FAQ for 2020-21 Remote Learning Period ONLY
(DOES NOT APPLY FOR 2023-24 school year, UNLESS in-person learning CHANGES TO REMOTE)
Frequently Asked Questions, by Topic:
How Will Online Class Work?:
Question: ❖What online platforms will be used in US History class this semester?
Answer: We will mainly use Google Classroom & Schoology for work/assignments & Zoom for our daily class meeting/call. We will also occasionally use Nearpod, the website for the online textbook, and Flipgrid. I will provide links to all of this on our Google Classroom site.
Question: ❖Where do I go to see the agenda/work/assignments each day?
Answer: I’ll post everything in the Classwork section of our Schoology and Google Classroom.
Question: ❖Will Mr. Sullivan record his daily lesson/lecture portion of class, including videos?
Answer: Yes! Those recordings/links will also be posted on Google Classroom. If you must miss one or more classes, you can view the missed lessons here and complete missing assignments.
Question: ❖How will I be notified of new assignments? How do I submit assignments?
Answer: All new assignments will be posted on the "Classwork" section of our Schoology nd Google Classroom. To complete them, open the attached document, complete it and save it, then "Turn In" your work via Google Classroom.
Tutorials & Teacher Contact:
Question: ❖I Need Help! When is tutorial held? How do I attend tutorial?
Answer: Mr. Sullivan's Tutorial will be held EVERY THURSDAY from 2:50-4:00pm. There will be a separate Zoom tutorial link in Google Classroom for this tutorial. (If you need a tutorial with my co-teachers, either Mrs. Mitchell-Watkins (1st Period) or Mrs. Andrews (4th Period), please contact them directly.)
Question: ❖How do I contact my teacher?
Answer: E-mail is the best contact method, as teacher email is checked multiple times per day. All teachers' email addresses are on the class syllabus. Mr. Sullivan's email is: [email protected]. (You can also send Mr. Sullivan a private message through Google Classroom, although those messages are unreliable - - they sometimes get delayed by 3 days or so. Via email, I can also arrange a call with your parent/guardian and you, if necessary.) Mrs. Mitchell-Watkins' email is: [email protected] ; Mrs. Andrews' email is: [email protected] .
Question: ❖How does my parent/guardian arrange a Parent-Teacher Conference?
Answer: Your parent/guardian should contact your Grady High counselor, as they arrange all Parent-Teacher Conferences. The Grady High School Counseling Office (& Counselors List) is linked here.
Question: ❖Is other Tutoring help available via APS?
Answer: Yes! APS has partnered with Chik-Fil-A and PBS/GPB to offer TUTOR ATL, a free K-12 tutoring program for all APS students. Tutoring is available Seven-Days-a-Week, from 9am-11pm, in a variety of subjects. More information is available via the TUTOR ATL website, linked here.
Attendance on Zoom & Camera Policy:
Question: ❖Do I need to come to your Zoom class every day?
Answer: YES, you need to attend EACH Zoom class EVERY day to be marked "Present" for that day, just like you need to physically attend each class every day during in-person learning. We will mark your attendance this year based on whether you are "Present" for class, not just whether you complete the assignment(s).
Question: ❖Do I have to stay in the Zoom meeting/call for the entire time?
Answer: You'll need to stay the entire class time to be counted “Present.” If there are days that the lesson and teacher-directed work is completed before the 75-minute class time ends, we might dismiss you to work on the student-directed, independent study portion of your assignment.
Question: ❖How will attendance be taken for class each day?
Answer: At the end of each Zoom class meeting, I will check the attendance log. If you were present for the ENTIRE ZOOM CALL, then you will be marked “Present.” If you attended AT LEAST HALF of the Zoom call (35 minutes or more), but did not attend the entire call, you will be marked “Tardy.” If you attended LESS THAN HALF the Zoom call (less than 35 minutes), you will be marked “absent.” This is a newly-established APS district policy for the Remote Learning Period. (NOTE: Zoom logs each student's attendance time during each call - - it is this Zoom log that I will rely on to record attendance.)
Question: ❖Do I have to have my camera on during our Zoom class meetings/calls?
Answer: YES, please - - our class norm will be to have your camera on. And the camera should show your beautiful, smiling face, just like I would be able to see that beautiful, smiling face in in-person class each day. That's how I know you are paying attention! (And, yes, you can use an appropriate virtual background via Zoom.) There are too many distractions in both online learning and in-person learning, so let's make sure we pay attention to each other during class. If you have an issue/conflict, then make sure you contact me so we can discuss.
Late or Missing Assignments:
Question: ❖Can teachers mark my assignments late/missing?
Answer: Yes - - that is Grady school policy. PLEASE turn in your
assignments ON TIME.
Question: ❖What time are assignments due each day to be considered "On Time"?
Answer: Normally, you will have time to complete and "Turn In" your
assignments each day DURING class - - if you will do the work! If you aren't able to
get your work done during class, then you will usually have until that evening to
"Turn In" your assignment. I DO NOT like to give homework, and will
usually only do so if we run out of time during class. I understand that you
have many demands on your time (schoolwork; jobs; extracurricular activities).
Question: ❖Is there a late work penalty (20% off)?
Answer: Yes; According to Grady school policy, work that is submitted/turned in
LATE can only earn a maximum grade of 80%.
Question: ❖What are the hard deadlines for late or missing assignments?
Answer: Unlike previous years, there are now 4 deadlines per semester.
The first deadline is September 21st for any assignments given from August 24th to September 18th. The second deadline is October 14th for any assignments given from September 21st to October 9th. The third deadline is November 16th for any assignments given from October 14th to November 13th. The final deadline is January 5th for any assignments given from November 16th to December 18th.
Exams & GA Milestones Exam:
Question: ❖How will we take Exams this year?
Answer: Good Question! Exams are tricky in an Online Learning atmosphere for at least
TWO reasons: (1) It's more difficult to make an assessment that tests
mastery of the state standards; and (2) It's much easier to cheat. We WILL have
One EXAM per Unit (so, TEN (10) Exams for the TEN U.S. History Units this semester).
That means, given the 5-classes-a-week 4x4 Schedule this year, that we will be
having our Unit Exams about ONCE Every TWO WEEKS. Fast and Furious!
Question: ❖U.S. History is a Georgia Milestones Class. Will there be a
Georgia Milestones EXAM in January at the end of this class?
Answer: Even BETTER Question!! At this time, we are still waiting for
the State Department of Education to decide whether, given the COVID-19
online learning situation, they will require Milestones testing
during the 2020-21 academic year. We will move forward as if the Milestones
Exam will be given, unless we hear otherwise.
Question: ❖Will there be midterms and final exams this semester?
Answer: Good news and Bad News here. Bad News: We WILL
have exams at BOTH Mid-term (mid-Oct.), around the 8th week of school,
and during Finals (mid-January). Fall Semester will not finish until mid-January this school year.
Good News: Given the TEN (10) Units we must cover in US History by January, these exams
will only cover one Unit, not the WHOLE Subject. So your Midterm and Final Exams will
count the same as any other US History Exam this semester.
Question: ❖What is the Exam Re-take Policy in APS this year?
Answer: Any student can re-take an Exam (not classwork, homework or quiz)
if they have scored a 69% or below. They can try a re-take a maximum of one time.
Re-takes will not consist of the same exam questions, but will cover the same standards.
The re-take score will replace the original score regardless of whether it is higher or lower.
The dates and times of Exam re-takes will be based on the teacher’s discretion.
Technical Difficulties (Wi-Fi or Other Problems):
Question: ❖What should I do if I am having technical difficulties and miss class?
Answer: Contact me via E-MAIL me as soon as you can explaining the difficulty!
COPY YOUR PARENT/GUARDIAN ON THE E-MAIL AS WELL! Also check the daily agenda on Google Classroom, and be sure to complete the assignments posted there. I will be recording classes, and I will put the links to each recorded class in a Unit folder on our Google Classroom.
Question: ❖Who do I contact if I do not have a device or cannot connect to the internet?
Answer: E-mail Mr. Montero in the Media Center (email: [email protected]) or Mr. Barnes (at [email protected]). You can also call the school at 404-802-3001 or contact the APS IT Help Desk at 404-802-1000.
Question: ❖Are there sites that can help me (and/or my parent/guardian) get digital training and digital resources for this school year in APS?
Answer: Yes! Here are two digital resource links from Grady High and APS:
(Here is the link to the Grady High School Student Digital Technology Help Page)
(Here is the link to the Grady High School Parent Educational Technology Quick Guide Help Page) You can also contact the APS IT Help Desk at 404-802-1000.
Social-Emotional FAQs:
Question: ❖What should I do if I am feeling sad, disconnected from people, or anxious?
Answer: PLEASE, do not hesitate to contact your assigned school counselor to receive assistance!
All reports are CONFIDENTIAL and they will assist you! There is NOTHING WRONG and NOTHING WEAK about ANYONE feeling this way. These are HARD TIMES, and NONE of us have ever lived
through a Global Pandemic with Distance Learning before. PLEASE Reach Out for Help to People you Trust.
Question: ❖What should I do if I need to report SOMEONE ELSE who seems sad, disconnected or anxious? I'm worried about them.
Answer: PLEASE, Contact someone at the school immediately (404-802-3001) - - a trusted counselor, teacher, assistant principal or staff member. All reports are confidential. We are not just here to teach you during this difficult time, but to SUPPORT you and other students in ALL ways (and at ALL times).
Other Mental Health/Crisis Resources available to you or others:
For Mental Health Crisis you may call the Georgia Crisis & Access Line at 1-800-715-4225.
Resources: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
https://namiga.org/georgia-crisis-and-access-line/
https://www.crisistextline.org
See Something Say Something Anonymous Line: 1-844-5-SAYNOW