Call for nominees to serve on its Board for 2020–21

Largo IB Partners is pleased to announce the call for nominees to serve on its Board for 2020–21.

Participating on the Board enables you to lend your leadership and vision to the Largo IB Program and to contribute to defining its path forward, and most importantly to support the scholars and teachers that are the heart of the program. If you are interested in serving or nominating someone, please see below for more information.

Board:

• Board members serve a one or two year term, depending on the position.
• The Board meets monthly on Tuesdays between August and June.
• Board sponsored committees include Admissions, Charitable Giving, Hospitality, Membership, Merchandise, Newsletter, Photography, Proctoring, Social Media, Teacher Pantry, as well as Special Events - Candle Lighting, Pinning, and Senior Celebration.
• Special social events to allow scholars and teachers to develop relationships, encourage breaks, and engage with other grade levels.
• Impactful admissions events to help promote and improve Largo IB's visibility and strength, maintain alumni networks and enhance the college admissions process.
• Vote on matters to support scholars and teachers.
• Board members are expected to attend Board meetings and serve on a committee.

Nomination Process:

• To apply or nominate someone, please fill out the online form: https://tinyurl.com/ibboard2021
• Nominations are due no later than Monday, April 13.
• New Board members will be announced after the May meeting.
• All 2020-2021 Largo IB parents and scholars are eligible to serve.

Should you have any questions on the roles and responsibilities of serving as a Board member, please contact Largo IB Partners via email at largoibpartners@gmail.com, thank you.

Message from Dr. Grego

March 30, 2020

Pinellas County Schools Community,

Thank you for your continued support during this time of uncertainty due to COVID-19. This afternoon, Governor DeSantis and the Department of Education extended their directive requiring all school districts in the state of Florida to close for students through May 1. While we know this extension is not ideal, the decision was made to ensure our students, families and staff remain healthy and safe.

We will continue to refine and improve our digital learning processes. Today was our first day of full implementation, and while there were some bumps, the transition was successful thanks to your cooperation and support.

We will also continue to distribute free meals throughout the closure. We are currently serving at nine school sites but will be ramping up over the next two weeks to ensure our students have access to nutritious meals. Distribution locations are available on the district’s website at https://www.pcsb.org/Page/32853.

We will continue to keep you updated on the latest information as it becomes available. Please monitor our social media channels and the district’s information page at www.pcsb.org/coronavirus. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Michael A. Grego, Ed.D.
Superintendent

IB Teachers

Teachers, we want to thank you for all of your hard work in preparing for online classes so our scholars can continue their IB education while safely social distancing. We could not do this without you, our front line heroes. Our families are very lucky to have this group of amazing teachers, administrators, and staff to support our scholar's education during this challenging time.

   

IB Scholars, online classes begin Monday

Scholars, we just wanted to send out a reminder that Monday begins our online classes. Remember, the IB Partners are here to help you if you need it.

The directions to access Microsoft Teams can be found on your Focus home page.

You should be logging into TEAMS through Clever to access digital learning. If you need any assistance, please follow these steps for Logging in:

You will log into Clever:
https://clever.com/oauth/authorize…

You will use your R2.D2 number and password.

Once in CLEVER - you will scroll to the icon called TEAMS - this is where assignments will be given from your teachers.

Respond to every teacher’s attendance or welcome assignment.

If you have any questions, please access the PCS Tech Line at (727)-588-6060.

The instructions for scholars using Microsoft Teams can be found at the link below.

Parents, the link to the Parent Guide to Microsoft Teams is also below. I hope you find this helpful and supportive as we make this transition to digital learning.

Digital Learning Login Instructions for Scholars:

https://www.pcsb.org/Page/32734

Instructions for Microsoft TEAMS

https://www.pcsb.org/cms/lib/FL01903687/Centricity/Domain/159/Teams%20Student%20Instructions.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2sf8gB3EmWWFpvCz2-J8HWvsb1IBRIFkpQxGM2X9inreE6BzT9G2brTLs

Guidance for parents and guardians:
Distance Learning Support

If you are a family still needing computer technology, a device, or internet, please contact the school at 727-588-3758, and go to extension 2005, asking for Mrs. Jordan. She will need your student name, student contact phone number, and request (device or internet) and direct you to a regional device distribution site.

                                                   

Message from Mr. Alec Liem, IB Coordinator

May 2020 - Senior IB Exam Info

March 23, 2020

Good Morning, Largo IB Senior Families,

This is Alec Liem, Assistant Principal, and International Coordinator, calling with an important update about the May 2020 Exam session for our Senior IB Scholars. The International Baccalaureate Organization has announced that May exam session will not be held this year. As an organization, it is critical for the IB to ensure that the options it provides its global community of IB World Schools are based on compassion and fairness for the difficult circumstances that its students and educators are experiencing. As a result, based on considerable advice from stakeholders across the globe, including schools, students, universities and official bodies, the IB has determined what it believes to be the most responsible and ethical way forward. Depending on what they registered for, the student will be awarded a Diploma which reflects their standard of work. Full details and FAQ's will be distributed by March 27th 2020. As I receive more information from the IBO, we will share it via our Largo IB Partners Blog (http://iblargo.blogspot.com/) as well as our social media platforms. Thank you for your flexibility during this trying time for our local school community, State, nation and world. I wish you and your family the best. I thank you for your partnership. This is what makes the IB different. Please reach out to me if you have any school specific questions or concerns and I will work to address them.

The official IBO Announcement may be found here: IBO Letter May 2020.docx

All the best,

Alec Liem
Assistant Principal
International Baccalaureate Coordinator
Largo High School

IBO Coronavirus Updates:  https://www.ibo.org/news/news-about-the-ib/covid-19-coronavirus-updates/#examinations

Message from Pinellas County Schools Superintendent

Pinellas County Schools Families,

I hope you and your family were able to enjoy a portion of your spring break in light of the COVID-19 health crisis. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to ensure our students stay safe, healthy and continue their learning.

As you know Governor DeSantis and the Department of Education extended a directive requiring all school districts in the state of Florida to close for students until April 15.  

District staff has been working throughout spring break to prepare for digital instruction, and to address the questions from families and staff. This is an extraordinary situation. We are committed to make decisions with the best interests of our students, families and staff in mind. We must all recognize that processes may not be optimal or perfect, but we are dedicated to continuously improving our supports for our staff, students and families during this unprecedented situation.

Digital Learning for Students

This week, March 23-27, students and families can access grade level, academic enrichment activities and get to know the digital platforms that are available through our Digital Learning Students and Families webpage. A link to these activities is now available on your school’s website. During the week of March 23-27 our teachers will be working collaboratively to prepare for digital instruction on our Microsoft Teams platform. This will, no doubt, be a shift for our teachers and students.  We are working with our teachers to plan for and provide the best possible experience for all students in all grade levels. 

On Monday, March 30, the district will transition to course/class specific assignments developed and led by their teachers utilizing the Microsoft 365 Teams (Microsoft Teams) platform. On Microsoft Teams, your student’s teacher(s) will be able to give class specific lessons and messages directly to their students.

All resources for students and families, including frequently asked questions and how-to tutorials are available on our dedicated webpage for Digital Learning for Students and Families.

To prepare, students and families can:

• Review the Digital Learning Students and Families webpage and resources (https://www.pcsb.org/Page/32734)
• Ensure you know your student’s R2D2 number and password so they can log-in to digital learning environments.
• If you or your student do not know their R2D2 number, please use the information on the attached document or contact our Digital Learning Helpline at 727-588-6060 which will be open starting on March 23.

We will begin distributing laptops and tablets for students in need beginning Tuesday morning, March 24. You will receive a message directly from your principal on Monday with details on the distribution process.

Thanks to Spectrum, free WiFi is available to our students.  To enroll, call 1-844-488-8395.  All installation fees will be waived for new student households.  WiFi hotspots across Spectrum’s footprint will also be available for public use.

Individual Education and 504 Plans

Students with Individual Education or 504 Plans will continue to have accommodations and services available in the digital platform.  Students with an IEP can expect their case manager to contact them through Microsoft Teams the week of March 30.

Food & Nutrition Resources for Students

Our Food and Nutrition Team will also be distributing free meals this week at nine of our schools this week for Pinellas County Schools students ages 18 and younger.  From March 23-27 each location will serve a lunch and breakfast, in a single bag.  While we encourage parents and caregivers to drive to our locations, we will also be accepting walk-ups. 

School	Time
Dunedin Elementary 900 Union St., Dunedin	10:45 am - 11:45 am
Eisenhower Elementary 2800 Drew St., Clearwater	11:00 am - Noon
Fairmount Park Elementary 575 41st St. S, St. Petersburg	10:15 am - 11:15 am
Marjorie K. Rawlings Elementary 6505 68th St. N, Pinellas Park	11:00 am - Noon
John Hopkins Middle 701 16th St S, St. Petersburg	10:30 am - 11:30 am
New Heights Elementary 3901 37th St. N, St. Petersburg	10:45 am - 11:45 am
Ponce De Leon Elementary 1301 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Clearwater	11:15 am - 12:15 pm
Southern Oak Elementary 9101 Walsingham Rd., Largo	11:15 am - 12:15 pm
Tarpon Springs Elementary 555 Pine St., Tarpon Springs	10:30 am - 11:30 am

If you are not able to go to one of the school sites listed above, other local food providers throughout the county are offering free, nutritious meals for our students. A complete list of sites throughout our community can be found at: https://211tampabay.org/home/food-and-meals/

The district is working to expand the number of distribution sites beginning March 30. We will share an updated list as soon as it is finalized.

Student State Assessments

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) has announced that all PK-12 student state assessments will be cancelled for the 2019-20 school year. FDOE will provide guidance to school districts in the near future regarding any potential impacts for students.  As the district learns more information, we will share this with our community.

State School Grade Designations vs. Student Grades

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) has announced that all school grade designations will not be calculated for schools for the 2019-20 school year.

Students will continue to earn grades based on their progress in their classes. Student grades and credits will continue to count toward promotion and/or graduation.

Student Instructional Hours

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) has announced that the Commissioner is evaluating how digital instruction will count toward student instructional hours. The Commissioner may reduce required K-12 instructional hours, as necessary, to accommodate for school closures.

Information and resources are available on the district website which is updated on a regular basis at www.pcsb.org/coronavirus.   

I know the transition to digital learning may not be easy and that there will be new questions and challenges that arise. We will work together, with care and compassion, to support our students and community through this difficult time. Pinellas County Schools remains committed to providing a high-quality education to our students. We appreciate your continued patience and support.

Sincerely,

Michael A. Grego, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Pinellas County Schools

AP Updates for Schools Impacted by Coronavirus

College Board
March 20, 2020

As schools and communities navigate the unprecedented challenges posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the health and safety of educators and students are the AP Program’s top priorities. Here’s how we’re supporting schools:

We’re providing free remote learning resources.
We’re investing in the development of a new at-home testing option.

Through our members across the country, we understand the new time constraints on everyone in the education community. These solutions are meant to be as simple and lightweight as possible for both students and teachers — without creating additional burdens for school leaders during this time.

Traditional face-to-face exam administrations will not take place.
Some students may want to take the exam sooner rather than later, while the content is still fresh. Other students may want more time to practice. For each AP subject, there will be 2 different testing dates.

The full exam schedule, specific free-response question types that will be on each AP Exam, and additional testing details will be available by April 3. We'll also unlock any relevant free-response questions in AP Classroom for digital use so students can access all practice questions of the type that will appear on the exam.

About This Year’s AP Exams

Students remain eager to take AP Exams and to have a chance to earn credit and placement. We surveyed 18,000 AP students and 91% indicated they want to complete this important step, urging us not to cancel this opportunity they have been working toward.

We’ll continue to support students with free resources through exam day. And while we encourage students to wait until closer to the test date to decide, any student already registered for an exam can choose to cancel at no charge.

The AP Program will invest heavily over the next month in the following ways:

For the 2019–20 exam administration only, students can take a 45-minute online exam at home. Educator-led development committees are currently selecting the exam questions that will be administered.

AP curricula are locally developed and we defer to local decisions on how best to help students complete coursework. To be fair to all students, some of whom have lost more instructional time than others, the exam will only include topics and skills most AP teachers and students have already covered in class by early March.

Colleges support this solution and are committed to ensuring that AP students receive the credit they have worked this year to earn. For decades, colleges have accepted a shortened AP Exam for college credit when groups of students have experienced emergencies.

Students will be able to take these streamlined exams on any device they have access to—computer, tablet, or smartphone. Taking a photo of handwritten work will also be an option.

We recognize that the digital divide could prevent some low-income and rural students from participating. Working with partners, we will invest so that these students have the tools and connectivity they need to review AP content online and take the exam. If your students need mobile tools or connectivity, you can reach out to us directly to let us know.

Test security is a concern.

The exam questions are designed and administered in ways that prevent cheating; we use a range of digital security tools and techniques, including plagiarism detection software, to protect the integrity of the exams.

Scoring at-home work for an AP Exam is not new to the AP Program. For years the AP Program has received and scored at-home student work as part of the exams for the AP Computer Science Principles and AP Capstone courses.

https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update

Updated on IBO - C/O 2020

Attention Class of 2020:

March 19, 2020
Updated on IBO

The IBO has released a statement that a decision on the May 2020 examination session will be provided no later than 27 March 2020.

In the meantime, you can find IBO updates on COVID-19 here:
https://ibo.org/news/news-about-the-ib/covid-19-coronavirus-updates/

Message from Mr. Liem, IB Coordinator

March 18, 2020

Good Afternoon,

In an effort to keep all scholars and families informed during this unprecedented time, I am able to share the following updates. All Pinellas County administrators have a virtual meeting scheduled with Dr. Grego on Monday to discuss next steps for a digital learning system. Your children’s teachers will be planning and developing curriculum the week following spring break to ensure that the needs of all grade levels are met for the duration of the school closure. Largo High School will further communicate additional details about our specific plan Monday afternoon. This will come in the form of an email and call.

Please continue to monitor the Pinellas County School Board website (www.PCSB.org) and social media platforms for additional information and updates.

As far as IB exams for our Seniors, we have to wait for direction from the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). I have communicated with them so they aware of our school closure. They will provide us with direction for the examination process in May. As a worldwide entity, with many moving parts, they are moving slow, yet methodically, with their decision making process. Additional information may be found at (https://www.ibo.org/news/news-about-the-ib/covid-19-coronavirus-updates/). With that being said, I am confident that the IBO will work to ensure all of our scholars and families remain healthy.

Lastly, teachers will be able to get quarter three grades in and posted when they return to campus. For our seniors, I foresee there being no negative implications in regards to GPA/ Post-Secondary eligibility as this has been a substantial, world-wide issue.

Thank you for your flexibility during this trying time for our local school community, State, nation and world. I wish you and your family the best. Please reach out to me if you have any school specific questions or concerns and I will work to address them.

All the best,
Alec Liem
Assistant Principal
International Baccalaureate Coordinator
Largo High School

IB Families

 IB Families,

 Largo IB Partners is staying in close touch with our Administration so we can provide you with updated information about how the rest of the school year will be handled.  You should have just received an email from Superintendent Michael Grego regarding Digital Learning, with the hopeful plan for scholars to return to campus on April 15th. As soon as we have more specific information regarding IB matters, we will forward it on to you.  It is everyone's hope to salvage this school year so our scholars can continue on their journey towards graduation.  For our families of Seniors, we join you in the disappointment of missing key events.  We hope to help in any way to make this year worthwhile.  Thank you for your patience, and most importantly, stay safe and healthy.

Largo IB Partners