COVID-19 Updates

July 8, 2020

Dear TRA Stakeholders,

We look forward to seeing our students back on campus in August. The Reopening Task Force and School Administrators have been working diligently to make the return a safe, comfortable and realistic one. Our goal is to keep school as normal as possible while maintaining and ensuring the safety of our students and families.

That being said, you will see some changes on campus this fall. Those include:

• Educating students, faculty and staff on proper hygiene practices
• Temperature checks upon entering the buildings
• Increased focus on cleaning and sanitizing
• Rules for campus visitors
• Lunch procedures

What to Expect on Campus:

Arrival Procedures

Daily temperature checks for faculty, staff and students. Students arriving through carline will be checked before exiting the vehicle. Students parking on campus will be checked as they enter the building. Students with a temperature over 100.4 must return home.

Parents/School Visitors

It has always been a part of our culture to allow family members to visit campus throughout the day. However, campus visitors will not be allowed until further notice.

Sick Students/Staff

Faculty/Staff members who test positive will be required to quarantine 14 days if showing symptoms and 10 days if asymptomatic.

Students who test positive will be required to quarantine 14 days if showing symptoms and 10 days if asymptomatic. Remote learning will be made available.

Masks

Mask aren’t required in the classroom, but may be worn if preferred by the parents.

Water Stations & Hand Sanitizers

Water fountains will be replaced with water bottle filling stations. Hand sanitizer stations will be placed strategically in each building.

Increased Focus on Sanitation

The school continues to work closely with ABM on an enhanced cleaning program. They are developing a back to school plan that will include extra attention to high touch areas, as well as the playground, weight rooms, cafeteria, etc.

What to Expect in the Elementary Building:

• Students will eat snack and lunch in the classroom. Box lunches will be available or the students may bring their own lunch.
• Students will continue participating in weekly special classes.
• Students will have daily recess (weather permitting.)
• Students will continue participating in Chapel.
• Students will see an increased focus on proper hygiene practices.

What to Expect in the Upper School Buildings:

• Students will have staggered lunch/break times in the Multi-Purpose Room.
• Students will follow their regular 7 period class schedule.
• Students will follow strategic hallway patterns to reduce crowd sizes and masks may be worn in the hallway, if preferred.
• Students will continue participating in Chapel.
• Students will continue participating in PE classes.
• Students will see an increased focus on proper hygiene practices.

What to Expect with Athletics:

TRA will follow the guidelines and rules set by the TSSAA.

The decisions made by the Reopening Task Force were made by complying with current guidelines, recommendations and information from the following agencies:

• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
• Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association
• National Association of Independent Schools
• Southern Association of Independent Schools
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• Shelby County Health Departments

As you know, guidelines, recommendations and protocols change daily. The committee and administrators will be monitoring information and changes to TRA’s policies will be made accordingly.

As previously stated, should families face a quarantine situation or chose to keep their students at home, teachers will be prepared to provide instruction to both on campus and at home students. Also, an enhanced distance learning program will be available if the school is required to abide by another stay at home order.

Additional and more specific information will be provided by the building administrators in the near future. Please know we are dedicated to standing behind our mission of guiding students toward their full potential and we appreciate your patience as we navigate these new protocols.

Bobby Baker, Head of Schools

and

TRA Board of Directors

June 11, 2020

Dear TRA Family,

As mentioned in a previous email, TRA has developed a Re-Opening Task Force to help guide the school through the process of starting school in August. This message is to share with you some of the things the committee has discussed and how the school plans to move forward.

TRA will begin the 2020-21 school year on Friday, August 7th (with staggered first days the next week for preschool classes) as outlined on the school calendar. We understand the need for working parents to have their children on campus. We are planning for a full academic school year and making decisions and preparations to remain open and provide a safe, in-person learning environment for our students.

Should families face a quarantine situation or choose to keep their students at home, teachers will be prepared to provide instruction to both on campus and at home students. Also, distance learning will be available if the school is required to abide by another stay at home order.

Administrators have been working closely with ABM on an enhanced cleaning program. They are developing a back to school plan that will include extra attention to high touch areas, as well as the playground, weight rooms, cafeteria, etc. Additionally, the school is researching touch-less hand sanitizers and faucets. Water fountains will likely be replaced with touch-less water bottle fillers (already available in the middle and high schools.)

Topics being monitored and discussed by the committee and the school include but are not limited to the following:

• Extra-curricular and co-curricular activities
• Procedures if a student, parent or school employee tests positive for or has been exposed to COVID-19
• Temperature checks
• Drop off & pick-up procedures
• Use of face masks
• Class sizes
• Playground procedures
• TRA Cafe & lunch schedules
• Limiting movement between classes
• Campus visitors
• Enhanced distance learning curriculum

Additional information will be provided as the committee and the school make decisions on back to school protocols. In the meantime, I hope this information will reassure your family that we look forward to seeing our students back on campus in August and we are working to continue providing the safe, nurturing environment you’ve come to know and love.

Bobby Baker, Head of Schools

and

TRA Board of Directors

May 27, 2020

Dear TRA Stakeholders,

As we look ahead to the upcoming school year, there are many unanswered questions by parents, students and staff members. We want to assure each of you that the administration and Board of Directors are committed to keeping the health and safety of our TRA family a top priority. Our plan is to welcome students back to campus in August with the best protocols in place.

TRA has a task force of parents and administration, working to seek out best practices for a variety of scenarios. One of the first steps, is to get your opinion on what next fall might look like for your family. Soon, you will receive a survey to provide feedback regarding school reopening. Please take a few moments to complete the survey, as this will help guide our next steps. 

The situation with Covid is fluid and recommendations and guidelines from the various federal, state and local agencies can change any time. We appreciate your patience as we make every effort to provide the highest quality education possible, while putting health and safety of our students, faculty and staff first. 

Bobby Baker, Head of Schools

and

TRA Board of Directors

When the decision to temporarily close school, in the interest of public safety because of the rapidly spreading COVID-19, it was the final day of Tipton-Rosemark Academy's spring break.  Just three days later, our staff met to discuss plans for transitioning to remote learning.  How was our entire school, PK2-12th grade, ready to launch remote learning in all grades just one week later?  The answer is simple.  It is because TRA is a 1:1 Macbook/iPad school, and our faculty regularly uses technology platforms and resources in their classrooms.  Our upper school has used Google Classroom as a management platform for two years, and our students are already comfortable with that medium.  Our elementary students already use Spelling City, IXL, and Brain Pop regularly.  Despite the grade level, our kids are comfortable with the resources being used for remote learning during this unprecedented time.  Academic growth is one of the most important responsibilities in education, but we also recognize that social interaction is also important for social development.  Through Zoom and Google Meet, our teachers have been able to maintain face-to-face interaction with their classes during this time.

Dear Stakeholders,

In response to Governor Bill Lee’s address today, Tipton-Rosemark Academy will remain closed throughout the remainder of this school year. Our teachers will continue to teach our students with the same care and devotion they have since we began this new journey. We have grown in a few short weeks and continue to refine our procedures. We are committed to providing the best education we can under these circumstances. Our business and administrative staff continues to work remotely and are available to answer questions, and provide or receive any school-related documents.
Our heart goes out to parents, students, athletes, artists and especially our seniors, who will not get to experience the normal activities that come with the spring term. We still plan to have prom, graduation and other events when it becomes safe to hold those events. We will post schedules for alternative dates when they become available.
Thank you for your support and prayers. TRA is blessed to have the best parents and students anywhere.

Bless You,

Bobby Baker

March 24, 2020

Dear TRA Families & Students,

We hope that you are managing your time and learning as well as can be expected.  These are certainly unprecedented times and we recognize that the unknown in and of itself can be stressful.  We just want to share with you some things that we do know, and what we have been working on.

ACT Aspire testing is postponed, for now, and new testing dates will be evaluated in a couple of weeks.  It is difficult to forecast very far into the future at this time, so we will make determinations based on smaller checkpoints along the way.

With so much still unknown, with respect to how long distancing measures will be necessary, it is difficult to know how to plan for important events such as prom and graduation.  For that reason, TRA’s Prom is not being canceled at this time.  Ms. Kuykendall has communicated with the venue, and they have agreed to allow us to reschedule our date, as we are able to make that decision.  We would like to follow the same plan for graduation, if necessary.  TRA’s graduation date is not as soon as prom, so we have a little more time to see how things develop over the next couple of weeks.  However, if the situation calls for continued social distancing, nearer to the date of graduation, we will be working with First Baptist Millington to secure a later alternative date.  Additionally, TRA will follow the same plan regarding Kindergarten Graduation.  These events are such important milestones in the lives of our students, we sincerely desire, to still be able to hold those events.

We feel it is important for the health and safety of our students, and their families, to comply with the recommendations of our leaders.  Therefore, we will be extending the closure of our campus through April 24, 2020.  According to the state government Website, the Governor will give guidance to schools across the state, as to whether that date remains acceptable to reopen school campuses.

As educators, naturally we believe that the continuity of learning is vital to academic growth and development.  Our faculty and staff, have been working tirelessly to ensure our families are being provided with the best academic instruction possible, during this time.  Please know that we are still here to serve you, and to help you with anything you need during this time of uncertainty.

Serving Him,

TRA Administration

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS IN LEARNING REMOTELY

• If you can, set up a dedicated work/study area.
• Schedule regular times to complete your schoolwork.
• Check your email and the communication channel your teachers set up with you at least once a day.
• Have a question? Ask, don’t guess! Contact your teacher using the communication channel they established.
• Use a calendar to keep track of deadlines. Stay on schedule.
• Stay engaged with your classmates in an online environment. 
• Remember, you are not alone!

Tipton Rosemark Academy's Essential Agreements for Online Learning

Platforms for Daily Use:

• Elementary grades 2K-5 will use various forms of online platforms for their daily learning engagements and parent interactions. 

• Grades 6-12 will use Google Classroom and/or Google Hangouts for their daily learning engagements and enable the parent and/or guardian access to Google Classroom.

• All teachers will use various online platforms such as Google Classroom, Google Hangouts, YouTube, IXL, Quizlet, Reminders, Zoom and/or provide one daily video or conference opportunity for up to 20 minutes. Specific information will be coming from classroom teachers and/or the division director. 

• Email, GroupMe, and Google Chat groups may be used for communications between staff.

• Email, GroupMe or other platforms will be used to communicate formally with parents.

• For Lower School students/families, teacher web pages will be considered home base for information regarding instruction. For Upper School students/families, Google Classroom and student issued rebelmail accounts will be considered home base for information regarding instruction. Upper School students should access Google Classroom and e-mail daily.

• Ideally, these platforms should already be familiar to our students. However, there may be new platforms used. We will be patient with each other as we navigate new or unfamiliar territory. Students will continue to use these platforms for all daily lessons. 

Expectations for Teaching and Learning:

• Teachers will supply daily lessons for students. Each lesson may be expected to take up to 15 minutes for students in K-1, up to 30 minutes for students in 2-3, and up to 45 minutes for students in 4-5. Students in 6-8 may begin on research projects that are broken down by steps to simplify the process for students. Students in 9-12 may engage in more detailed research, as long as an initial template and rubric is given. Quality is more important than quantity.

• Specialists, librarians, counselors, and other teachers will work out a schedule for each grade level. They may offer no more than one lesson each day from one teacher from this team, e.g., if wellness/physical education is on Monday, music is on Tuesday, library is on Wednesday, etc. 

• Grade level teachers of the same subject will offer consistency within reason. Teams may lesson share to assist in workload.

• Teachers will create information and lessons daily to the main learning platform. Include any other teachers’ lessons on this checklist.

• Lessons should capitalize on the home environment. Reduce screen time and include physical activity as much as possible.

• Teams will determine a consistent method for collaboration and include administrative teams in a diligent effort to collaborate often to ensure a smooth roll out.

• Teachers will track student progress to ensure participation and check-in with students if students are struggling or non-participatory. Grace and understanding should always govern decisions.

• Feedback to students will be given on every assignment, even if it is just a thumbs up. Voice and video feedback is extremely valuable to your students when possible.

• At least once a week, teachers will communicate a general update to our parents.

• Teachers in K-5 will include one video that students can look forward to daily. This may be a “Good Morning!” video or an instructional video. Video is encouraged as much as possible. Please do not make video lectures that exceed the length of a mini-lesson.

• Monitor the morale of your class and the workload of the students carefully. You have the latitude to make good decisions for the well being of your students.

• General education teachers will create a weekly schedule that will be shared with families and students. Each session should not be more than 20 minutes.

• Only one session a day, unless special circumstances occur. Send your weekly schedule home in your weekly communication, and publish your schedule with your online link on your platform for grades 3-12. 

• Please report student concerns via Google Classroom and/or Power School. If needed, discuss these concerns with administrators or the counselor. Remember to lead with understanding and an open mind

• Please maintain a healthy work/life balance. Keep lines of communication open between all departments and consult your administrator if you are having any difficulty in this new frontier of learning. We are here to support you!

Expectations For TRA’s Academic Honor Code

• According to TRA’s Honor Code Policy, signed by students and parents each year, our expectation is for students to be individuals of personal integrity in all activities of their lives. 

• Any videos or recorded materials are for instructional use by our TRA families. Videos or recordings should not be shared with others or on social media.  

Partnership Agreement Between TRA, Parents, and Students

• In an effort to maintain quality instruction during these extreme times, the parties above agree to commit to work together to ensure the success of each student. We agree to keep the lines of communication open and strive to work together diligently on a daily basis. 

• Thank you for your tremendous support of your children, our faculty, and our stakeholders. Continue to pray for discernment and guidance. 

Dear TRA Parents,
In response to the rapidly evolving situation with the COVID-19 virus, TRA will be closed until Monday, March 30. This will include all extracurricular activities, including athletic events and practices. 

No student should be on campus during this two week period, which begins Monday, March 16.

Students and parents will receive additional details by email regarding how TRA will transition to online distance learning in the coming days. 

Distance learning will begin Monday, March 23. If you have items at the school that you will need for learning, please contact the business office at 829-6500 on Monday, March 16 between the hours of 9:00 am and noon. You will be given instructions on how to pick up your materials.

As always, the health and safety of our families, faculty and staff are of utmost importance to us. Thank you for your support, patience and understanding as we navigate this unprecedented health situation. 

Please consult the CDC website and your local health department for advice on how to keep your family safe from this outbreak.

Please continue to pray for all of our students and their families. Please keep an eye on communications via email and our school’s social media as we are committed to keeping our families informed of any changes or new developments.