TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020
SCA Parents,
The SCA administrative team met Monday to finalize plans for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Many things were discussed and decided during the meeting and I wanted to give you an update in a timely fashion. It was the unanimous consensus of the group that we ALL would like to be in school finishing strong, but it just does not seem like that is going to happen. As we met, we anticipated the Governor’s announcement last evening to extend the state of emergency for another 15 days. The fact is that not much has changed with regards to approved social gatherings. With all of this in mind some tough and necessary decisions were made and we hope you can see all of them are for the good of our students and the school. Thank you for your commitment to Spartanburg Christian Academy because we are certainly committed to all of you. We will get through this together with the help of God who promises to never leave us or forsake us. Please read this entire email as it has important information for our entire school family.
Second Semester Grading/Progress Reports…Fortunately we were able to finish the 3rd nine weeks on March 6th and report cards were issued March 10th. We were no longer allowed in the building on March 16th and that is when E-Learning began with the opening of Portal 1 on March 18th. All E-Learning assignments and assessments are graded and recorded for 4th quarter. Second semester grades will come from an average of the 3rd nine weeks grade and the 4th nine weeks grade. Middle School and High School students WILL NOT have final exams. Our teachers are making sure all grades are in Powerschool this week so you can receive a progress report for the work that has been completed so far. Progress reports will indicate missed work and late work with appropriate grades. Teachers are working with students by showing great grace in the time it takes to complete work, however it is important to mention all assignments and assessments must be completed. Any work that you have from Portal 1 will be turned in the last week of school. We are working on a schedule that will allow for everyone an assigned day to come to school, turn in work, clean out lockers, return books, pick up yearbooks and take personal items home with them. That schedule will be communicated in the weeks to come.
Last Day For Students…Seniors last day will be May 6th with all work completed by 3:00 PM May 8th. Last day for grades 5K-11 will be May 14th with all work completed by 3:00 PM on May 20th. To be clear, no more assignments or assessments will be assigned after the respective last days for students. We have built in a few days at the end to give more than enough time for students to complete and submit any missing work. Students in grades 5K – 11 will be able to complete any missing work from May 15th to 3:00 p.m. on May the 20th. Again, I need to stress that ALL work must be completed.
TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK…Is next week and we wanted to show you how thankful we are for all of our parents! Many of you parents have taken on the role of teacher at home to some extent. To show our appreciation for you, we are going to give you a day off. On Friday May 8th there will be no school with no assignments given! Take the day off and enjoy. We know you deserve it 😊.
AP Exams…The fellowship hall has been reserved for AP Exams. We are going to allow AP students to come to the school to take AP exams if they so choose. The College Board has made these tests available remotely and taking the tests at SCA is completely optional. We will adhere to CDC mandates and recommendations with social distancing and plenty of hand sanitizer and cleaning. Again this is optional. Your teacher will be reaching out to you to allow you to sign up to come to school to take your test. You must sign up, you cannot just show up to the school the day of. You will need to bring your own laptop to use for the exam.
SCA Prom 2020…The prom was first scheduled for Saturday, April 25th. When it became obvious that we were not going to be able to hold that date we moved the prom to Saturday, May 9th. After careful consideration and in light of the Governor’s new state of emergency which keeps in place all executive orders he has already imposed, we have no other choice than to cancel our SCA organized prom. We are very sorry to have to do this, but it is the decision that had to be made given the current restrictions placed on our state.
SCA Graduation 2020…As of right now we are moving forward with graduation on May 22nd at 7:00 PM. Unfortunately, there will be no reception for senior families before the ceremony and we will not be able to observe our usual gathering in the fellowship hall following the ceremony. We do not have all the details worked out at this point. We must consider what changes if any are made to our state restriction in the weeks to come. As we know more, we can decide on the number of guests each senior can invite, how we will enter and exit the building and how the ceremony itself will take place. We will make every effort to see our seniors graduate and walk across that stage.
5K Graduation 2020…Same goes for 5K graduation. We are moving forward with 5K graduation on May 19th at 7:00 p.m. The same restrictions will apply and we will know more in the days to come. More communication will come to you very soon from Mrs. White and the 5K teachers.
Other School Related Activities…Student Government Elections will be postponed until the beginning of next year. Field Day will be moved to the beginning of next year. The plan is to have a back to school SCA Family Fun Day. Awards days for Elementary, Middle School and High School have been cancelled, however Honor Roll certificates will be sent home with end of year report cards.
I can’t express enough how appreciative I am for the partnership that we have. Our intentions are to finish strong and head into the summer with confidence that we are prepared to begin next school year on the right note. Please know that SCA administration is praying for you and has diligently sought the Lord in decisions that need to be made for the good of all involved and keeping with the academic excellence and integrity that has made SCA the great place that it is. We will get through this together and God bless.
Serving the Sovereign,
Rob McDonald
FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2020
Dear SCA Parents,
Thank you for your commitment to working with us during this difficult time. You have been flexible, determined, creative, responsive, and understanding. We do not take you for granted. I would be remiss if I did not mention the resiliency of our student body. The way they have adjusted and tackled this trial is remarkable. These last few weeks have been a huge challenge for our teachers, administrators, and school family. I am very thankful for our staff and the way they have modified our program to ensure learning continues to take place. We are getting through this together.
I am optimistic that restrictions will continue to be lifted each week and we will all begin to see some normality to our everyday lives. However, following the Governor’s announcement Wednesday to continue distance learning through May for all public schools, we have been informed by SCISA that we are required to keep our building closed as well. We will continue E-Learning for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year. I want to again remind you that we are making sure that everything we are doing will more than meet the requirements needed for the successful completion of this school year. As long as work is completed with passing grades, course credit will be earned and grade promotion will be guaranteed.
SCA administration will be meeting again on Monday, April 27. During this meeting, we will be discussing many issues including Report Card Grades, High School Prom, Summer Athletics, Field Day, Graduation, Summer Extended Care Camp, etc. We will email parents with updates accordingly following this meeting. There is a great deal of work to do and we are definitely taking all of this very seriously and proceeding intentionally. Nothing would please me more than to be in school carrying out what we do daily: delivering challenging academics in a biblical worldview environment. Unfortunately, I am not the person that gets to make that final decision, but I am confident this too will pass! Thanks again for all that you are doing to make this work. I will keep praying for all of you!
Rob McDonald
SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2020
Dear Parents,
I pray that you have had a restful week for spring break. I wanted to let you know that the portal for E-Learning Phase 2 is now open. As a reminder, our teachers have worked hard to implement a platform that will allow them to teach remotely and give students a way to complete work and submit it virtually. Please visit the school’s website and click on the Phase 2 E-Learning portal. You can then click on the appropriate grade level plus sign for further directions. I have attached my original email about Phase 2 as a reminder for you. Assignments are for four days this week. We will not have work for Good Friday! Please reach out to your teachers via email if you have any questions. They have been reminded to be proactive in communicating with you concerning student work and completion. I am thankful that SCISA has given full authority to SCA to deliver instruction in this manner to complete any and all requirements for successful grade completion and course credit. Thank you for your cooperation.
Serving The Sovereign,
Rob McDonald
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020
Dear SCA Parents,
I would first like to say how much I appreciate your cooperation and willingness to work with our teachers during this difficult time in our community, nation and world. I also want you to know that your teachers have been working very hard to plan in such a way to ensure quality education while also providing spiritual support during our Distance Learning time. It seems like things change on a daily basis and I don’t think any of us have been this way before. With that said, I am reminded of the story of Joshua especially in Joshua chapter 3 and verses 1-4. As the Israelites set out one morning, the officers went about the people telling them to look ahead, find the Ark carried by the priests, and follow it. “Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you.” At SCA we will continue to look forward, keep our eyes on The Lord, and answer the call He has given us to work collaboratively with you to educate your children.
With that said, let me take a minute to explain Phase 2 of E-Learning. Teachers met yesterday to plan for 4 days of instruction (no assignments for Good Friday) to be completed the WEEK AFTER spring break. I think it is safe to say we all need a break! Enjoy time with your family! Our goal for Phase 2 and beyond is to have teachers teaching content through an interactive app or online software platform of their choice, students completing work on that content, submitting work through that app or software, and teachers grading and providing feedback/grades for completed work.
High School…Much of what our high school students have been doing will not change. They are a part of many Google classrooms and have been interacting with teachers on a regular basis, completing assignments, submitting those assignments and teachers have begun to post those grades to PowerSchool. Phase 2 for high school will continue in a similar manner. Any work that has been completed for Phase 1 where students have been instructed to keep it, just keep and turn it in when we return to school.
Middle School…Some teachers have students completing work for Phase 1 and have instructed students to keep that work for when we come back. Some assignments have already been submitted. As we move forward with Phase 2, all middle school teachers will be using interactive apps and software to teach and assess. Upon later instruction, you will be able to visit our school’s webpage and click on E-Learning Phase 2. As with Phase 1, click the plus sign to access appropriate grade level content. You will see an introductory letter from your child’s teacher with instructions on how to assess the interactive apps or online software platform.
Intermediate/Elementary…Any work that you have completed with Phase 1 should be kept to turn in when we return to school. As we move forward with Phase 2, all intermediate/elementary school teachers will be using interactive apps and software to teach and assess. Upon later instruction, visit our school’s webpage and click on E-Learning Phase 2. As with Phase 1, click the plus sign to access appropriate grade level content. You will see an introductory letter from your child’s teacher with instructions on how to assess the interactive apps or online software platform.
Preschool 3K and 4K classes… Upon later instruction, visit our school’s webpage and click on E-Learning Phase 2. Click the plus sign for 3K or 4K. You will see an introductory letter giving directions on how you can connect with your child’s teacher.
Please make sure you are using this week to finish up any outstanding work from Phase 1. E-Learning Phase 1, for the most part, was focused on remediation and review, whereas Phase 2 will allow us as educators to teach and assess in real-time. You have partnered with us to TEACH your children, not simply provide you with worksheets for you to make sure they have completed. We take this very seriously and are thankful that in today’s world we have the technology that will allow us to do that remotely. As we met as a school staff yesterday, we all agreed that we want to be back at school, but if we cannot be there, we feel our Phase 2 platform will allow us the next best thing. I will be back in touch with you by way of email when the Phase 2 portal is ready. There will be no assignments for the week of spring break. Please know that we love you and that we are praying for all of you during this time.
Serving The Sovereign,
Rob McDonald
TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020
Dear SCA Parents,
If there is one thing I have learned in my 25 years’ experience in education it’s this: there is no substitute for clear, concise, and timely communication. Just a little while ago, I received an email from the executive director of SCISA, our governing body, Dr. Spencer Jordan. He informed all Headmasters that ALL SCISA schools will be closed until the end of April. This decision echoed the Governor’s decision to close all public schools through April as well. SCA anticipated this decision and met as a teaching staff today to prepare for this extended closure. I will be communicating with you tomorrow giving details of our E-Learning/Distance Learning Phase 2. Thank you for all that you have done to work with our teachers to manage this challenge. I will be in touch tomorrow.
Serving The Sovereign,
Rob McDonald
MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2020
SCA Parents and Students,
I am very appreciative of our teachers and staff members who have worked so hard to get things ready for tomorrow’s start to our Distance Learning. Some of you may have already accessed our E-learning portal today in preparation for our rollout tomorrow. That is ok, but I would ask that you check back tomorrow after you receive the email notification from us that we are ready to proceed. I would also like to say THANK YOU to everyone who visited the school today to get needed materials. There was a great sense of seriousness and diligence on everyone’s part that reassures me that this time of distance learning will be one of our better moments as an SCA family!
I watched a webinar today provided by the Executive Director of SCISA (our school program overseer). In the webinar he detailed a plan to require all member schools to complete a Distance Learning summary report to be submitted 2 weeks after the return to school. He also gave examples of the types of E-learning platforms that were acceptable. I assure you that what we are doing far exceeds SCISA’s expectations. With that said, the plan that we are embarking upon will more than guarantee your child’s ability to move to the next grade level or achieve necessary secondary subject credit, given all work is completed with a level of excellence.
Thank you again for your flexibility and cooperation. Believe me, at this point I think we would ALL rather be inside the walls of SCA learning in our traditional setting. The end of this will come and we have only one chance to start this the right way. I am confident we have done all that we can to assure this. May God protect and bless your family during this time.
Serving the Sovereign,
Rob McDonald
SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020
Dear SCA Family,
Governor Henry McMaster announced at 4:00 today that all public schools in South Carolina will be closed starting March 16, 2020. SCISA has also instructed member schools to close. In keeping with the Governor’s announcement and the SCISA mandate, Spartanburg Christian Academy will begin an ELearning platform on Wednesday, March 18th that will continue through Friday March, 27th. The Governor also recommended that all daycares be closed as well. SCA Extended Care will be closed during this time which will include our 3K and 4K program. In light of recent events with the COVID-19 virus, we have anticipated this announcement, but just did not know when it was going to happen. Our faculty and staff have been working for some time now to be fully prepared for this transition. Tomorrow, teachers and administration will meet at the school to finalize everything. Tuesday, students and parents will be allowed to come to SCA to get needed materials (textbooks, notebooks, library books, etc.). Our schedule for this is listed at the end of this email message. The times listed below are not required attendance times. Wednesday, teachers will be emailing ELesson plans for students. I have asked teachers to prepare at least 5 days of assignments for now. More assignments will be sent next week. We anticipate your communication with classroom teachers on a daily basis if you have any questions as we navigate this time together. The lesson plans may be in the form of Google Classroom assignments or PDF files for students to print and complete. Please give us to the end of the business day Wednesday to send these assignments to you. We have also created a COVID-19 update link on our school’s web-page. Please check the link daily for school news related to the virus. We will also continue to utilize email and Facebook to keep you informed. We ask that everyone self-check. Please do not come to the school Tuesday if you feel sick or have sudden onset of fever, cough or shortness of breath.
ATHLETICS…
As a result of this decision to close school, ALL athletic facilities are closed and all practices are cancelled. This includes our gymnasium.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
We are going to do just that. God is in control! He is always working, even when we don’t see it or feel it. I pray daily asking God for wisdom and discernment. God has always been faithful to protect SCA and provide guidance for our school family. I am encouraged that as we work together, we will see a partnership that will allow us to meet this challenge head on. My desire is to honor our Lord, provide a quality education program and work together to set the example of how Christians move forward when faced with uncertainty. Thank you for trusting your children to us!
Schedule for Tuesday March 17
8:00-10:00 4th grade and below
10:00-12:00 5th-8th grades
1:00-3:00 High School
Serving The Sovereign,
Rob McDonald
