Good evening, University School Families! You may access the weekly update by clicking on this link.
Have a great week and Go Bucs!
Following Posted Monday May 17, 2021
Good evening, you may access the University School Weekly Update by clicking on this
link: https://www.smore.com/r8dsq
Have a great week and Go Bucs!
Good evening, University School Families! You may access the University School Weekly Update by clicking on this link.
Have a great week and Go Bucs!
Following Posted Sunday May 2, 2021
Good evening, you may access the University School Weekly Update by clicking on this link. https://www.smore.com/car6t
Have a Great Week and Go Bucs!
Following Posted Sunday April 25, 2021
Good evening, you may access the University School Weekly Update by clicking on this link. https://www.smore.com/ku5jt
Have a great week and Go Bucs!
Good evening, University School families, you may access the weekly update by clicking on this link.
Have a great week and Go Bucs!
Following Posted in April 12-16 Weekly Update
Good evening, you may access the University School Weekly Update by clicking on this link. https://www.smore.com/keja6
Have a Great Week and Go bucs!
Following Posted Monday, April 5, 2021
Good morning, you may access the University School Weekly Update by clicking on this link.
Have a great day and Go Bucs!
Good afternoon, University School families, we hope you all have enjoyed your spring break and are looking forward to the last quarter of the 2020-2021 school year!
To prepare for the week ahead, we ask that you preview our weekly update by clicking on this link.
Have a great rest of the day and Go Bucs!
Dear University School community,
We hope that everyone is enjoying their spring break and the beautiful spring weather! As we prepare to return for our final quarter, we are excited to have our in-person students return on a 4-day calendar beginning Monday, March 29. If there is any family (grades 7-8 & 10-12) who has not had an opportunity to share their intentions to either return on a 4-day schedule or to remain remote, we ask that you please do so as soon as possible. You may find the survey and expectations by visiting our website (usbucs.com) or by clicking on this link.
In addition to the increased safety and distancing protocols, we are preparing for our state testing window which runs from April 12-May 7 (with one AP test on May 14). It is expected that all students, both in-person and remote, report for testing on their designated testing windows. While we will maintain the Wednesday remote-only days during full weeks (see attached schedule), we will ask some of our high school students who are taking their EOC or AP exams to attend on some of the remote only days in order to properly staff and distance students for those exams.
We hope that everyone enjoys this last week of spring break and we look forward to celebrating your return and the start of our last quarter next Monday. Thank you and Go Bucs!
Sincerely,
Drs. Partin and Day
University School Administrative Team
Good afternoon, University School Families! You may access this week's update by clicking on this link.
Have a great week and Go Bucs!
Good afternoon, you may access the weekly update for University School by clicking on this link.
Have a GREAT week and Go Bucs!
Good evening, University School Ninth Grade Families! We are happy to announce that we will be moving our ninth grade students to a 4-day in-person schedule beginning Monday, March 1, 2021. In order to make any necessary seating adjustments to our classrooms, we ask that all of our ninth grade families please complete the following survey by clicking on this link.
Please understand that every effort will be made to maintain 6ft. distancing to the greatest extent possible in the classroom and common spaces used by our ninth graders; however, depending on the number of students returning, it is possible that distancing in some spaces could range between 3-6ft. In addition to distancing the following safety measures, will remain and expected of all in-person ninth grade students:
- Approved face coverings are required (please refer to the ETSU Face Covering Policy for further guidance).
- 6ft distancing to the greatest extent possible should be maintained.
- Handwashing and sanitizing should take place frequently and upon entering and existing classrooms.
- Desks should be wiped at the beginning and end of each class.
- Ninth graders are expected to eat only in approved designated spaces around and in Alexander Hall (University School).
- Remote students are expected to attend all assigned classes synchronously. If you are absent from a class, a parent must contact the school office to report the absence.
- Students scheduled to attend in-person must have a parent contact the office if they are unable to attend in-person.
We are excited to have the opportunity for our ninth graders to return on this four day schedule (please refer to school calendar in the weekly update) on Monday, March 1, 2021. Please remember to complete the return survey as soon as possible and feel free to reach out to us if you have further questions.
With regards,
Drs. Partin & Day
Good evening, University School Sixth Grade Families! We are happy to announce that we will be moving our sixth grade students to a 4-day in-person schedule beginning Monday, March 1, 2021. In order to make any necessary seating adjustments to our classrooms, we ask that all of our sixth grade families please complete the following survey by clicking on this link.
Please understand that every effort will be made to maintain 6ft. distancing to the greatest extent possible; however, due to our limited amount of classroom space most of the spaces utilized by our sixth grade students will more than likely need to follow the 3-ft. spacing guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). In addition to maximizing our distancing to the greatest extent possible, the following safety measures, will remain in effect and be expected for all of our in-person students:
- Approved face coverings are required (please refer to the ETSU Face Covering Policy for further guidance).
- Handwashing and sanitizing should take place frequently and upon entering and existing classrooms.
- Desks should be wiped at the beginning and end of each class.
- Follow all directional signs posted throughout the building.
- Students should bring a refillable water bottle and necessary supplies for all classes.
- Remote students are expected to attend all assigned classes synchronously. If you are absent from a class, a parent must contact the school office to report the absence.
- Students scheduled to attend in-person must have a parent contact the office if they are unable to attend in-person.
We are excited to have the opportunity for our sixth graders to return on this four day schedule (please refer to school calendar in the weekly update) on Monday, March 1, 2021. Please remember to complete the return survey as soon as possible and feel free to reach out to us if you have further questions.
With regards,
Drs. Partin & Day
Good morning, you may access this week's update by clicking on this link.
Have a great week and Go Bucs!
Good morning, University School Families, we hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend! You may access this week's update by clicking on this link.
Have a great week and Go Bucs!
Dear University School community,
Throughout the past several weeks we have worked diligently with our administrative and medical advisory team to determine the best operational plans for our school, particularly as they relate to the return of students. The decision has been made to move our Kindergarten through 5th grade students to a 4-day in-person schedule (M, T, TH, F) beginning Monday, February 15. Families will still have the option to remain full-virtual or to transition to full-virtual. For those wanting to transition to full-virtual, we ask that you please complete and return the attached remote contract to the school office by emailing it to Mrs. Deidre Carter (carterd@etsu.edu).
As a result of this transition, it will require us to move to a recommended 3ft distancing in the classroom for our K-5 students. All other cleaning and safety protocols, including the requirement to wear an approved face covering, will remain the same. For students in grades 6-12, all current social distancing (6ft) will remain in place in a hybrid format. As with all operational plans this year, any decision to adjust the schedule based on current data and advisement from our administrative and medical team could still occur for all grade levels
Communication from our K-5 teachers will follow this notification with further details to assist with the logistics for this transition. We know this year has been a challenging one for us all in many different ways. In reaching this decision to return our K-5 students, multiple factors were considered. We greatly appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we continue to create a safe learning environment for our students and staff. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Drs. Partin and Day
University School Administrative Team
Following posted on Monday, February 8th, 2021
Good Afternoon, University School Families!
You may access this week's update by clicking on this link.
Have a great week and Go Bucs!
Good Evening, University School Families! You may access this week's parent update by clicking on the following link: https://www.smore.com/vzr4h.
Have a wonderful week and Go Bucs!
Following posted on Monday, January 25th, 2021
Good evening, University School Families! You may access the University School Weekly Update by clicking on this link. Have a great week and Go Bucs!
Following posted on Monday, January 18th, 2021
Good Afternoon, Univerisity School Families! You may access this week's school update by clicking on the following link or by visiting the school website.
Have a Great Week, Stay Safe and Go Bucs!
Following posted on Monday, January 11th, 2021
Link to Weekly Parental Update 01-11-2021
Happy New Year and Welcome Back! As we enter our second week of the new semester,
we have several updates we would like to share with our families including our operational
plans for the remainder of Quarter 3. This information along with additional updates
are located in a weekly parental update, which can be accessed by clicking on this link. While we do plan on continuing posting updates on our website, we do hope this
new weekly update format will be one that our families will find beneficial moving
forward.
As always, we are extremely thankful for your ongoing support and we appreciate everything that our families and staff are doing to support the growth and learning of our students.
Start of Quarter 3 - Welcome Back!
Dear University School Families,
Classes will resume Tuesday, January 5th. As previously announced, we will be 100% remote for the first two weeks of school. More information about our operations beyond the first two weeks will be released as it is approved.
We ask that if any students or household members have been identified as a positive COVID-19 case over the break or become positive during this quarter, even while we are operating remotely, you notify our nurse, Beverly Pritchard (pritchardb@etsu.edu).
We are all looking forward to classes resuming tomorrow and being able to see students through Zoom. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Go Bucs!
Dear University School Families,
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 case numbers in Washington County and across our region have significantly risen in recent weeks. In an effort to maintain the safety of our students and staff, University School will continue to operate in a full remote model for at least the first two weeks in January 2021 (January 5-15). Additional communication regarding our operational plans following the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday, January 18 will be shared in January.
We do ask that you keep us informed over the break if any student or someone in your household were to test positive for COVID-19. Information may be sent directly to our school nurse, Beverly Pritchard (pritchardb@etsu.edu), or to me (partinbk@etsu.edu). If a student does test positive, we ask that you please include the student’s name, date of birth, grade level, and test date in the email communication.
We realize these are difficult times, but we do hope that you all are able to find enjoyment with your loved ones during the holiday. As always, we are extremely thankful for your ongoing support and we appreciate everything that our families and staff are doing to support the growth and learning of our students.
With regards,
Brian Partin
Director
University School Inclement Weather Plans:
University School normally follows the inclement weather decisions made by Johnson City Schools and ETSU. However, since University School is 100% remote for all students for these next two weeks, we plan for University School classes to be held as scheduled online, regardless of whether Johnson City Schools (or Washington County Schools) announce a closure, a delayed start, or an early dismissal. Parents should contact Ms. Rea (readg1@etsu.edu) and/or Ms. Carter (carterdp@etsu.edu) if students experience problems accessing online classes due to weather related issues. If this plan needs to change for any reason, an announcement will be made on the school website and sent out through Blackboard and our social media sites.
Dear University School community,
I hope all of you are enjoying this holiday week and are able to connect with friends and loved ones during this time of giving thanks. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have closely monitored data provided by local health departments regarding active cases. Given the ongoing concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in the region, as well as the number of pending cases within the University School community, we have made the decision to move all instruction to full-remote status for the remainder of the 2020 year. Classes will resume on Monday, November 30 and will continue online through Friday, December 11.
As always, your patience is greatly appreciated. These decisions are being made out of an abundance of caution and put the health and safety of everyone first. University School will welcome students back for the spring semester on Tuesday, January 5, 2021.
I hope everyone has a restful and enjoyable week.
Sincerely,
Brian Partin, University School Director
Following posted on Wednesday, November 18th, 2020
University School will return to its hybrid in-person instruction model for K-12 beginning tomorrow, November 19. I appreciate the patience of our students, faculty, staff and family members as the COVID-10 pandemic has required us to make a number of adjustments to our operational schedules, particularly during the past two weeks.
Thank you for being part of the University School community.
Sincerely,
Brian Partin, University School Director
As we approach the weekend, I want to provide an update on the operational schedule for University School. While we continue to have several persons still under quarantine, the number of positive cases has remained relatively low. I thank each of you for all that you are doing to protect your health and the health of others.
On Monday, November 16, students and faculty in grades K – 8 will return to University School for in-person instruction following the previously approved hybrid schedule (Groups A/C on Monday/Tuesday and Groups B/D on Thursday/Friday). However, given the number of individuals at the 9 – 12 levels who are still in quarantine, students and faculty in grades 9 – 12 will continue in remote learning through at least Tuesday, November 17. A decision will be made soon regarding the remainder of next week for our 9-12 students.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this time.
Sincerely,
Drs. Partin and Day
Following posted on Monday, November 9th, 2020
Dear University School Community,
We deeply apologize for the late notice, but University School received notification this evening that there has been a significant increase in the number of students and staff who have been placed in quarantine due to possible COVID-19 exposure. Given that the health and safety of everyone is our highest priority, we have made the decision to shift our academic operations to full remote status for the remainder of the week, Tuesday – Friday, Nov. 10-13. Wednesday (Nov. 11) will remain a holiday in observance of Veterans Day. This decision is being made out of an abundance of caution, and we thank you for your patience.
Sincerely,
Brian Partin, University School Director
As you are aware the COVID case numbers in our region and Washington County have seen a significant increase over the past couple of weeks causing many schools in the region to experience large numbers of students and staff to be quarantined or excluded due to the increase in cases. In an effort to maintain the safety of our students and staff, it has been determined that we will continue to operate in a hybrid model through the remainder of the semester with the understanding that we could shift to full remote if warranted.
While we have been taking extreme caution with our safety protocols, we are not exempt from the impact of the virus within our school community and do have some members of our school community who are active cases and in quarantine. In an effort to keep our families informed with our case numbers, there is now a COVID Dashboard on our website which will share the number of cases and individuals on quarantine within our school community on a daily basis. These numbers are inclusive of our full student body (both remote and in-person learners) and all staff members. Additionally, when contacted about an active case, the school administration works collaboratively with the staff and the health department to complete contact tracing when deemed necessary. If your child is considered a close contact or exposure, you will be notified directly.
As always, we are extremely thankful for your ongoing support and we appreciate everything that our families and staff are doing to support the growth and learning of our students.
With regards,
Drs. Partin and Day
Elementary Traffic Pickup and Drop-off
University School Elementary Parents:
As we prepare for the start of our return to in-person staggered schedule on Monday, October 5, 2020, we ask that you review the following information:
Parent Expectations Prior to Arriving at School
- Parents/Guardians need to check student’s temperature at home every morning students with a temperature of 100.4 or above will need to stay home and consider coronavirus testing if no other explanation is available.
- Parents/Guardians will monitor for any cough, congestion, shortness of breath, or gastrointestinal symptoms every morning. Students should stay home if experiencing any of these symptoms without any other explanation.
- If your child is not feeling well, or exhibiting any of the symptoms listed above, we ask that you please leave keep them home and follow the return to school algorithm, which can be reviewed by clicking on this link.
- Make sure your child is only attending in-person on the days they are scheduled.
Arrival Procedures
- Arrive between 7:30-7:45 only if breakfast will be eaten at school.
- Arrive between 7:45-8:00 if not eating breakfast at school.
- Masks must be worn by all students attending in-person learning. Please make sure a mask is on prior to exiting the car.
- Masks are required when on the ETSU campus which includes University School. Anyone without a mask will be given a disposable or cloth mask for use while on campus.
Lunch Procedures
- School microwaves will not be available for use.
- School lunches are free until December 31 for all students. Teachers will take a lunch count each day. Please have your child view the menu to decide if they will eat a hot lunch from the cafeteria or bring a packed lunch from home. There will be no a la carte items at this time.
- Lunch will either be eaten in the classroom or outside in a designated space. It would be helpful to have your child practice opening packages and drinks. Please include a spoon/fork with your child’s packed lunch if required.
- Please send a bag/container to hold your child’s mask during lunch.
Recess Procedures
- Students will remain with their class during recess in an assigned area. An elementary rotation will occur to allow students to have an equal opportunity to access all parts of the playground.
- Students will need to keep their masks on when playing within six feet of another classmate.
- Mask free zones will be established with proper social distancing to allow students a break.
Special Area Classes
- In-person students will have two specials per day/per week. PE and either music, PE, art, counseling, or library. For example, third graders will have library and PE during our first week of in-person learning for both days attended. PE will take place either outside or in the gym with proper social distancing and cleaning protocols. The second special area will take place in the classroom.
- Remote learners will be provided asynchronous assignments for the two assigned special areas per week. While students are at home, they may choose when to complete these assignments during the week and submit on Canvas.
Dismissal Procedures
- Students will remain in their classrooms for dismissal.
- Car riders will be dismissed using walkie-talkies and exit to the elementary car line. Car tags will be distributed to new families during the first week of school. Please reuse your car tag from last year if you are a returning family. Please let your child’s teacher know if you need additional tags.
- Older siblings that pick up elementary students will be allowed to come to the classroom door to pick up their sibling. Doors will be propped open and the older sibling needs to wait outside the classroom for their sibling to be dismissed.
- Your child will need to keep their mask on until they have entered the car.
- Afterschool care students will be picked up by a staff member at their classroom.
Absences
- If your child is unable to attend in-person or during a scheduled synchronous session, we ask that the parent contact the office (439-4271) to report the absence. If well enough, arrangements can be made for the students to be reported as present through the completion of asynchronous material and complete any assigned work that was missed as well as attendance on synchronous zooms. Contact by parent must occur on the day of the absence.
We appreciate your patience and flexibility during the first few weeks of our return to in person learning as we know adjustments will need to be made to our protocols and procedures.
Have a great weekend and Go Bucs!
Following posted on Sunday, October 4, 2020
Middle and High School Traffic Map
Middle School First Period Specials Rotation Schedule
University School Middle School Students and Families:
As we prepare for the start of our return to in-person staggered schedule on Monday, October 5, 2020, we ask that you review the following information:
Prior to Arriving to School
- Parents/Guardians need to check their child’s temperature at home every morning. Students with a temperature of 100.4 or above will need to stay home and consider coronavirus testing if no other explanation is available.
- Parents/Guardians will monitor for any cough, congestion, shortness of breath, or gastrointestinal symptoms every morning. Students should stay home if experiencing any of these symptoms without any other explanation.
- If your child is not feeling well, or exhibiting any of the symptoms listed above, we ask that you please leave keep them home and follow the return to school algorithm, which can be reviewed by clicking on this link.
- Make sure your child is only attending in-person on the days they are scheduled.
Arrival Procedures
- If purchasing a school breakfast, students may arrive between 7:30-7:45 AM.
- Students should arrive to school between 7:45-8:00 AM if not eating a school purchased breakfast.
- Masks must be worn by all students attending in-person learning. Please make sure a mask is on prior to exiting the car.
- Masks are required when on the ETSU campus which includes University School. Anyone without a mask will be given a disposable or cloth mask for use while on campus.
- Please review attached traffic flow map for drop-off and pick-up.
- 7:45 AM - MS Students report to their first period Specials Classes (see attached schedule and refer to PowerSchool for room assignments) with their belongings. At the end of specials, students will be sent to their 2nd period classes.
- Lockers will not be assigned, so students will need to transport all their belongings from one class to another in a backpack.
Lunch Procedures
- School microwaves will not be available for use.
- School lunches are free until December 31 for all students.
- Teachers will take a lunch count each day. Please have your child view the menu to decide if they will eat a hot lunch from the cafeteria or bring a packed lunch from home.
- All meals will be prepackaged and must be taken in full. For students who only want a milk, this will need to be purchased separately by using cash or funds from their online accounts. With the exception of milk purchases, a la carte items will not be available at this time.
- Lunch will either be eaten outside or in a designated inclement weather space.
- Students are required to distance 6ft or further when eating. Students are expected to wear a mask when finished eating and when 6ft distancing is not maintained when outside.
Dismissal Procedures
- Car riders and students in sports/aftercare: remain near flagpole until 3:15 PM. At 3:15, sports students will go to designated areas for practice and aftercare students will report to aftercare. 6th grade teachers will take turns covering the front flagpole zone until 3:15.
- Students with elementary siblings: remain near the tree - with a 7th or 8th grade teacher supervising. This teacher should have a walkie-talkie turned to the elementary school channel to listen for students or their siblings to be called.
- Walkers must leave immediately or when all siblings have been gathered to walk home.
- Face coverings should be worn and distancing maintained at all times.
- All car riders must be picked up by 3:15 PM.
Absences
- If your child is unable to attend in person or during a scheduled synchronous session, we ask that the parent contact the office (439-4271) to report the absence. If well enough, arrangements can be made for the students to be reported as present by attending the scheduled synchronous session for the day or through the completion of asynchronous material that was missed due to the absence. Contact by parent must occur on the day of the absence.
We appreciate your patience and flexibility during the first few weeks of our return to in person learning as we know adjustments will need to be made to our protocols and procedures.
Have a great weekend and Go Bucs!
Following posted on Sunday, October 4, 2020
High School Class Map
Middle and High School Traffic
BYOD - Bring Your Own Device
University School High School Students and Families:
As we prepare for the start of our return to in-person staggered schedule on Monday, October 5, 2020, we ask that you review the following information:
Prior to Arriving to School
- Parents/Guardians need to check their child’s temperature at home every morning. Students with a temperature of 100.4 or above will need to stay home and consider coronavirus testing if no other explanation is available.
- Parents/Guardians will monitor for any cough, congestion, shortness of breath, or gastrointestinal symptoms every morning. Students should stay home if experiencing any of these symptoms without any other explanation.
- If your child is not feeling well, or exhibiting any of the symptoms listed above, we ask that you please leave keep them home and follow the return to school algorithm, which can be reviewed by clicking on this link.
- Make sure your child is only attending in-person on the days they are scheduled.
Arrival Procedures
- Arrive between 7:30-7:45 only if breakfast will be eaten at school.
- Arrive between 7:45-8:00 if not eating breakfast at school.
- Masks must be worn by all students attending in-person learning. Please make sure a mask is on prior to exiting the car.
- Masks are required when on the ETSU campus which includes University School. Anyone without a mask will be given a disposable or cloth mask for use while on campus.
- Please review attached traffic flow map for drop-off and pick-up.
Lunch Procedures
- School microwaves will not be available for use.
- School lunches are free until December 31 for all students.
- Teachers will take a lunch count each day. Please have your child view the menu to decide if they will eat a hot lunch from the cafeteria or bring a packed lunch from home.
- All meals will be prepackaged and must be taken in full. For students who only want a milk, this will need to be purchased separately by paying with cash or funds from their online accounts. With the exception of milk purchases, a la carte items will not be available at this time.
- Lunch will either be eaten outside or in a designated inclement weather space.
- Students are required to distance 6ft or further when eating. Students are expected to wear a mask when finished eating and when 6ft distancing is not maintained when outside.
- 10th and 11th grade students will go to lunch from 12:00-12:30 PM and need to report to their assigned study hall, L1/SH2, by 12:35 PM. Please check PowerSchool to see where your assigned study hall is located.
- 9th and 12th grade students will report to their assigned study hall, SH1/L2, by 12:05 PM. Please check PowerSchool to see where your assigned study hall is located. 9th and 12th grade students will go to lunch from 12:30-1:00 PM.
- 9th -10th grade students may eat outside in the back and front of University School. All safety and distancing procedures must be followed. All areas will be supervised.
- 11th and 12th grade students may eat in the Culp Center if locations are open and permitted by ETSU. All safety and distancing procedures must be followed.
- The parking lot, the BP Station and the food location across the State of Franklin are off limits to all students.
- Students should not have food orders delivered to school or other sites on campus.
- Students assigned to remote learning or who have left for DE may not deliver food or return to campus to dine with other students who are attending for in-person instruction.
Campus Building
- We will be using several buildings (Gilbreath, Sam Wilson, Brooks, and Mini-Dome) on campus this quarter for our high school classes. We ask that you please review the attached HS Class Building Map to locate your classes when returning to in-person.
- ETSU faculty and students may be present for other classes or in their offices, so we ask that all US students please be respectful and maintain all safety guidelines while accessing these spaces. This includes all distancing and face covering expectations.
- Students should not linger or gather in hallways or bathrooms.
- Students need to proceed immediately from one class to the next.
- Sanitizer and sanitizing wipes will be available in all classrooms.
- ETSU faculty and students may be utilizing these spaces after 3:30 PM, so please do not leave items in the classrooms.
- Lockers will not be assigned, so students will need to transport all their belongings from one class to another in a backpack. Teachers should communicate materials needed for in-person days. Students are encouraged to use online textbook when available to reduce the amount weight and materials being transported in their backpacks.
Dismissal Procedures
- Face coverings should be worn and distancing maintained at all times.
- Car riders will be picked up at the front of the school on Martha Culp Avenue.
- Student drivers should report to their vehicles and leave campus immediately unless they are participating in a scheduled after school activity.
- Older siblings who pick up elementary students will need to go to the end of the entrance ramp at the corner of the building and the staff member on duty will call for their sibling.
Schedules and Room Assignments
- Many rooms have changed to accommodate for appropriate spacing, please refer to the attached High School Building Map to see directions and room numbers for classes that have been reassigned to another room on campus.
- All room changes have been made in PowerSchool.
- For classes remaining in Alexander Hall (University School), there will just be a classroom number listed; Gilbreath will be coded as “G” and Sam Wilson will be coded as “SW” followed by the room number. All Lifetime Wellness courses still say Brooks, but they will be in the Mini-Dome with the exception of the weight lifting class which is still in Brooks 108.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
- Students in grades 9-12 may bring their own devices to use at school. In order to do so, students will need to bring a signed copy of the BYOD Policy and their device to school on Monday or Thursday (their first day back in person). Dr. Preswood will set up a table in front of the school on Monday and Thursday during high school lunch to configure the devices and collect forms.
- Students who currently have a school device that does not have a protective cover can bring their devices to Dr. Preswood table during their lunch to get a cover for the device.
- Students who are dual enrolling (DE) at ETSU will access the ETSU WIFI using their ETSU credentials and do not need to complete the BYOD policy. DE students should not share their ETSU credentials with other students.
Absences
- If your child is unable to attend in person or during a scheduled synchronous session, we ask that the parent contact the office (439-4271) to report the absence. If well enough, arrangements can be made for the students to be reported as present by attending the scheduled synchronous session for the day or through the completion of asynchronous material that was missed due to the absence. Contact by parent must occur on the day of the absence.
We appreciate your patience and flexibility during the first few weeks of our return to in person learning as we know adjustments will need to be made to our protocols and procedures.
Have a great weekend and Go Bucs!
University School Update 9-26-20
US Group Staggered Calendar October
Dear University School Families,
We hope you have had a wonderful fall break! As we prepare for school to resume on Monday, we want to remind everyone that we will still be 100% remote for the week of Sept. 28th (see attached calendar). As we prepare to transition to our staggered scheduled, it is expected that students attend all scheduled synchronous Zoom sessions for each of their classes during their scheduled times. Teachers will be posting the Zoom links for their classes in Canvas for this week by Sunday evening, so please be sure to have your child log into their Canvas page and email to access the links for their scheduled classes and to retrieve any messages from their teachers.
Also, one notable change for our students this quarter is that attendance will now be taken by the teachers during each class period, so please make arrangements for your child to be present for those classes whether they are attending in-person or remotely. If your child is unable to attend the scheduled synchronous Zoom session during their remote days, we ask that you please contact the office on that day to report the reason for the absence or to discuss any technical concerns that may have occurred. Again, teachers will post their Zoom links and schedule for their classes in Canvas for this week by Sunday evening.
Starting on October 5th, students will return to school two days per week and will follow the schedule listed below:
Groups A and C will attend school in-person on Monday and Tuesday, and will be remote on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.- Groups B and D will attend school in-person on Thursday and Friday and will be remote on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
All student group assignments have been emailed to each individual child's University School email account, so please have them login in to retrieve their assigned group information. All siblings at University School should have been assigned to the same day, so if that has not occurred, please email Dr. Day () as this is a mistake that needs to be corrected. Assignment changes will not be possible unless there is a necessary reason.
Finally, if you are planning on having your child(ren) remain fully remote, we ask that you please submit the Remote Learning Contract to this secure Dropbox link.
Have a great weekend!
Drs. Partin and Day
Following posted Friday, September 18, 2020
Public Health COVID-19 Return to School Decision Support Algorithm
US Remote Learning Expectations
US Remote Learning Contract
US Group Staggered Calendar October
Good afternoon. We hope all members of our University School Family are doing well and looking forward to our upcoming fall break. As we stated at the beginning of the year, we take our responsibility and commitment to, not only the success of your children, but to the health and safety of our families during the time of COVID-19 very seriously. As promised, we have been working with our administrative team, including feedback and advisement from our many stakeholders, local health providers, and ETSU and Washington County leaders as we take our next steps.
As a result of the information and advice provided by the various stakeholders, we will transition to a hybrid staggered schedule (with students rotating between in-person and remote learning). As indicated in our original plans, families will still have the option to remain full remote. Please continue reading for next steps and further details and safety protocols for both options which can also be found in the attached documents and on our school website.
We are going to make our transition in two phases:
- All students will remain in full remote model during the week after fall break (September 28-October 2) but will follow a newly revised synchronous schedule for their classes, which will be shared by their teachers. Students are expected to be attend all synchronous sessions.
- The staggered/hybrid schedule with rotating in-person/remote learning will begin Monday, October 5th.
Once the hybrid model begins on October 5, all students (K-12) will be assigned to three remote learning days and two in-person days assigned on either Monday and Tuesday or on Thursday and Friday (student assignments will be shared in a separate correspondence). Wednesdays will be a remote learning day for all students and may consist of a combination of asynchronous and synchronous sessions. During their assigned remote learning days, students are expected to attend the live synchronous sessions for each of their classes and to complete all assigned work. All attendance will be recorded directly by the teachers and based on those students present during the in-person and live synchronous sessions. The student’s school day (either in-person or remote) is scheduled for 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Monday – Friday.
We realize that some of our families would prefer to remain fully remote, which is still an option as mentioned above. Details on the fully remote option have been attached and will be posted on our school website. Prior to selecting this option, we ask that families read through the expectations document and submit the Remote Choice Contract no later than Monday, September 28, 2020. Any student choosing to participate in the full remote option is expected to attend all synchronous sessions, complete all assigned work and maintain all expectations defined in the remote choice plan. Within this plan, you will find a contract that will only need to be completed for each child choosing to enroll in the remote choice plan for the upcoming quarter. This document can be submitted by clicking on the Dropbox link in the document and attaching the signed contract found on p. 20 and on the school website.
As we move in this new direction, we continue to focus on the educational achievements of our students. Finally, it is important to note that the operational decisions could change at any point throughout the next few weeks or remaining year and may be adjusted as circumstances change. The safety and well-being of our students, families, and staff continue to be a priority as we navigate these unprecedented times. Again, we do appreciate all that you have done, and continue to do, on behalf of your child(ren) and the school community.
With regards,
Drs. Partin and Day
University School Families, we hope that you all are doing well! As we prepare for
the end of Quarter 1, we ask that you please review the following updates and reminders:
- Quarter 2 Operational Plans will be provided to our school community by no later than Friday, September 18, 2020.
- The University School Foundation monthly board meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 14th @ 4:30 PM via Zoom
- Fall Break: There will be No School from September 19th - 27th. We hope you have a great break!
- ACT Senior Retake is scheduled for October 6th.
- Interim reports have been distributed. Since this is a shorter quarter than normal,
we ask that you please reach out to the office or your child's teachers if you have
any questions or concerns regarding grades or missing work, which may also be accessed
by logging into Canvas and PowerSchool.
- The USDA has extended free meals for all kids 0-18 through December 31, 2020. University School students are eligible for meal distribution from Washington County.
Please see information and phone number to contact on the Washington County School Nutrition web page
- Our University School Foundation, who will receive a portion of the proceeds, is happy
to announce that the University School Apparel Shop is now available for online orders.
Anyone interested in ordering items may do so by going to the University School Store for Apparel Sales
- Synchronous Sessions (Zoom Meetings) - As mentioned in our last update, we do want and expect the students to attend the
live (synchronous) sessions if at all possible; however, we realize that is not always
a feasible option, so the recordings for any scheduled instructional Zoom meeting
should be posted on the classroom Canvas site for each course.
- Fall athletics have started, please review their schedules below. Please visit our athletics page for updated schedules, guidelines and information.
- The University High Golf Teams will be competing in post-season play next week. Both the men's and women's squads will compete on Monday, Sept. 14, in the TSSAA Small School District I Tournament at Elizabethton Golf Course. The Bucs will have 5 Men (Daxx Carr, Garrett Gentry, Wes Estes, Hank Berning, and Jaxson Williams) and 2 women (Chloe Ganger and Quinn Scheller) participating and hoping to qualify for the Region Tournament, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 17 at Link Hills Country Club in Greeneville, TN. On the line Thursday is a chance to qualify for the TSSAA State Golf Championships in Manchester, TN the week of Sept. 28, 2020.
- All athletes must have their Physical, Cardiac, and Concussion forms submitted to the athletic office prior to beginning any practices with our school teams. Forms may be submitted via our secured ETSU Dropbox Link or in person to the school office.
Finally, we want to thank our families for all that you are doing to support the learning of our students during this remote period. We know that it has not been without its challenges especially as the expectations continue to increase, so we want to encourage you to reach out to the teachers and the administrative staff if you need any assistance.
Stay well and Go Bucs!
It is hard to believe that August is over and that we only have three weeks left in this first quarter. Students and teachers have worked incredibly hard to adapt to online learning. It is now time for our first interim report, which is a middle of the quarter grade check to see how students are doing while there is still time for improvement. Teachers for grade 3-12 have updated the grades in PowerSchool. For students in grades 6-12, teachers are completing academic reports that will be mailed to families if a student currently has a 74% or below in their classes. Please take a moment to check your child’s progress in PowerSchool. Since Friday (September 4th) is Parent/Teacher conference day, we encourage you to reach out to teachers if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s progress.
You can set up a time to meet your child’s teacher(s) by reaching out to them directly or by calling the office (423) 439-4271 to make an appointment. Meetings will be held virtually through Zoom and teachers will send you the link when you make an appointment.
If you are unable to access PowerSchool, please contact the office (423) 439-4271 to get help.
Reminder: there is no school September 4th (Parent/Teacher conference day) and September 7th (Labor Day).
As always, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns!
University School Update 8-17-20Good evening University School Families, we hope you have had a great start to your
week! The start of this year is full of a lot of firsts for University School, so
we want to continually thank you for your patience as we are all learning the new
Canvas platform and accountability measures in place during our remote start. As
always, we want to continue to remind you to reach out to your teachers and support
staff if we can be of any assistance. With that being said, we ask that you review
the following announcements, updates, and reminders:
- University School students are eligible for meal distribution from Washington County,
which can be picked up daily at University School. Please contact Ms. Connie Taylor
at 423-439-4001 for additional information. You may also find more details on the Washington County School Nutrition web page.
- Fall Sports are finally beginning for University School, which include: HS Women’s
Soccer, HS Golf, and MS/HS Cross Country.
- MS Cross country will have tryouts beginning on Tuesday, August 18. If you have
questions, you may contact Coach Preswood (preswood@etsu.edu)
- HS Golf tryouts are also scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, please reach out to
Coach Penley (penleyj@etsu.edu) with any questions.
- HS Cross Country will be getting a new coach this year and we hope to have an
announcement out by mid-week. Since we are delayed in getting started, we are encouraging
runners to begin conditioning independently at home until practices begin.
- HS Girls Soccer has been delayed due to field access which we also hope will
be finalized by mid-week. Players will be contacted by Coach Ryann when field access
is available. Any new prospective players may contact Mr. Honeycutt (honeycuttdg@etsu.edu) for more information.
- All athletes must have their Physical, Cardiac, and Concussion forms submitted
to the athletic office prior to beginning any practices with our school teams. Forms
may be submitted via our secured ESTU Dropbox Link or in person to the school office.
- MS Cross country will have tryouts beginning on Tuesday, August 18. If you have
questions, you may contact Coach Preswood (preswood@etsu.edu)
- Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) is back and starts the first week of September!
JAM provides small group instruction for 4th-12th grade students in traditional Appalachian
music. At University School it is offered on Thursdays, from 3:15-4:30, and will be
held virtually for at least this semester. Because our calendar looks different the
first half of this year, we are expanding into a 12-week opportunity for this semester.
Please see attached flier for registration details. Note: Registration will close August 26th! For more information,
please contact jaminthemountains@gmail.com
- School Calendar – monthly calendar of events and our yearly calendar can be accessed
by going to our website or by clicking on this link.
Finally, we know the expectations for this remote learning period is much higher than last spring, so it is important that students attend scheduled synchronous meetings for their classes if at all possible. While the instructional lessons are being posted and can be accessed outside of scheduled class times, it is important for the teachers to be able to interact with the students to answer their questions and to provide supports that are needed. Therefore, we appreciate every effort you are making to stay on as much of a regular schedule as possible.
We hope you have a great week and ask that you please reach out to us if we can be
of any assistance!
As we prepare for the start of an exciting new school year, we would like to share a few last-minute reminders to assist our students and families in having a great start:
- Monday is a half day for our students and a day that we are wanting our teachers to
begin building relationships with our students, review class and course expectations,
review daily attendance verification form(s), and begin orientation of our new remote
learning platform. Please look for teacher correspondence in your child's email account(s) for
details about class meetings.
- If you need help with Canvas or student school email, please review the tutorial video and instructions on our webpage or complete a help ticket by clicking on this link.
- If you need help accessing PowerSchool to view schedules and grades, please contact Deidre Carter (carterdp@etsu.edu), Erin Penley (penleye@etsu.edu) or Dianna Rea (readg1@etsu.edu), or call the main office (423)439-4271.
These updated documents may be found on our school website:
The last day to make schedule changes for high school is Wednesday, August 5, 2020. Please contact Dr. Shaw and Dr. Day to make changes.- Any student still needing a Chromebook will need to make arrangements to pick one
up at school between 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m.
- Appointments for small group in-person activities and assessments are being arranged
by classroom teachers – all attendees must follow appropriate distancing, temperature
checks, and mask wearing guidelines established by ETSU.
- Students are expected to complete a full school day, but we know this may look different
for each family. Attendance verification forms must be completed by 11:59p.m. each
day to be counted present (see remote attendance procedures document).
As with any new venture, we realize adjustments may be necessary, so we ask for your continued patience and flexibility during the implementation of our new instructional resources and platforms. Moreover, we want you to know that we are here to support our families and students throughout this transition, so please reach out to us if we can be of any assistance.
Please view
View
Dear University School Families, welcome to the 2020-2021 school year! Our faculty
and staff are very excited to begin a new school year with our students and are looking
forward to working with our families this year! Before we share some important information
to help this school year be a success, we want to take a moment once again to welcome
our new students and families – we feel very blessed that you have chosen to be a
member of the Buc Family and we look forward to getting you actively engaged in our
school community!
We realize there is a lot of information and questions that you may have, so please
review the important information below:
- All K-12 students have been assigned an email that should be used to access email
and links to your Canvas accounts. For our returning students, this is the same email
used in the spring. If you are unable to access your email account, you may complete
a Student Technology Assistance Request Form by clicking on the following link: https://forms.gle/rHrSjHTtLTfYbNAV7
- Canvas is now open for students in grades 1-12. Teachers will be sending codes for
students to join their classes. If you have not received a code by Monday morning, please reach out to your teachers to have one sent. To access Canvas please follow
these steps or View Instructional Video:
Go to usbucs.instructure.com
Click “forgot password”
Enter you school email
Click “Request Password”
Then go to your school email account and look for the password reset link in your email.
-
Click on the link and follow the prompts to reset your password.
- Students are expected to complete all assignments and the daily attendance verification
forms by 11:59 PM. These forms will be shared and explained by your teachers. Please refer to the remote learning expectation document for attendance expectations. Note: These expectations are for all students
during the remote learning period and any student who continues remotely upon our
return to in-person instruction.
- Monday is a half-day and all teachers are sending correspondence to their students
with instructions and links to connect to their course. Several have Zoom meetings
scheduled on this day to review expectations and procedures for their classes.
- If you are still in need of a device, please contact the office (423-439-4271) on Monday to arrange to pick one up.
- Updated information and documents are being posted on the school website, www.usbucs.com
- Athletics – Governor Lee has issued a new order and updated provisions are being established
regarding the TSSAA guidance, so information will be forthcoming as it pertains to
University School.
- Small group meetings, material pick up, and assessment plans are being scheduled by individual grade level bands (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12). Information will be sent to families directly by the grade level teachers to their families and posted on our social media sites for any large group material distribution days.
Finally, we want you to know twe are here to support our students and families, so please reach out to us if we can be of any assistance. We thank you for your ongoing support and we look forward to an incredible year! As always, Stay Well and Go Bucs!
Student schedules for grades 6-12 are now available by accessing PowerSchool. PowerSchool login information should not have changed from last year, but you may have to delete and reinstall the mobile app if you are experiencing difficulty in logging in using the app. The district code for mobile apps is KPQL. You may also access PowerSchool using an internet browser at this address: https://ps.wcde.org/public/home.html
If you need help with your username or password, please contact the office (423-439-4271) or email Ms. Carter (carterdp@etsu.edu) or Ms. Rea (readg1@etsu.edu).
If you have a question about your schedule, if you are missing classes, or something doesn’t look correct, please contact Dr. Shaw (shawa@etsu.edu) AND Dr. Day (daya@etsu.edu) and one of them will respond as soon as possible. We thank you in advance for your patience as we are receiving lots of questions and are working to respond to everyone. At this time, please only contact us to make a change because there is a problem in your current schedule. If you are scheduled in all of the classes that you requested to take but want to make a period change, please wait until Monday. Students will have until Wednesday, Aug. 5, to make schedule changes.
- For high school students: 5th period study halls are still missing from many student schedules and will be added by the start of school.
- For middle school students, 6-8: 1st period specials and 5th period study hall are missing from your schedules and will be added by the start of school.
New students who came from a Washington County school: you should be able to log in as you did last year. Please try and contact us if you need your login information.
New students who came from a different system than Washington County: you will receive information to create a PowerSchool account on Friday when you come for your scheduled time. Please contact the office (423-439-4271) if you are unable to come for a scheduled time, and want to set up a different time to pick up your new student packet.
Good afternoon. We hope all members of our University School are doing well. As indicated in our communication last week, we have extended our deadline for the Remote Choice Option for our families to Friday, July 24 with the intent of providing more details to our families about our remote learning expectations. Attached you will find the expectations document that will be used for our remote choice students and for all students during any remote learning period as described in our reopening operational plan. Within in this plan, you will find an application that will only need to be completed for each child choosing to enroll in the remote choice plan. This document can be submitted by clicking on the Dropbox link in the document and attaching the signed contract on p. 20.
In addition to learning more information about our remote expectations, we know that many families are anxious to hear about the status of our reopening on August 3. We greatly appreciate your patience as we work through this decision. As indicated in our reopening plan, we anticipate that movement between the different stages of operation would be a reality throughout the year. With that being said, a recommendation from the advisory and school leadership teams is being finalized. Once that is completed, we plan on communicating the plan to our families by no later than Monday, July 27, 2020. It is important to note that if a decision is made to go to a staggered or full remote operational plan at any point throughout the year, it would be on a temporary basis and would be adjusted as circumstances change. The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain a top priority as we continue to focus on providing a high-quality educational experience for our students. We do thank you again for your continued support and cooperation.
Following posted Friday, July 17, 2020
K-8 School Supply Lists for 2020-2021 have been posted on Elementary Faculty and Middle School web pages and on our Parent News/Updates Website
Following posted Friday, July 17, 2020
Good evening, University Families! First of all, we want to thank those who were able to join the Town Hall meeting this past week and let everyone know that the recording has been posted on our website. During the meeting, the question was asked if there would be a new registration for families to register for the remote learning option. We know that many of you have been processing a lot of factors to determine therefore rather than a new registration, we are extending the deadline to July 24. We are finalizing our Remote Learning Plan and intend to have it to you by next week. We realize this is still a quick turnaround, so we appreciate your understanding as we continue to work through the logistics of this learning plan in order for you to make the best possible decision for your children.
Additionally, we know there are some questions regarding the status of our reopening and how that decision will be made as cases in our region increase. To make these determinations, our University School administrative team is working collaboratively with the Dean of Clemmer college, ETSU administration, Washington County School officials and the NE TN Regional Health Department officials to determine when changes to our operational and reopening plans need to take place. We will review the epi-curve data including the cases per 100,000 as a main data point. It was brought to my attention that this data point was inadvertently left out of our Re-Opening plan and we are editing this for clarity. We will also look at the 14-day average of new cases and a host of factors as outlined in our plan. Please know that no one data point will automatically trigger a change in plan. At this time, meetings are scheduled in the coming days with our advisory group to discuss the current data for our region and to determine our next steps. We anticipate this will be an ongoing need throughout the year and could result in sudden changes at times, so please know that we will communicate any updates or changes made to our families and staff as soon as possible.
As always, we thank you for your continued support and patience as we work on making the safest decisions that we can for students and staff.
Regards,
Drs. Partin and Day
Following posted Thursday, July 16, 2020
Update: The Registration Deadline has been extended to July 24, 2020.
Good evening, University School Families! As we continue to prepare for our upcoming year, we know that some of our families have indicated that you are not completely comfortable sending your child back to school due to a variety of concerns related to Covid-19. In order to appropriately plan, we are asking any family who would be interested in remaining in a remote learning platform for the 2020-2021 school year to please complete the attached registration form by Friday, July 24th.
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/kAdrFVE9WjWzP7ZQ9
As always, Stay Well and Go Bucs!
Good Morning, University School Families!
As we prepare for the start of the 2020-2021 school year, it is important for our team to have a good understanding of your thoughts and comfort level as you think abut your child returning to school. The feedback that you can provide by completing the survey below will assist our team as we continue to work through the guidelines and recommendations that have been provided by the CDC, ETSU, TN Department of Education, and our local health and school officials.
In addition to gaining an understanding of your comfort level for this coming year, we are excited to share that we have also taken measures to purchase additional devices (Chromebooks) along with a new online learning management system (Canvas) to better support our remote and in-person learning environments. By having these additional resources and other online learning programs, our teachers will be able to better support a blended learning platform for our students. Moreover, we believe this will increase our ability to stay connected to our students and to increase our communication with our families.
While we realize these additions will be critical during this coming year to maintain a quality, fluid learning environment for our students, your input is equally important in making sure that we have a good understanding of your comfort level, so we thank you for taking the time to complete our survey. Since we are K-12 environment and your comfort level may vary depending on the age of your children, we would appreciate it if you would complete a separate survey for each child in your family attending University School this year. As always, please stay well and Go Bucs!
Survey Link: https://forms.gle/hN5gJpoWwYbz63979
Regards,
Dr. Partin and Mrs. Day