Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Grades Will Look Different - No 4th Quarter Grade Will Be Posted

I want to remind parents and students that grades will look very different for this semester. Transcripts and report cards will not show a 4th quarter letter grade.  However, full credit for the fourth quarter will be awarded based on successful completion of assignments during remote learning.

The third quarter grades were completed, so we have those posted and they will be used for calculations for GPA for the semester.  No student's semester GPA will be lowered from what was posted at the end of the third quarter. 

Again, there will be no grade (Letter grade or percentage) posted for the fourth quarter. Assignments were checked for mastery, but not calculated as an assessment. In fact, every fourth quarter assignment was worth one point and students either completed the assignment with mastery to be awarded the one point, or did not complete and show a zero for the assignment.  Therefore, the fourth quarter percentage shown on the Campus Portal is a progress report of what percent of the assignments are completed ...but not an assessed grade and will not be averaged with the third quarter.

Completion of assignments will determine whether the student gets credit for the fourth quarter.  The teacher will then evaluate whether the semester letter grade remains the same as the 3rd quarter, or whether successful/exceptional completion was worth raising the letter grade for the semester report.

I realize this is different and might need further clarification. I'll share some examples but don't hesitate to call the high school office to ask about your student's grade reports.
~Mr. Mack

Examples:
Student A: 3rd Qtr = B, 4th Qtr = completion ... Full semester credit will be awarded with a 'B'.  The teacher will determine whether a 'bump' is awarded to an 'A' for the semester transcript.

Student B: 3rd Qtr = F, 4th Qtr = completion ...Full semester credit will be awarded and bumped up to a 'D'.  This is a huge advantage for successfully completing during these unusual circumstances.

Student C: 3rd Qtr = C, 4th Qtr = no completion ...Only half credit awarded with a 'C'. This student may have to reschedule the class to attain the other half credit for a graduation required class.


Monday, May 11, 2020

Youth Sports Reopening Guidelines (5/11/20)


PPHDPHAB-Signature2

 Youth Sports Reopening Guidelines 5/11/2020 

The below guidelines lay out the planned reopening of certain youth sports. Additional guidelines for other sports will be provided as it is determined participation in those sports meet health and safety measures. Violation of these rules may mean a team is prohibited from practicing or playing games for the entire summer.

The below guidelines apply only to team sports. Individual sports such as golf and tennis (including doubles tennis) are not prohibited under any Directed Health Measure, however, participants must practice social distancing.

Month of May
• No Organized Team Sports games for youth and adults.
• No Team Organized Sports practices for youth and adults. This prohibition includes any practice, training or group exercise program organized by a coach of a sports team.
• Businesses and organizations that provide sports training AND that sell memberships to provide such training are allowed to offer sports training as long as they follow the same guidelines as fitness centers/clubs, gymnasiums, health clubs, and health spas. No team organized training is allowed.

June 1
• Schools are permitted to open weight rooms for use by all student athletes as long as they
follow the same guidelines as fitness centers/clubs, gymnasiums, health clubs, and health spas.
• Team Organized practices for baseball and softball may begin unless circumstances dictate a change in date.
• Dugout use will not be allowed. Players’ items should be lined up against the fence at least six (6) feet apart.
• Parents must remain in their cars or drop off and pick players up afterwards.
• Players should use their own gloves, helmets, and bats as much as possible.
• Coaches are responsible for ensuring social distancing is maintained between players as much as possible. This means additional spacing between players while playing catch, changing drills so that players remain spaced out, no congregating of players while waiting to bat.
• Players must bring their own water/beverage to consume during and after practice. No shared drinking fountains or coolers.
• Players must bring their own snacks to consume during and after practice. No shared/communal snacks.
• Coaches must sanitize shared equipment before and after each practice
• Team organized practices for other sports may remain suspended

June 18
• Baseball and softball games may begin unless circumstances dictate a change in date
• Same guidelines apply as above for baseball and softball practices
• Use of dugouts is permitted during games only. Bleachers located between the dugout and home plate should also be used to spread out players. Players should have designated spots to place their personal items. Coaches must designate an adult who is responsible for ensuring players are seated on the benches unless they are actively participating in the game.
• Players should use their own gloves, helmets, and bats as much as possible.
• Fan attendance is limited to household members of the players on the team. No use of bleachers for fans. Fans must bring their own chairs or stand. Fans should keep six (6) feet of social distancing between different household units. No fan seating or standing is allowed in the area from behind home plate to six (6) feet past the far end of each dugout.
• Teams to play next must be provided designated areas for player warm-ups that provide for necessary social distancing.
• Post game handshakes or interaction between teams are prohibited.
• When games end, the leaving team must sanitize the dugout area. No post-game talks at the field are permitted. Fans and players must leave the playing area and return to their cars immediately after the game.
• The team to play next must remain in their designated warm up area until the prior team has finished sanitizing and is completely out of the dugout.
• Fans for upcoming games must remain in their cars during player warm ups. They will be permitted to come to the field once the team they are there to watch enters the dugout area.
• Restrooms must be cleaned and sanitized regularly while players and fans are present. Markings should be placed on the ground to ensure individuals waiting to use the restroom are spaced six (6) feet apart.
• Players must bring their own water/beverage to consume during and after practices and games. No shared drinking fountains or coolers.
• Players must bring their own snacks to consume during and after practice/games. No shared/communal snacks.
• Coaches must sanitize shared equipment before and after each practice and game.
• Concessions stands are not allowed to be open.
• Team organized practices and games for other sports may remain suspended.

Driver's Education Cancelled in Chadron


Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the in-person driver’s education class that was scheduled to be held at Chadron High School, May 26-29 has been canceled. I will be notifying the students who are registered about the cancellation. The Safety Center is excited to offer students our online driver’s education program in light of the cancellation. Students can register and take the classroom portion without a DMV-issued permit but will need to have a permit before they can sign-up for on-street driving appointments. On-street driving appointments will be scheduled once COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted. Students will have 6 months to complete the online portion and then 6 months to complete the on-street driving. The cost remains at $330 for this option. Students can register at unk.edu/dred for the online class. If registered students would like to switch to the online class, they can email me at keithdc@unk.edu and I will send them the information.

Would you please put the updated information regarding the cancellation and new online class on your website or newsletter? Thank you! I look forward to working with you next summer when things are hopefully back to normal!

DeAnn Keith, Traffic Specialist
Nebraska Safety Center
308-865-8562

Friday, May 8, 2020

Senior Celebration Video

The link for the Senior Celebration Video will be live on the district website www.chadronschools.org at 1:00MST Saturday, May 9, 2020.


Thursday, May 7, 2020

Cardinal Counseling - 5 Bullet Friday for May 8th

WELCOME TO 5 BULLET FRIDAY!

The Chadron High School Cardinal Counseling Department is excited to share our 5 Bullet Friday Newsletter for the 2019-20 school year!  Each week we will be providing readers with five facts, tips or tricks to help make the school year a success academically, emotionally, and socially! 

If you do not wish to receive this email feel free to UNSUBSCRIBE using the button located at the bottom of this email.

1. Last Chance to Win Prizes for This Week!

Like, Subscribe and SHARE for Sweet Prizes.

New Video and Podcast Next Week:  6 Hard Talks to Have With Parents Before Leaving for College!

One of our ABSOLUTE FAVORITE things we do at CHS are senior transition days on 1:30 out Fridays.  With COVID quarantine we are REALLY REALLY missing our college ready talks and decided we needed to keep getting information out to students!  Check out Mr. Uhing’s brainchild:  Caterpillars to Unicorns on YouTube.  EVEN BETTER:  If you LIKE, SHARE,and SUBSCRIBE you can win really cool/weird prizes all while learning how to transition to college gracefully.

These videos are not just for seniors, but for any student or family wanting more information on how to best prepare for life after high school!

If you are not really into the YouTube and unicorn vibe don’t worry, we got you!  No Unicorn visuals here, however all the information in expanded form (15 minutes or less) can be found on the podcast!  9-12th grade students and families would all benefit from the information.  In fact, it might spark some really good discussion in the household during this time of togetherness.  Check these SHORT tips!

Now available on Spotify and Anchor!

https://open.spotify.com/show/4NhPBG5eGsDUgcWAKq97BU?si=gkhEbfRXSh-EeDI4yP-r3g

2. CONGRATULATIONS SENIORS!

SENIORS we are SO VERY proud of you!  All you have done, all you will do, and the amazing people you have become along the way!  We honor you this week in some very special ways!  If you haven't yet, hop on over to the Chadron High School Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages and check out our senior spotlights where we are honoring each graduate individually! 
Facebook Link
Instagram Link

3. Honors Night Video Availble on YouTube, CPS Website and Facebook!

May 4th is normally our night to honor all seniors!  During this honors program we invite community members to our auditorium to award local scholarship recipients, athletic awards, honor cords, and valedictorian and salutatorian.  Due to quarantine we will be honoring students virtually this year!  Be on the lookout on the Chadron High School Facebook and YouTube channels for the 2020 Honors Night Virtual Award Ceremony that will post at 6 p.m.!  We know this does not measure up to our regularly scheduled program, however, we hope it is an enjoyable way to still be able to honor students.  These are only a small number of the scholarships that have been/will continue to be awarded throughout the course of the summer and into next Fall.  We are proud of ALL our 2020 graduates!

4.  Schedule Change PAUSE

Do to the unknown and changing guidance from the CDC and Nebraska Department of Education, we are going to take a quick PAUSE on schedule changes for the moment! 

We will resume altering and editing schedules as soon as we know more about the Fall and what the Department of Education will allow!  I am hopeful classes will resume as normal and in the summer we can once again start to alter schedules and make changes as needed/desired.  If regulations change again, Mrs. Watson will have A LOT OF WORK to do on making alterations to the master schedule (shared in last week's email).  At this moment in time however let us finish up our current classes and slip into summer with happiness and hope in our hearts! 

Exceptions to this:
Enrollment in online college classes (Let's get this done!)
Changes due to missing requirement for graduation i.e. Government/English
New and Transfer Student Enrollment

We can make changes to elective courses as soon as we know more!  Examples include:  Woods, Foods, Fine Arts, PE ect.  

5.  SUMMER ACT?!

Today is the deadline to register for the June ACT but the big question is WILL WE HAVE IT?!  Short answer:  I have no idea.

After many phone calls I'm hearing that Chadron State College has requested to host both June and July ACT's at Burkheiser buildings as normal.  No word wether or not they have decided it is a GO.  I will assume that you get refunded your money if the ACT cannot be held.  Check out www.act.org to register and for more information. 

The summer ACT tests are NOT FREE and you must register yourself for these exams.  If you are going to be a senior read below for updates on our free state ACT test:

"There has not been an official decision made from NDE on the rescheduling of the ACT.  It does look most likely that it will come in the form of a statewide test in the fall on a school day.  Still, not finalized.

In regards to the national test, ACT is contacting every test site to see if they will be open for testing. Once they have this data, they will make a decision about the June test date. I would guess, the July test will be a go."

- Iris Owens Nebraska Department of Education


 
Readers, THANK YOU AGAIN for joining us! Whether you are from CHS or another school, If you find it worthwhile please continue to SHARE. THE. LOVE (and the link).

Follow Chadron High School on social media below!
https://www.facebook.com/ChadronHighSchool/
https://twitter.com/chadronhs?lang=en
https://www.instagram.com/chadronhs/
Website

Remote Learning Surveys

These have also been sent to student and parent emails that we have on file. I'd appreciate your willingness to provide us with feedback as part of our accreditation process. Thank you for your time.

These surveys are for high school parents and students only:


Parent Survey (3rd-12th Grade) - Chadron Remote Learning

Student Survey (High School) - Chadron Remote Learning
  • This survey asks students about their feelings and experiences while learning remotely due to COVID-19.

Chadron FBLA State Awards and National Qualifiers

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference (SLC) is a great
opportunity for high school students to participate in a competitive events program among some
of the best students in the state. SLC also includes state officer elections and a series of
informative leadership workshops for FBLA students and advisers. Due to Covid 19, the State
Leadership Conference was cancelled but several events had already been submitted for
judging.  Those events were judged and awards were given through a YouTube presentation
on April 23, 2020.   Six members will continue on to the next level of nationals competition to
be held virtually throughout the month of June. The following are the results of this year's
competition.


FBLA NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 
QUALIFIERS - VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

Grace Sorenson, Lauren Collins, Abigail Gardner - Hospitality Management
- 1st out of 42 Teams
Jameson Margetts, Maddie Pelton, Kennady Stack - Website Design
- 2nd out of 21 teams


Award Winners

Public Speaking (23 Students)
Kennady Stack
- 7th Place out of 23 Students
Business Ethics (21 Teams)
Grace Sorenson, Lauren Collins, Savanna Sayaloune
- 8th Place

All State Quality Member
Lauren Collins
Kennady Stack
Savanna Sayaloune
Jameson Margetts
Michael Sorenson
Who’s Who in Nebraska FBLA 
Lauren Collins


Sweepstakes Award
Entire Chapter Award
Gold Seal Chapter Award
Entire Chapter Award






Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Severe Weather Awareness Week

                                         

CITY OF CHADRON POLICE DEPARTMENT  
125 Main St., Chadron, NE 69337
                                                            

Press Release

May 5, 2020

Contact Person: Gale Kittell, 911 Supervisor, 308-432-0510

The week of March 23-27, was designated as Severe Weather Awareness Week in Nebraska, but no organized activities went forward due to the Covid-19 situation. Now the severe weather season is apon us in full swing. Tornados have been reported in almost every month of the year in Nebraska, but the months of May and June have far and away the biggest majority of these events. Last year, of the 35 tornados that occurred in Nebraska, 24 of these occurred in the month of May.  Statistically, June is the top month for Tornados, averaging just over 18 tornados for the month. Last year Dawes County Dispatch activated tornado warning sirens twice, both times for the town of Crawford. One confirmed tornado was spotted NW of Harrison July 18th, and also laid a swath of hail across both Sioux and Dawes counties.It is very important that everyone develop a plan and know what to do in the event of a tornado warning before it actually happens!  

The Dawes County Emergency Dispatch will be conducting a Tornado drill Wednesday May 13th. The drill will begin with a Tornado Watch we will simulate in our Dispatch Center.  A Tornado Warning will then be simulated at 9:30 AM and the Chadron 911 Center will activate warning sirens in the communities of Chadron, Crawford and Harrison. The sirens will sound a three (3) minute steady tone. A code Red Test Warning will also be sent to area telephones. 

Businesses and residents are encouraged to participate in the drill. Businesses are encouraged to mark an interior room or basement as the designated tornado shelter. Place signs in an easily visible place for patrons to shelter should there be a tornado warning. People at home are encouraged to take that brief time to go to your determined shelter location in your home. Be informed, be prepared and know what to do during severe weather.  Do not wait until severe weather actually occurs, plan ahead.  Having a plan and knowing what to do ahead of time may save your life!  

Safety reminders for severe weather:

  •    Please DO NOT CALL 911 to ask why the sirens are sounding. If you have a phone (almost everyone does) please sign up for Code Red. Chadron, Crawford and Harrison, as well as both Dawes and Sioux Counties use code Red for all public notifications. Your phone does not need to be a cell phone, land lines will work too. It is not just for Tornado Warnings but will also notify you of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings and Flood Warnings the instant they are put out by the NWS.

Code Red is a free service; to sign up, go to the City of Chadron website at, http://www.chadron-nebraska.com . At the bottom of the home page is a quick-link that will take you to the Code Red website. Complete the registration there and register all your phone numbers, up to 4 per account. You can also register your email address and have text messages sent too. Hearing impaired people can register to get messages on a TTY device. In the event you do not have web access, contact the Chadron 911 Center during business hours and a person can assist you with signing up. 

Smartphone users can download any of numerous free weather apps for both Android and iPhone to give you every type of weather notification available, and it will use your current location to warn you of hazardous weather wherever you are.

  •   Another way of receiving severe weather alerts is to have a NOAA All Hazards radio on hand.  These radios sound an alert when a warning is issued for the area. There is a full time narrative of the current weather and warnings, as well as discussion of the forecast. These are useful for the latest weather, rain or shine. 

  •    Know the sound of the siren that is used to warn the public of a tornado warning. Remember warning sirens are designed to notify people of an emergency call, of severe weather, or a disaster. Here is a description of the emergency warning signals:

      • 15-45 second two-tone or “hi-lo” is a Rescue Call
      • 15-45 second rising and falling sound is a Fire Call
      • 3 minute continuous steady sound is a Tornado
      • 3 minute rising and falling sound is a Disaster
The sirens may not always be heard by people who are inside a home or other building. Instead, rely on Code Red, local radio stations and an NOAA All Hazards radio.  

  •    During a Tornado Warning seek shelter in a basement.  If no basement is available seek shelter in the lowest floor possible in an interior room or closet away from outside doors and windows. Do not stay in mobile homes or camper trailers.  Abandon them immediately and seek shelter in a home or building with a basement. If you are caught outside and unable to seek shelter in a basement or building find a ditch or ravine, crouch or lie down with your head facing down and cover your head with your arms.  Be aware of heavy rain and possible flooding. Be prepared and don’t wait until the last minute.  Have a plan and know what to do before severe weather strikes.  Make sure everyone in your family knows what to do.

  Visit https://www.weather.gov/media/lbf/SWAW2020.pdf for 2020 National Weather Service Severe Weather Awareness Information.