Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

We recently sent all families of secondary students a progress report to help you understand your students current performance in their classes. Given the challenges that stand before us due to the circumstances presented by COVID-19, we wanted to take this opportunity to provide you an update on the current status of your students attending Wishram School District #94. If your student seems to be struggling in one or more content areas please read the following FAQ regarding the next steps you need to take to ensure that they succeed. We all want every student to turn in every assignment the same way they have for the previous 5 years, but we need your help to reach that goal. Please continue on to see how your role in your students' progress can mean the difference between success and failure during the 2020/2021 school year.

My student has always done well previously, this must mean that online learning isn’t effective.

Our teachers instructional platform and delivery may have changed, but their content has not. As a matter of fact, our teachers have gone to great lengths to strengthen their instruction to meet the needs of our students during this unprecedented moment. If you student isn’t doing well, they are likely not putting forth the effort necessary for them to become successful. In previous years, if students missed an assignment, we would put them on the ICU list, and we would ensure that they received extra help during all of their free time until their work was turned in. Unfortunately, this isn’t possible in an online/hybrid learning environment. You can help your student stay caught up by:

• Making sure we have all of your current contact information in our system. The ICU list still texts and emails parents when their students miss assignments, so this is a great way to stay current on student progress.
• Log into your students SKYWARD account to access their current grades 24/7. (If you don’t currently have access please contact the Wishram School District office, and Ms. Samantha will happily provide this information for you).
• Hold conversations with your student about their performance AFTER you have checked their ICU missing work and SKYWARD. When you have all the current information in front of you, students won’t be able to mislead you about their performance. 
• Reach out to individual teachers through email, text, or phone calls to see what you can do to help your student get caught up.

What happens if my student doesn’t turn in their assignments this year?

Students will be subjected to a traditional grading scale this year, and students who have missing work will be given zeros until the assignment is completed. If the semester ends, and the student hasn’t otherwise made arrangements, the grade that the student has will be considered final. Students who fail classes won’t receive the necessary credits they need to graduate, and will have to repeat the course next year. The state just adopted a 24 credit graduation requirement, so there really isn’t much room for course makeup in their future schedules. Students who want to avoid credit trouble need to take their coursework very seriously by engaging in their classes each day, completing all of their assignments, and fixing assignments when they are asked to do so by their teachers. Students in middle school may put themselves in a situation in which they aren’t able to advance to the next grade level if they don’t complete all of their assignments. The easiest path forward is for every student to complete every assignment, similar to what we have all done for the last 5 years. Every student who has been enrolled in Wishram School District #94 previous to the 2020/2021 school year knows exactly what is expected of them, so this shouldn’t be a surprise. 

My student says they are all caught up, and that their teachers just haven’t taken them off of the missing assignment list, and/or graded their work.

Teachers are human, and we all make mistakes. If this situation occurs, please reach out to the individual teacher to see if the grade for your student is current. More often than not, the student(s) performance is current, and the student is simply attempting to avoid completing their responsibilities. If not, the teacher will tell you when you can expect to see the current grade posted. Either way, talking directly to the teacher will help you save time and anxiety in this situation.

My student says they don’t care, and they will just fail.

This mindset is unfortunately something we come across far too often, but if this circumstance applies to you, please know that we are here to help. Please reach out to our school counselor to set up an appointment to meet with them. We have had tremendous success in helping get students caught up in the past, and it usually starts with a simple meeting. We will do whatever it takes to help keep your student current, but we can’t assist if we aren’t aware of the issue. 

In closing, we want to remind you that we are always here to help when issues arise that pertain to the progress of your student. This correspondence is an attempt to provide an additional communication pathway while we continue to navigate the challenges presented by the current pandemic. We care deeply about your student(s), and their continued progress at Wishram School. If your student is struggling, please partner with us so that we can work together! Thank you 

-Mike Roberts 

Superintendent 

Wishram School District #94