Grading for the 2020 School Year

We received word yesterday from Governor Cooper that the stay-at-home order for North Carolina has been extended to May 8, 2020. 

As a result of this unprecedented school year situation, the NC State Board of Education adopted a grading policy yesterday in an effort to streamline the grading process across NC.  The goal of the policy seeks to positively impact students, honor the work they have continued to complete, and address inequity as it relates to access and technology.  Additionally, the grading policy seeks to hold students harmless from March 13, 2020 through the end of the school year, with a hope that any work done remotely only enhances a final grade. 

The Iredell-Statesville Schools will stop collecting grades on May 8, 2020.  The following week will serve as an opportunity for students to turn in any missing assignments.  The final day to submit late work will be May 15, 2020.  Credit recovery will begin as of May 15, 2020.

For specific information for grades K-12 grading, please refer to the one page summary document found here.  Students in grades 9-11 may be contacted about final grades directly from their high school.  Teachers and administration will guide and advise students as to the best choice for final grades. Again, the goal will be to give students the best outcome for a final grade from the 2019-2020 school year. 

Good Evening. 

We hope that this week of remote learning has been successful and that you and your family are staying safe.  We wanted to update you on a couple of things as we look towards a new week.

Iredell-Statesville Schools will continue to honor the schedule approved on the 2019-20 calendar.  This means that I-SS will operate on a holiday for Friday, April 10th for all students and staff; however, Mitchell Community College will still be in session.  Monday, April 13th, I-SS will be open only for 11- and 12- month staff and Tuesday, April 14th will be a Teacher Workday.  Our early colleges will hold their teacher workday on Monday, April 13th although Mitchell Community College will be in session.  Click here to view the 2019-20 school calendars. 

We would ask that you complete this upcoming week's Meal Request Form so that our Nutrition Hubs can prepare the appropriate number of meals.  With the district being closed on Friday, April 10th and on Monday, April 13th to the majority of our employees, we will not be running our traditional meal pick-up sites.  We have collected some information on some community resources to help during this time.

The district is continuing their distance learning initiative, please visit the district website to find videos and documents which explain the details.

We hope you all have a restful and safe weekend!

Iredell-Statesville Schools and the Stay-At-Home Order

With NC Governor Roy Cooper’s statewide Stay at Home Order beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 30, 2020, we would like to encourage our parents and students to stay at home.  This order directs people to stay at home except to visit “essential businesses, to exercise outdoors, or to help a family member.”  The district will still fulfill the three orders from the state by continuing to operate our 15 meal pick-up sites, 6 essential employee childcare sites, and support the remote learning of our students.  

Our sites will be open on a limited basis to solely conduct essential business.  Please call or email the location prior to going to the building.  Schools and offices will continue to take care of anything that is possible, remotely.  All employees will remain on call and will be available by email.  You may find contact information located on any of our websites under the Faculty & Staff Directory. 

Below you will find the answers to some frequently asked questions we have received:

Can I still pick-up meals at one of the 15 meal pick-up locations?
Absolutely. Meals will continue to be served at each of our 15 meal pick-up sites.  The only thing we ask of you is to complete this Meal Request Form each week so that we can properly prepare enough meals for each of our locations.

What are my options if I do not have Internet access or have issues with my device?
You can find information regarding support, tips, and internet access by viewing the Remote Learning Support for Students/Parents document.

Will students still take an end-of-grade or end-of-course exam?  
No, we have recently learned that there will not be standardized testing for this school year.  You can read more about the approved state waiver by reading this press release.

Will students receive Report Cards?
Students will receive their third 9-weeks Report Cards.  Staff members will be printing and mailing them out by April 10, 2020.

Will our high schools and early colleges still hold proms?
At this time, all proms have been postponed.  We will continue to monitor the situation and reconsider after more time has passed based on the advice from the CDC and orders from our national, state, and local government.

Will we still hold graduations?
We know that the current events have our Class of 2020 asking some specific questions about their senior year.  The order made by NC Governor Roy Cooper extends only through April 29, 2020 at this time.  AS we continue to evaluate this fluid situation, we will update you with more information as it becomes available.  The safety of our students and their families is our top priority.

Will the district continue to hold their 2020 Summer Session?
The district will continue to evaluate the current COVID-19 situation.  At this time, we plan on holding those courses during our 2020 Summer Session; however, we have delayed the registration of all Enrichment Courses hosted by the Academically and Intellectually Gifted Department to April 15th to give us more time to decide if we will be holding the 2020 Summer Session.

Can I still register my child for kindergarten?
Yes.  While we would love to meet our future I-SS graduates in-person, our elementary schools will be continuing to register children online.  If you have a rising kindergartener, please reach out to the school to find out more information.

Superintendent Message and Meal Request Form Update 

We have completed week 2 of our response to COVID-19.  We want to thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we have all worked to address this challenge.  We also want to compliment everyone’s willingness to be flexible and generous.  We are extremely appreciative of everyone’s positive attitude and willingness to go beyond the call to serve our students in very difficult times.  NC Governor Roy Cooper held a press conference this afternoon announcing that NC will be placed under a “Stay-At-Home” order at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 30, 2020.

District leaders will be meeting Monday morning to process this order and issue details of our response.  In the interim, our plan to engage our students with remote learning, feed the children of the community, and provide emergency childcare remains in place. In addition, the district is committed to keeping all staff members fully employed.  We will continue to provide as many options as possible to our staff as we assist them with individual challenges that may impact their ability to report to work.  Our goal now is to identify our essential employees and publish a detailed plan of our response of complying with Governor Coopers’ order.

As we launch a new week, we would like to ask that you complete a new Meal Request Form.  This will help us prepare the number of meals needed for each of our Meal Pick-Up Sites.

School closure Extended Through May 15, 2020

Iredell-statesville Schools prepare for shut down of all but essential staff

• Individuals preparing meals for pick-up and daily delivery
• Bus drivers that deliver meals to students in need
• Childcare workers who are supervising the children of essential emergency care workers in our community
• Central Support staff members on rotating schedule from the following departments:
  • Human Resources
  • Finance
  • Maintenance (as scheduled)
  • Technology (as needed)
  • Transportation
• One building level administrator per campus at sites where there is remote feeding and childcare (rotation schedule to be developed)

Today, Iredell-Statesville Schools is focused on three major areas, as mandated by NC Governor Cooper:

Remote Learning for I-SS students
Remote learning for all I-SS students will be available beginning Monday, March 23.  Parents and students should review this letter for more information.

Satellite Locations for Meal Pick-Up
There will be 12 nutrition hubs to pick up bagged meals beginning tomorrow.  In order to pick up a meal at one of the nutrition hubs, please fill out this Request for Meals form.

Emergency K-5 Childcare Opportunities for Essential Community Staff
I-SS will open 6 emergency K-5 childcare sites for essential professionals in Iredell County.  If you work in the medical profession or emergency management, you may be eligible to receive K-5 childcare at one of our 6 locations.  These locations include: Celeste Henkel, Central, Cloverleaf, Lakeshore Elementary, Troutman Elementary, and Woodland Heights from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Registration will be $25 and it is $15 a day.  Please call or email Grover Linebarger at 704-832-2514 or by email at grover_linebarger@iss.k12.nc.us if you think you may be eligible for K-5 childcare through the Iredell-Statesville Schools.

NC School Closure: March 16-27

Spring Break Extended For Students Through March 20, 2020