At the end of last spring, the District reflected on its Remote Learning program. While there were some strong practices, they were not as consistent as they should have been. There was work to do, so the District listened to teachers, parents and students about their Spring 2020 experiences. More research was conducted and the District is learning, along with other school systems, about the opportunities this new learning environment may bring for students. Fulton County Schools is now better prepared and fully committed to having a successful start to the school year using the Universal Remote Learning model.

Many of the new Universal Remote Learning changes will benefit students and their parents helping at home. The number of online platforms has been streamlined, with ClassLink used as the single sign-on for district software applications and Microsoft Teams used for instruction and communication. Students will follow a predetermined school schedule, and grading and attendance practices will be consistent and recorded. Fulton County Schools will provide digital learning devices for students in grades 2-12*, but prekindergarten through first grade will rely heavily on printed Learning Bundles. The district also will share resources with parents for how to help their student at home.

Other changes will better support teachers and allow more access to educational resources while providing increased opportunities for professional support and sharing of best practices. Teachers will be expected to submit lesson plans for all learning activities, and this will help school leaders provide more guidance and input to teachers needing support.

*(NOTE: Second graders will recieve devices sometime after Labor Day)

Fulton County Schools will begin the new school year on August 17. Registration information for new students is available here, and each school is conducting its own orientation activities for all students. Schools will be sharing information with parents using the contact information in Infinite Campus. Please ensure your information in the Campus Parent module is accurate so you can receive important updates from your child’s school.

All students in grades 2 through 12 will have devices (laptops or tablets) during the first week of school. Students in 2nd grade will have devices the week after Labor Day. 

Devices will be distributed through each local school with support from Device Hubs for hot spots or swap-outs of defective devices. An additional 6,100 devices have been ordered to ensure all students in grades 2-12 have the technology they need for learning in URL. 

Yes. A complete list of minimum specs is available for download. Please note that Dell offers discounts to FCS employees, students and parents.

Students in Pre-K through 1st grade (and 2nd graders until after Labor Day) will receive FCS Learning Bundles. Our very youngest learners are not well served by completely virtual instruction, so a more traditional approach will be used. The District will create and distribute the foundational learning materials through hard copy, over the FCS TV Channel 24, and on the FCS YouTube channel. Schools will supplement those bundles to enrich the learning. Teachers also will be in contact with parents at least weekly, and modules to assist parents in this role will be made available.

Parents will collect their child's Learning Bundle at their home school. Teachers will communicate the process for returning the bundles and schoolwork deadlines.

The length of the school day and week has not changed. Each school’s specific schedule will be posted on the school’s website as will each teachers’ weekly lesson plans. You can see a sample school day here.

Classes will be conducted live through ClassLink and Microsoft Teams. Each daily class will be a combination of live instruction, which teachers will lead from their classroom, and independent learning time. 

During Universal Remote Learning, online classes will be recorded. Student attendance also will be monitored through live log-on and/or through participation in the Learning Bundle program.

For Grades PreK-1 or those students who are who are receiving instruction via Learning Bundles:

Grades K-1: One of the following must be logged by the teacher into Infinite Campus each week to mark a student's daily attendance for all five days of the week:

• Submission of weekly work packet, or
• Direct contact with parent/guardian, or
• Participation in a face to face lesson (available for families after September 8^th per the FCS Reopening Matrix).

For Grades 2-12 students who are receiving instruction online:
Note: 2^nd grade students will receive devices between September 8 and 11. Until they have devices, the Learning Bundle attendance process described above will be used.

Grades 2-5: One of the following must be logged by the teacher into Infinite Campus each day for ELA or Math to mark a student present for daily attendance:

• Participation in a live, online lesson, or
• Direct contact with parent/guardian/student, or
• Submission of an assignment.

Grades 6-12: One of the following must be logged by the teacher into Infinite Campus each day for each course to mark a student present for daily course attendance:

• Participation in the live, online lesson, or
• Direct contact with the student, or
• Submission of an assignment.

Students who are absent will follow the same process the school used prior to URL to excuse those absences.

FCS case managers and service providers, along with 504 and IEP teams, will determine and implement  the supports and services for students with disabilities.  However, in general, students in grades 2-12* will have devices and will receive daily, live instruction in their content areas.  The District will also provide Learning Bundles for PreK-1 students (general curriculum) and PreK-12 students (adapted curriculum). Additional instruction may be provided in order to ensure ongoing progress monitoring. To the degree possible, students who need specific services, such as Speech, Language, Physical Therapy, etc., will have these provided via live therapy and/or instructional sessions with individual or small groups of students.

*(NOTE: Second graders will receive devices sometime after Labor Day)

Depending on the grade level, instruction will be delivered to ESOL students either through online classes or through Learning Bundles. ESOL teachers will administer a new Remote Screener through a phone or video call and this will assist schools in determining student performance levels and the related need for services.

Academic enrichment programs will continue to be offered. Continuous Achievement practices, TAG, ESOL, Dual Enrollment, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate courses, Honors courses, etc., will be available during URL. 

COVID-19 has taken an emotional toll on children and families. The District will be providing the “Restart Toolkit” the first four weeks of classes. This online set of lessons and activities will be included in the normal school day and will help students learn positive ways to deal with stress and emotions. It also will help students develop resiliency and will enhance their ability to support others through acts of kindness and empathy. If parents are concerned about their student, they can always discuss their concerns with their teachers during weekly office hours or contact a school counselor.

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All teachers will conduct office hours to provide additional support for students and, of course, may provide individual help during class time. Tutoring, after-school help, and a myriad of online resources are available for student use.  

Parents needing a little academic refresher in order to help their child can take advantage of District academic resources as well as modules regarding online learning. And, as always, parents can reach out to teachers and school staff for any support.

On the FCS Universal Remote Learning webpage, students and parents can find a variety of links to district resources, technical guides and the FCS Universal Remote Learning Hotline. Staff can help with password resets and other general technical issues. The number is 470-254-2300, and it is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Altough the District is in Univeral Remote Learning mode, work is continuing at each school as normally as possible. As of August 3, all school system employees will be back at work, whether remotely or in-person. School staff will be back on site but will be following social distancing guidelines and other safety protocols, such as wearing face coverings. Teachers will lead instruction from their classrooms.

Parents are encouraged to use email, phone or Campus Parent to communicate with their child's teachers. Those needing to visit a school (for example. to drop off paperwork that cannot be shared electronically or receive assistance with student registration) should first contact the school either by phone or by emailing a staff member. Employee emails are posted on each school's website. Contacting the school first will help verify the school hours and whether the staff member is available. Parents and all visitors are expected to wear face coverings and adhere to all posted safety guidelines.

Altough the District is in Univeral Remote Learning mode, work is continuing at each school as normally as possible. As of August 3, all school system employees will be back at work, whether remotely or in-person. School staff will be back on site but will be following social distancing guidelines and other safety protocols, such as wearing face coverings. Teachers will lead instruction from their classrooms and will have posted office hours to be available to students and parents.

Parents are encouraged to use email, phone or Campus Parent to communicate with their child's teachers. Those needing to visit a school (for example. to drop off paperwork that cannot be shared electronically or receive assistance with student registration) should first contact the school either by phone or by emailing a staff member. Employee emails are posted on each school's website. Contacting the school first will help verify the school hours and whether the staff member is available. Parents and all visitors are expected to wear face coverings and adhere to all posted safety guidelines.

Teachers will give an average of one graded assignment per week and are expected to provide feedback in a timely manner. Students should review the feedback and can resubmit their work if it does not show mastery of the topic or skill. Three opportunities will be given to resubmit the work for a grade. A student must complete 80% of all graded assignments/assessments by the end of the grading period or the report card will reflect an Incomplete.   

All students will take the i-Ready assessments in English/ Language Arts and Math during the first five weeks of school. FCS has been using i-Ready for a number of years. The program allows for smaller progress monitoring assessments in between administrations of the full diagnostic assessment. These quick snapshots allow teachers to determine which students are not on track for end-of-year targets by both grade-level and growth measures. Using i-Ready will ensure that teachers can identify any learning gaps a student may have. It also will help the teacher focus on the specific skills or knowledge needed to get the student back on track.  

Families will be informed about the availability of college-bound assessments, such as the ACT, SAT or PSAT, as soon as information is available from those testing organizations.

Fulton County School Nutrition will continue to serve nutritious and safe meals throughout the district. Fulton County is able to provide FREE meals to all children under the age of 18, or under the age of 21 for youth with special needs, at all FoodStop Meal Distribution Sites. FCS FoodStop Meal Distribution Sites provide an opportunity for families to receive FREE grab & go meal kits for all children 18 & under. Each meal kit will contain 10 meals - 5 breakfasts and 5 lunches - to feed students until the next meal kit distribution. Meal kits will include items that can be reheated at home. Meal safety, reheating instructions, and a menu will be provided in meal kits. Menus and more information are being posted to www.fcsnutrition.com.

Thanks to a recent USDA announcement, Fulton County School Nutrition is now able to provide FREE meals to to all children under the age of 18, or under the age of 21 for youth with special needs, at all FoodStop Meal Distribution Sites. For a full listing of FoodStop Meal Distribution Sites please visit HERE.

There are two ways of picking up meal kits: FoodStop Drive-Thrus OR The Mobile FoodStop Bus Stops.
 

• The FoodStop Drive-Thru provides an opportunity for families to drive-up and pick up grab & go meal kits for all children 18 & under.
• To maximize social distancing, drivers are not to leave their vehicles; however, walk-ups are allowed.
• There are 22 FoodStop Drive-Thrus throughout the district. Choose a FoodStop Drive-Thru site that is most convenient for you.
• Parents should follow the FCS FoodStop signage to find the school's designated pick-up location.
• FCS FoodStop Drive-Thru sites are open Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• NEW! The Mobile FoodStop expands meal distribution using school buses.
• For families unable to visit a FoodStop Drive-Thru, The Mobile FoodStop will serve as an option to receive meal kits.
• Find the closest bus stop to your home and have someone be present at the delivery time.
• Due to the amount of food provided, please bring something to help you carry the meal kit(s) home.
• The Mobile FoodStop will deliver meal kits to assigned bus stops on Wednesdays from 10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Families may pick-up meal kits at a FoodStop Drive-Thru site OR at a Mobile FoodStop bus stop location. For a full listing of FoodStop Meal Distribution Sites please visit HERE.

At this time, pre-ordering is not necessary. More information about pre-ordering meals will be provided the District transitions to Phase 3.

• Yes. Free & Reduced Meal Applications are available online for the 2020-2021 school year. Visit www.fulton.schoollunchapp.com to begin the online application process.
• Even though all students will receive free meals, households still need to complete free & reduced meal applications every school year. If there is an interruption in benefits or the household does not reapply, the household is responsible for payment of meals until the application is approved.

If you believe your student qualifies for a specially prepared meal based on a diagnosed disability that restricts their diet, the Medical Plan of Care for School Nutrition must be completed. New forms are required each school year and they will be available at FoodStop sites.

If your student is eligible for a special diet based on the completed form, the School Nutrition Program will meet with you to establish a menu plan that meets your student's needs. For more information regarding Special Diets, please contact the School Nutrition Program at schoolnutrition@fultonschools.org.