E-learning/remote learning & School Closure FAQs
We appreciate your continued support as we respond to the potential impact of COVID-19 on our school district and community. Below are some of your frequently asked questions.
We know that even while we provide regular updates, our parents, students and employees still have a lot of questions. Right now we don’t have all the answers but below we have posted response for questions that we can answer. We appreciate your continued flexibility, support and patience as we navigate the unique challenges our current closure situation has created. Most of all, thank you for supporting student learning along with all the other changes caused by this global health emergency.
School Closure
Will schools serve meals during the school closing?
Free meals (breakfast and lunch) for children up to age 18 are being distributed in pick-up lines at locations across the district. Click here to read the schedule that includes locations and times for meal pick-up.
How long will schools be closed?
On April 22, 2020, the Governor announced that schools will be closed for the remainder of the school year. E-learning/remote learning in Richland Two will continue. Click here to read an update from the district based on this latest announcement.
What will be the last day of school?
The S.C. Deparment of Education has established May 15 as the deadline for seniors to complete courses, demonstrate mastery and complete courses remediation. Pending the release of further guidance, districts are to follow the current district calendar for all other students. Based on our current district calendar, the last day of school Richland Two is June 5, 2020.
How do I get assistance during the closure?
Teacher office hours for assistance with e-learning/remote learning
All Richland Two teachers will have “office hours” Monday-Friday 9–10:30 a.m. and 2:30–4 p.m. 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.
Picking up items from schools
If your child needs an item for remote learning or e-learning that he or she left at school, please email one of your child’s teachers to make a request to come by the school to pick up the item. The teacher will share the request with a school administrator who will confirm a time and day for the parent or student to come by the school to pick-up the item(s). For assistance with picking up medicine, please email the school nurse at your child’s school. Click here to access the School Nurse Contact List.
Assistance with chromebooks
If a middle or high school student needs assistance with a Chromebook, the student should send an email to one of his/her teachers. The teacher will request assistance for the student through the school’s Technology Learning Coach. If a middle or high school student needs to pick up his/her Chromebook from school, the student can notify one of their teachers. The teacher will share the request with an administrator who will confirm a day and time for pick-up with the student/parent.
School closure hotline For all other urgent matters, please call 803-790-3100 and leave a voicemail message. The voicemail messages will be checked regularly Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
How can parents get a refund for field trips due to the school closure?
The closure of schools as ordered by the Governor of South Carolina resulted in the cancellation of all student activities including field trips/studies. With more than 40 schools and centers with numerous field trips across each school, Richland Two’s finance department has been preparing for the potential of thousands of refund requests across the district. Our goal is to provide a consistent and reliable process that minimizes the turnaround time for issuing refund payments to parents. In an effort to streamline the refund request process, we have developed an online Refund Request Form to facilitate this process.
Please refer to the following guidance in order to request an overpayment refund:
- Parents will access their Parent Portal account and click on Student Fees at the bottom left hand side of the page.(The next screen should show the total amount of overpayment on the student’s account.)
- In order to begin the request, parents will click on the Refund Request Form under new items. It will take the parent to the Refund Request Form.
- The parent will fill out the form for each student they are requesting an overpayment refund for. Due to the high volume of refunds, processing time may be up to 4-6 weeks.
While we will do our best to work with the outside companies and businesses, please note the district cannot guarantee refunds from these sources. Should you have additional questions related to your refund request, please email onlinepayments@richland2.org. We appreciate your continued flexibility, support and patience as we navigate the unique challenges our current closure situation has created. Most of all, thank you for supporting student learning along with all the other changes caused by this global health emergency.
Will the closures effect graduation ceremonies for seniors?
Graduation will be held June 1-5 at Harry Parone Stadium. Click here for schedule and details.
E-Learning/Remote Learning
Grades
The S.C. Department of Education announced that there will not be separate grades for the third nine-weeks and fourth nine-weeks. This requires teachers to make changes to grade calculations in PowerTeacher Gradebook.
The changes to grade calculations will be completed and confirmed by Monday, May 4 for high school students and Tuesday, May 5 for middle school students.
The third-nine weeks grades listed in Parent Portal should be considered as interim progress reports on your student’s performance through the midpoint of the second semester. For semester-long courses, the final grade will be based on all the work completed in Semester 2 instead of an average of a third nine-weeks grade and a fourth nine-weeks grade. For a year-long course, the final grade will be an average of the Semester 2 grade and the Semester 1 grade. The Semester 1 grade will not change and will be based on the average of the first nine-weeks grade and the second nine-weeks grade.
Will students' e-learning/remote learning work be graded?
The assignments will count toward the completion of the 2019-2020 school year. During the week April 6-10, principals emailed parents to let them know how Richland Two will use the e-learning/remote learning assignments to assess students’ progress. A brief summary of those emails is availalbe at www.richland2.org/elearning. For complete details please refer to the email from your principal. In these unprecedented times, our focus remains on student progress and learning. Teachers will continue to offer appropriate grade-level instruction while being flexible and considerate of each family’s unique circumstances. If your family’s current circumstances are impacting your student's ability to complete the e-learning assignments, please reach out to one of your student’s teachers or his/her school counselor. We care deeply about our students and their families and are here to support you and your student during this unique time of teaching and learning.
Will the district observe Spring Break?
Students and employees will observe Spring Break as previously planned. Students will observe Spring Break from April 10-17, 2020, and employees from April 13-17.
Will e-learning/remote learning continue after Spring Break?
Yes. Middle and high school students will receive additional e-learning assignments beginning April 20. Students in Grades 2-5 will participate in e-learning April 20-30. Elementary school are distributing Chromebooks to parents of these students April 1-3. For students in child development, kindergarten and first-grade classes, teachers have prepared learning packets to be competed April 20-30. Teachers will email the packets to the parents and they will posted on the schools' websites.
Do I have to come pick up a Chromebook for elementary student if we have a home computer?
If a student in Grades 2-5 has access to a device at home such as a laptop or desktop computer, the student can use that device to complete the e-learning assignments. The student is not required to use a Chromebook.
Visit our E-Learning/Remote Learning page for the latest information.
Testing
How has the school closure impacted ACT and SAT?
The ACT test scheduled for April 4, 2020 is canceled. The new test date will be June 13. The students signed up for April 4 will receive an email in the next few days giving them instructions on their no cost re-schedule for June 13.
The SAT scheduled for June 6 has been canceled. College Board CEO David Coleman said if public health officials permit, the SAT will be back in August and a September date will be added. If this occurs, the SAT will be offered every month (it already had testing dates in October, November and December) through end of 2020.
The June 13 ACT has NOT been cancelled. The registration deadline for the June 13 ACT is May 8.
Will the school closures impact state testing?
On March 23, 2020 the SC Department of Education (SCDE) announced that its request for the assessment and accountability waiver has been approved by the U.S. Department of Education and is supported by the State Board of Education. For spring 2020, South Carolina will not administer any of the following assessment programs:
- SC READY (English language arts and mathematics in grades 3–8);
- SCPASS (science in grades 4 and 6);
- End-of-Course Examination Program (English, Algebra, Biology, United States History and the Constitution) the requirement that these examinations count 20 percent has been waived;
- Prekindergarten assessments – 4-year-old kindergarten (Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS Pre-K™), Individual Growth and Development Indicators (myIGDIs™),and Teaching Strategies® GOLD); and
- Alternate Assessments – some students have already taken the alternate assessments. Districts will receive information for returning those materials.
In addition, exams for International Baccalaureate courses have been canceled by the vendor.
Will students take AP tests?
Yes. AP tests will be administered online, open-book and abbreviated. Click here for an updated exam schedule. AP students should check with their AP teachers for more details.
I want to help. What can I do?
Richland Two is deeply grateful for the continued support from our community partners. Under the best circumstances, we rely on our partners to help us meet the basic needs for some of our students and their families. In light of the current health pandemic, the need for assistance is greater than ever while the ability to provide assistance is more challenging. Right now, school and district staff are working hard to identify high-risk needs and put into place a plan to address those needs to the best of our ability. As you can imagine, the situation is changing constantly.
If you are interested in helping out, download the Purposity app and follow Richland Two. School social workers and school staff identify student needs and we post to Purposity. You will get an alert about a need and if you wish to help you can order the item right from your phone. The item is shipped directly to the district's lead social worker who ensures the item gets where it is needed most. To learn more, visit www.purposity.com.
Click here to read about other ways you can help.