Students/Parents Information
Fall 2020: Frequently Asked Questions
Academics
What are the academic options?
Butte County is scheduled to hit the COVID-19 county monitoring list on Wednesday, July 22. When that happens, the school will have two choices: distance learning or independent study.
Distance Learning: Inspire teachers will be conducting classes via Zoom in the morning and student will be doing their work independently in the afternoon with teacher support as needed.
Independent Study: Students will be using an online program that will provide them coursework throughout the whole year. Their work would be guided by an Inspire teacher dedicated to supervising all Independent Study students.
What will the distance learning model look like?
Inspire teacher will teach their class on a 1×8 block model – meaning that a student will take their first period for 4.2 weeks, then transition to period 2 for 4.2 weeks, and at the end of the year will have completed 8 courses. This is the safest option when it is safe to transition back to on-campus learning.
Schedule: Student will be required to take online class with their teacher for a few hours per day (different classes will have different mandates to accomodate subject matters), then they will continue their studies independently for a few hours after class.
What is the daily schedule for distance learning?
What will the independent study model look like?
When a family chooses the Independent Study model, the student will be automatically enrolled in an online learning program. Students who are participating in concurrent enrollment courses must take at least one online course every 4.2 weeks for the 2020-2021 school year. Independent Study will be supervised by a dedicated independent study teacher. It will be structured on the 1X8 Block Schedule.
How do you intend to keep the students who choose to do independent study included in the Inspire community?
- Virtual Advisory on Fridays is one way students can be involved.
- They can also access class content through Schoology, and can engage in clubs, which will be held virtually.
How will majors work?
Students will meet with their major advisors consistently throughout the year (virtually). Students completing a Capstone project will start planning with their major advisor, then work intensively on their projects while in the actual class.
Will AP tests be offered directly after the 4.2 week time or will students have to wait until the end of the year?
All students will take the AP tests in May but some refresher courses may be offered before the tests.
Are there any plans to allow or encourage students to do long term projects? Will there be an opportunity for some review for the classes that they take at the beginning of the year either at the end of this semester or beginning of next?
Yes, we will be working on creative solutions for students who need: math review, AP review, Student Government engagement, Major Capstone projects, etc. Many of these reviews will happen virtually in the afternoons. We know that for many courses and disciplines, the 1X8 Block is not ideal, and we will build in opportunities for students to practice, review, etc. over the course of the year.
What about students who have an open period or a TA/Peer Tutor period?
Students will be approved as TAs on a case-by-case basis. Students will not have the opportunity to take an open period.
What accommodations are being made for AP students who plan on taking multiple classes?
We are working on a schedule that would allow for students to take multiple AP classes.
Will Independent Study Physical Education (ISPE) be happening this year?
Yes. While ISPE minutes can be accomplished by students at home, Dance PE is working on a plan for safe physical activity for students on campus.
How will the performing arts look this year?
The performing arts will be happening, please take a look at the document outlining the upcoming year.
Resources
When will I be able to pick up a Chromebook for the new school year?
You can schedule a time to pick up a Chromebook after you complete the steps on the top of this page.
How will lunch/food services be handled?
Breakfast and lunch will be available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11 am – 12:30 pm at Chapman Elementary, Citrus Elementary, Little Chico Creek Elementary, Chico Jr. High and Bidwell Jr. High.
Who should parents contact for mental health services for their child?
The best contact for mental health support is your student’s academic counselor, Ms. Teeter (tteeter@inspirechico.org) or Mr. Hopkins (mhopkins@inspirechico.org) (specific to last name/alphabet).
How will students with IEP’s needs be met?
We will continue to work with parents to implement Individualized Education Plans, and support will be delivered virtually.
Transition Back To Campus
If we are starting the year learning at home, will we transition back to campus this school year?
The entire Inspire staff is heartbroken that they can not see the students in-person and are worried about many things – including the student’s mental health and their engagement. Therefore, when the state and county state that is safe to return to campus, the Inspire staff and board (with input from parents and students) will decide to transition to in-person learning. At that time, the school will decide if the original idea of choosing between full-time, hybrid or independent study is still a good option.
If I choose the Independent Study model when school re-opens, will my child be able to be a part of Inspire?
If Inspire is able to go back to campus in-person, we will continue to have an independent study model available for families who don’t feel safe sending their students back to school in-person. These students would be enrolled in the online program, and their work would be guided by an Inspire teacher dedicated to supervising all Independent Study students. These students would have opportunities to engage in the life of Inspire through virtual Advisory meetings, virtual clubs, and by reaching out to their teachers. If they want to transition back to learning on-campus, they can as long as they have finished the class they are currently enrolled.
Why can’t Inspire teachers teach students in the classroom and students at home simultaneously?
The challenges involved in asking classroom teachers to deliver instruction in-person and online for Independent Study students simultaneously would make it nearly impossible for Inspire to plan for this model over the summer. Even though some colleges have classes with half the students in the room and half at home, the ability to “push a button” and engage from a distance is reliant upon retrofitting each classroom with specialized equipment, including cameras and intercom systems. Teachers who teach these “hybrid” classes are trained in the logistics, technology, and pedagogy involved; they are not regular classroom teachers who suddenly switched to a hybrid model without support. We are excited to explore this model, and may even offer teachers the opportunity to pilot, but this would be a long-term effort.
What is the school doing to get ready (and safe) when students return?
Safety measures are being put into place, including, but not limited to:
- Safety procedure protocols written specifically around pandemic
- Thermometers, masks and other equipment is being ordered
- Plastic barriers are being constructed for some staff’s desks
- Lines and arrows to instruct one-way directions around school are being put into place
- 6-foot social distancing markers added to ramps into classrooms
- Hands-free faucets, sanitzer dispensers, hands-free door opening devices, and other tools are being installed in the bathrooms
- The HVAC systems are brand-new, and pump outside air to inside air at 10%. They have the hospital-grade air filters MERV 13 and we are changing them consistently.
- Additional wash stations are being added throughout campus
- Making water fountains hand-free and adding automatic filtered water bottle filling stations
Will masks be required?
Unless the safety guidelines change by the time students return to campus, masks will be supplied and required.
Learning From Home Options
DISTANCE LEARNING
- All Inspire students will be placed in distance learning, unless fmailies choose to place them in independent study at Inspire
- Inspire teachers deliver instruction
- Students engage in the class from home
- Instruction delivered via Schoology platforms; teachers develop curriculum
INDEPENDENT STUDY
- Only students whose families choose this model will be placed in independent study
- Independent study is supervised by Mr. Isern and Mr. Kauffman
- Students work independently at home
- Instruction delievered via Edgenuity curriculum
How will the school stay in communication with Inspire families?
How do parents stay connected or get support?
Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways
At Inspire School of Arts and Sciences, students have the opportunity to explore and deepen their passions in different career and technical education (CTE) pathways. Most students at Inspire complete a pathway before graduation. Each pathway offers hands-on learning experiences in their career or technical education area of interest. These experiences include but are not limited to SkilsUSA, theatre productions, college visits, career speakers, workplace tours, industry mentors, festival competitions, and internships.
Inspire offers the following majors:
Majors
Within each pathway, students have the opportunity to declare a major. Majors are specialized achievements that a small number of pathway completers obtain. The major offers the opportunity to pursue an even deeper level of excellence in a student’s area of interest. The major culminates with a final capstone senior project.
Inspire offers the following majors: