WEST COLUMBIA, SC -- The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for students, employees, parents and communities. Lexington Two is committed to sharing the latest updates and information regarding school closures, eLearning, meals, and more.
GRADES AND eLEARNING
Many are wondering how COVID-19 will affect fourth-quarter grades. We recently received guidance from the SC Department of Education that will allow for flexibility granted by the US Education Department in grading and classroom work for the remainder of the school year.
For kindergarten through second grades, standards-based report cards will only have comments.
For third through eighth grades, the grades earned for the first three quarters will be considered along with the eLearning assignments to determine a final course grade.
For high school courses, the third nine weeks grade should be considered an “interim” grade. The assignments from third and fourth quarters will be combined to produce the final grade for a semester class. For high school students taking AP or dual enrollment courses, teachers will have more information.
In addition, we have adjusted required daily minutes for students that we had to adhere to as part of our eLearning pilot program. Our weekly minutes will be reduced to 600 from 1200 in secondary schools, and to 500 from 1000 for elementary students. This means 30 minutes of independent work per class in high school (with the exception of AP) and 24 minutes per class in middle school. In elementary school, this means 80 minutes of reading, writing, math (science/social studies) and 20 minutes of resource/special areas.
It is important for parents to emphasize to students the need to keep up with the work each day, or they will get too far behind. If there are issues, please reach out to your child’s teacher. As teachers grade assignments, they will take into account the circumstances and work with all students to help them continue to progress. Students will have the opportunity to get all necessary work for promotion and/or graduation.
GRADUATION EVENTS
South Carolina’s schools will remain closed through the end of the academic year.
We are holding virtual graduation events, including a two-hour TV show on WACH-Fox 57, along with some very public recognitions for members of the Class of 2020. Click here for the details.
TEACHER OFFICE HOURS
All Lexington Two teachers have office hours Monday-Friday. During these times, teachers will be available to check and respond to emails. Parents and teachers can also arrange to talk via telephone or video chat during office hours.
Elementary: 9am-10:30am and 1:30pm-3pm
Secondary: 10:30am-noon and 3pm-4:30pm
SPRING TESTING
Many of the tests students usually take in the spring will not be given this year, including SC READY and SC PASS. The SC Department of Education also waived requirements for end-of-course testing. High school students enrolled in AP courses will receive exam information from their teachers.
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
The SC Department of Education has established May 15 as the deadline for seniors to complete courses, demonstrate mastery and complete any course remediation. For other important dates and deadlines for PreK-11th grade students, click here.
RESOURCES
Internet access: For those without internet access, please find information about Lexington Two’s Wi-Fi buses, as well as other Wi-Fi hotspots around the community, by clicking on this link: bit.ly/34IgAvv. Remember, you can download lessons to your desktop and complete lessons offline at home.
Student meals: Lexington Two provides breakfast/lunch meals Monday-Friday at four school sites, as well as by bus delivery. For times, locations and other details, click on this link: bit.ly/3aZITaZ . We will be announcing soon our plans for summer meal service.
Enrollment: We have implemented a temporary process to enroll new students in the district. For details, click on this link: https://bit.ly/3cdGdGP
Stay connected: New information and updates will be shared using the district’s automated telephone system, school and district websites, social media and local media.
By order of the SC governor, Lexington Two offices and schools will be closed through the end of the school year. All district events including after-school activities, athletic events, adult education classes and other events are cancelled until further notice.
NOTE: A Spanish-language version of this information is posted here.