Divide County School District

Hey everyone. Here is the link to the DCHS on-line schedule ( https://5il.co/e5h9 ) for teachers and our students’ classes. We elected to create a block schedule to hopefully allow more time for students and teachers to work together in their on-line platforms. Even period classes are on Mondays and Wednesdays, odd period classes are on Tuesday and Thursdays. We also hope that these blocks will allow more time for students personal schedules. A paper copy of this document will also be in students bags when we conduct pickup. Please note that teachers also have “office hours” to be available for on-line meetings, emails and phone calls from our students. On Fridays teachers are available from 8:00 to 4:00 to all of their students in all of their classes. The high school hopes that this week, beginning Thursday and into Friday, all students can get logged into their Google Classrooms. This way we will know who needs help with class access going forward. Then on Monday (3/30) we can hit the ground running by beginning instruction and completing assignments. Any student in grades 7 thru 12 that cannot get logged into a class by Monday can please call the high school. A helpful hint to students is to highlight or mark their own personal class schedules in this new block system. Students, please remember which period you have your assigned period class…meaning there is two periods of a 7th grade science class. You should remember that you were in either the 1st or 2nd hour science class. The teachers have you placed in your same, original periods Google classroom.

DCSD Informational Letter

Calling all readers! If you would like a new library book, please contact Mrs. Wissbrod with your specific request. Check out our online catalog to see what is available! We will add the book(s) with your student’s belongings that will sent home later this week. All current library books will be renewed with no overdue fines. Elementary/Public Library Catalog (Online) https://polaris.odinlibrary.org/polaris/default.aspx?ctx=27.1033.0.0.1 High School Library Catalog (Online) https://polaris.odinlibrary.org/polaris/default.aspx?ctx=28.1033.0.0.1 Email: megan.wissbrod@k12.nd.us

Divide County High School is in the process of deploying curriculum in a digital platform, per order of North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. This digital platform will come in a small variety of teaching formats and learning applications including Google Classroom and Acellus. DCHS teachers and staff have created Google Classroom formats for students to log into. Directions for the Google Classroom format will attached in a different document. Teachers will be available in a variety of ways to further student instruction, including creating videos, internet chat, email and telephone calls. Many of these ways to correspond with students are available in the google classroom application. A modified schedule of classes will be released as soon as possible. There is an expectation of all schools to continue to appropriately provide an education for all their students and DCHS intends to do their best to fulfill that expectation. We want to do this in a reasonable and fair manner. Students will have to be responsible in their ability to log in to these digital classrooms and work on assigned course work. In turn students can get all the help they need. Students are encouraged to email and set up times for teachers to chat with them in one on one meetings or meet with groups of students if they need help. We literally are putting one foot in front of the other to make this work. We will all learn as we go.

Child Nutrition Program Meals - Thank you for your interest in participating in the meal program during the school closure. In order to best serve each interested family's needs, we ask that you call the district office to get your family on the official lunch count. Please call 701-965-6313 today. All families, regardless of free and reduced lunch status are invited to participate. Children ages 1-18 can be served.

DCE Families - Please VOTE for tonight's bedtime story on the Living Tree site. Mrs. Brown just can't decide! Please join "Bedtime Stories with Mrs. Brown" on the Divide County School District Facebook page LIVE at 7 p.m. tonight!

Join Mrs. Brown at 7 p.m. tonight on the Divide County School District Facebook page for LIVE "Bedtime Stories with Mrs. Brown!" Hope to see you soon!

POSTPONED - Parent Teacher Conferences are postponed until a later date. Please disregard any reminders from Living Tree. Thank you!

The Child Nutrition Program is available and FREE for all of our families regardless of Free and Reduced Lunch status. Please complete the survey if you would like to participate. The survey will help us better prepare for our community needs. Thank you! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NSSVLZH

Divide County School District Families ONLY - We are asking all DCSD families to complete this survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NSSVLZH regarding your interest in participating in the Child Nutrition program available during this time of school closure. Meals are free to children in your home from ages 1-18. Please complete the survey ASAP so we may adjust plans according to interest level of our families. Please complete ONLY ONE survey per family. Once we know the level of interest in participating, we will have more information regarding pick-up and distribution of meals. Thank you!

Divide County School District continues to follow the Governor’s directives and will be closed to everyone except to essential personnel until further notice. The high school and elementary staff continue to diligently prepare digital and distance educational opportunities for our students. We are missing our daily interactions with our students and want to provide them with as much reassurance and normalcy as possible. We are working to use a variety of technological tools to make face-to-face contact with our students. Roll out of these services will gradually begin next week. Plans are being made for students to pick up their personal belongings next week as well as pick up instructional tools that they will need during this closure period. More information will be available regarding dates and times next week. If anything is needed urgently, please call the district office at 701-965-6313. We have learned that legislation is allowing us to offer breakfast and lunch to all children ages 1-18. More information regarding this program will be available soon. Please stay safe, healthy, and continue to practice social distancing.

Tune in for Story Time on the Divide County Library Facebook page today at 3 p.m.!

Divide County School District Office will be closed to the public until further notice. Employees are working regular hours at the District Office and are available by phone to address any immediate concerns you may have.

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bookfairs/cptoolkit/homepage.do?method=homepage&url=dividecounty The spring book fair will only be offered online. Follow the link to find all your favorite books!

Check out these great resources available through the North Dakota State Library. Go to: http://www.library.nd.gov/onlineresources.html Tumble Book Library: K-6 children's ebook database Username: ndtumbles Password: trial Available through August 31, 2020 Teen Book Cloud: gr 7-12 ebook database Username: ndtumbles Password: trial Available through August 31, 2020 Audio Book Cloud: all ages audio book database Username: ndtumbles Password: trial Available through August 31, 2020 Tumble Math: K-6 math ebook database Username: ndtumbles Password: trial Available through August 31, 2020

DCSD teachers were in school today and joined forces with our custodians. So proud of our staff for all the behind the scenes work they are doing to help prepare for whatever the Governor directs us to do next week. We sure are missing the students and hope to see them soon!

Divide County School District is currently working under the Governor's directives to make plans for a variety of scenarios going forward. This includes planning for possible re-entry into school and also exploring options of virtual learning for our students if an extended school closure is recommended. DCSD families will be receiving a phone call from a school representative inquiring as to each family's ability to connect to the internet as well as their access to a device. Paper/pencil options are also being reviewed in case of an extended closure. The Governor is expected to make an announcement on Friday offering guidance as to how schools in ND will proceed.

Good morning, Due to the current school closure, Divide County School District understands that there may be families who need assistance providing meals for their children. If your family is on free or reduced lunches at school and you need assistance during this time, please call the district office at 701-965-6313 by 4:00 today. We will make available a brown bag breakfast/lunch for pick-up at the school on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

Guidance Update: Governor Burgum has announced that ND K-12 schools will be closed for 5 school days. DCSD classes will resume on Monday, March 23, 2020. The Governor has recommended practicing good hygiene and social distancing during this time.

Update from Divide County School District Divide County School District will remain open, as advised by the NDDOH, NDDPI, and the Governor’s Office. As a proactive measure, DCSD will be suspending all after-school activities indefinitely. This includes the elementary after-school KIDSS program. NDHSAA has suspended all sports practices, game contests, and fine arts activities. All outside community members and organizations who have been using school facilities including the gym, weight room, lunchroom, etc. and parents volunteering with any school related activity will not have access at this time. DCE Banking and Junior Achievement activities will also be postponed. The Missoula Children’s Theater will also be postponed or cancelled. The Divide County Library will only be open to the general public from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon until further notice. The district has suspended all school-related student and staff travel at this time including field trips. In addition, until further notice, DCSD will be restricting access to school buildings during the school day to permit only parents and essential services such as food service and necessary supply deliveries. We ask parents to come into the school only when there is an absolute need to do so. Parent-Teacher Conferences, that are scheduled for March 23, 24, and 26, will be conducted via phone, email, or other form of communication during the scheduled dates from 4:00-7:30 p.m. More information will be forthcoming as we approach the scheduled conference dates. The Scholastic Book Fair scheduled at DCHS during this time will not be open to the public. Other options for public sale are being explored. DCE and DCHS will suspend all attendance incentives for semester test exemptions. Other considerations for semester test exemptions may be considered by the administration and staff as we continue into the rest of the school year. This includes perfect attendance awards. Students and staff who are ill are strongly advised to stay home. Looking into the future, decisions regarding prom and spring concerts have not been made. It is possible these activities could be streamed for the public to view. Thank you for your cooperation and consideration regarding the actions being taken in response to COVID-19. As additional guidance becomes available, the district will continue to update any changes to plans.