have questions regarding grades, please reach out to your student’s teachers.

We have been proud and impressed with the work ethic and integrity our students have shown throughout Term 1 and beginning Term 2. Thank you for your support to encourage your student to show up, put forth their best effort and meet our high expectations.

In an effort to provide a more equitable grading opportunity for all students across the District during this unprecedented time, to address an unprecedented number of unsubmitted assignments, teachers will begin coding unsubmitted assignments as WS, instead of a 0. The WS will calculate at 50%. In addition, the lowest grade a submitted assignment can receive is an “F”, calculated at 63%. You should see this change reflected on all Term 2 assignments starting this upcoming week.

PSAT Updates
A letter was sent to families this week in regards to the PSAT and SAT Administration. Please see below for important excerpts from the letter:

Earlier this fall, it was determined that DCPS could not safely administer the PSAT exam in-person to all students and that decision will extend to this winter, too. The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®) exam will not be administered for 11th graders in January 2021, and the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) will not be offered to 9th and 10th graders in the Spring. A decision regarding DCPS’ ability to offer the SAT in Spring 2021 has not been made at this time.

DCPS recognizes this decision may be a disappointment to our scholars, and DC Public Schools remains committed to support students preparing for the college admissions process. We encourage students to check out free resources from Khan Academy, including practice tests, to prepare for when exams can be offered in the future. Families can also subscribe to the DCPS Dollars4College Newsletter to receive information each month about scholarship opportunities and financial aid resources. Additionally, we commit to keeping families informed around how colleges and universities are adapting their admission process to the COVID-19 pandemic, including around test scores.

If you have any additional questions, or would like information about signing up to take the test outside of the District for a fee, please email Director of College Prep Programs Karime Naime at Karime.naime@k12.dc.gov.

Thank you again and please let us know if you have any questions,

SWW Administration
Sylvia Isaac, Interim Principal
Megan Hanley, Assistant Principal