Community Schools To Be Online Only Until At Least October 5th; Schools Will Offer Meals For Students
Communications & Public Affairs Office
Gila River Indian Community
On July 30, 2020, Governor Stephen Roe Lewis signed the Second Amended Executive Order Number Two. This Executive Order mandates that all schools within the boundaries of the Community offer instruction for students only through virtual classes or by distance learning.
No on-site classes will be allowed before October 5, 2020, at the earliest.
The Governor’s Executive Order also directs each school on the reservation to provide meals for students and other school-aged children while practicing COVID-19 prevention measures.
Families who have yet to enroll their school-age children in classes are strongly encouraged to do so by calling the school and making an appointment (or by enrolling online for schools that offer digital sign-up). Travel to and from school to pick up learning packets or to register has been designated an essential activity and is permitted under the Governor’s Executive Orders.
Here is a breakdown of how GRIC schools are implementing the amended Executive Order Number 2:
Blackwater Community School
Blackwater Community School and the Akimel O’otham Pee Posh Charter School began virtual learning on July 22nd for its students.
Blackwater will begin serving breakfast and lunch to students on Monday, August 10th. See the graphic on page 3.
Casa Blanca Community School
Casa Blanca began virtual learning on August 3rd for students. The school is currently offering FACE Preschool and Adult Education; K-4 classes; full Exceptional Student Services (Special Education) and full Gifted and Talented Education. The curriculum includes art, music, agriculture and O’otham Language education.
Children enrolled in the FACE PreK – 4th program each receive a new iPad and headset for classes. Classes are held on the Microsoft Teams For Schools Secure Platform for Learning. The school offers teacher-provided Parent Curriculum Support; Virtual Technology support by appointment; Live Teacher Instruction; a full standards based curriculum (Wit and Wisdom, Eureka Math); Offline packets and workbooks and a full set of school supplies for each student.
Classes are scheduled Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 3 pm. Independent study and review happens Friday 8 am to 12:30 pm. Teacher Office Hours are held daily by appointment. The school also offers a full Counseling Program plus Weekly SEL Classes and small groups.
For meals, the school offers breakfast and lunch for the full week. Drive-through pickup is available during the pandemic, as is delivery for families without transportation.
Gila Crossing Community School
Gila Crossing Community School began offering virtual classes on August 3rd, 2020.
Classes begin each day at 8:00 am and conclude at 3:00 pm. Teachers are available throughout the day via email.
Each student has or will receive a Chromebook (computer) for their use at home. Households which do not have internet access will receive a mobile hotspot to access the internet when received from the vendor.
Most teachers will conduct classes from their homes using their assigned computer/laptop.
Gila Crossing has established a “help line” to troubleshoot issues with Chromebooks, answer technology questions from parents/guardians, provide Chromebook training to parents/guardians and coordinate on-line instruction.
Each student is expected to be on-line every school day. Each teacher will be able to monitor when a student logs-on and the duration of their on-line attendance. The school will strictly enforce on-line attendance.
GCCS will be delivering school supplies (paper, pencils, work assignments, books) to all its students for the student’s use during on-line classes.
GCCS will continue to deliver breakfast and lunch through the bus routes
GCCS will be on-line/virtual for the foreseeable future. The school will reevaluate its plans once the danger of the coronavirus lessens or until further instructions are received from Tribal Education or the Governor’s Office.
St. Peter’s Indian Mission
St. Peter’s Indian Mission school will begin online classes on September 8th. The school will provide breakfast and lunches for students daily.
Sacaton School Districts - (Sacaton Middle School, Sacaton Elementary School)
Online learning for Sacaton Elementary School will begin August 10, 2020. Meal service is Monday through Friday, Breakfast & Lunch with hot meals to go from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Meals can be picked up in the middle school gym.
SESD has launched the groundwork of utilizing Synergy’s portal for Online Registration. This includes Student Enrollment Verification for students that attended last school year and are returning. This online process will support families in completing and submitting their paperwork from home. Families can access grades, attendance, and other data about their child(ren) at the click of a button. The district is excited about this opportunity as it will support Excellence in Student Learning and Excellence in Community Relations – especially during online learning!
We are prioritizing safety and quality instruction, our Return to School Plan adheres to the CDC guidelines, ADE recommendations, and Executive Orders in alignment with our Strategic Plan. Students return to school on August 10, using an online format. Input gathered from stakeholders (staff, students, and families) contributed to the planning document. This plan is flexible in responding to changing health conditions. This is a living document that will continue to be updated based on current information (Health and Safety).
You can see the document at sacatonschools.org.
If you have questions about Sacaton Elementary School, call 520.562.8600 x 3001. If you have questions about Sacaton Middle School call 520.562.8600 x 2001.
SESD is supporting all registered Preschool – 8th grade learners by checking out devices to provide access to online learning opportunities! Please contact your child’s school to schedule an appointment! The student and parent/guardian must be present during the 20-minute training.
To honor safety precautions, a temperature check, completion of a brief questionnaire and masks are required during the training