Dear Wonderful Lovejoy Families,
We know there is much anticipation about Lovejoy’s plan for the 2020 - 2021 school year. As we continue to receive information from the
Texas Department of State Health Services
and guidance from the
Texas Education Agency
(TEA), we are committed to doing everything we can to keep our students, parents, staff, and community safe, while providing the academic excellence Lovejoy ISD is long known for.
As we plan for the Fall, we continue to be anchored and led by our Core Values:
- One Heart. One Lovejoy.
- Best Today. Better Tomorrow.
- Kids Come First
I know many of us had hoped the COVID pandemic would have improved rapidly over the summer, but unfortunately, we as a state are trending in the wrong direction. With the start of school roughly one month away, we want to ensure we are doing all we can to protect our One Heart. One Lovejoy. community and provide information to our families for planning.
TEA has recently provided districts the ability to utilize a flexible fully online approach to the first three weeks of the school year.
Lovejoy ISD will plan to utilize this flexible approach and start school on August 17th, virtually for ALL students in ALL grade levels.
Students who have indicated their desire to return to On-Campus instruction by August 3rd, should plan to return to campus face-to-face on September 8th (unless guidance from governing entities requires a change).
We know starting instruction virtually is not ideal for many of our families; however, the ability to start virtually for the first few weeks of school will allow Lovejoy ISD to:
- Ensure all students, staff, and parents are successful in working within the new Leopard Virtual Learning expectations. As we anticipate rapidly changing public health conditions, students and staff will need to move fluidly between the On-Campus and Leopard Virtual Learning throughout the remainder of the school year.
- Conduct learning assessments for students to be successful in the upcoming school year.
- Provide training to all students on required safety standards prior to the return to On-Campus learning.
- Provide campus-specific training regarding protocols for On-Campus expectations and procedures for both students and parents.
- Enhance student and teacher connections through virtual or pre-scheduled individual meeting times to help with the restart of the school year.
- Special Education Case Managers will be working during this time with specific students on acclimating and transitioning between Leopard Virtual Learning and On-Campus learning experiences.
Additionally, we know there have been many questions about On-Campus procedures as well as Leopard Virtual Learning. Let me reassure you, that unlike our experience this Spring when we rapidly moved to online learning, Leopard Virtual Learning will be a different experience.
Leopard Virtual Learning will use a blend of synchronous and asynchronous instruction models while providing more structure, increased academic rigor, and daily opportunities for feedback and live interaction between students and teachers, appropriate to the age of the learner and aligned with grading expectations for all students.
We are excited to share that next week; all Lovejoy ISD teachers will be certified by the Texas Computer Education Agency (TCEA) in remote learning. This certification ensures our teachers have the resources and tools to successfully plan, deliver, and assess curriculum in a virtual format while providing the same rigorous instruction as On-Campus learning.
This Friday, we will be releasing our draft Fall Planning Guide. This guide will contain a large amount of information regarding our On-Campus plans (as we know them today) and information on our Leopard Virtual Learning format and expectations. In the coming weeks, LISD will also be sending all families information regarding the ability to sign up for and receive district technology loaner devices as needed for virtual learning prior to August 17th.
We appreciate the questions and comments provided by our community. We continue to encourage you to send us your questions to ensure they are addressed within our updates. To submit your question/concern, please
click here.
We can’t wait until the time we can welcome back all of our Leopards, but nothing is more important than ensuring the safety of our One Heart. One Lovejoy. community! As we receive additional information, we are committed to providing you weekly updates through Superintendent emails, social media posts, and our websites.
We appreciate your support, grace, and patience as we continue to navigate through uncharted territory and look forward to providing you our draft plan this Friday.
Best Today. Better Tomorrow.
