Middle Bucks Institute of Technology issued the following announcement.
Dear MBIT Students and Families:
Middle Bucks Institute of Technology is ready to welcome students back to school, whether in person, on-line, or a combination of both.
The 2020-2021 school year will begin virtually on Tuesday, September 8th.
A Session -7:30 - 10:15 AM
B Session - 11:00 – 1:45 PM (CB)
11:30 – 2:15 PM (Cent. CR and NHS)
Our teachers will be reaching out to their students this week to invite them to join their Google Classroom. Returning students are welcome to come to MBIT prior to the first day of school to pick up their textbook and supplies as per their teacher's instructions.
We understand that the next several weeks and months will present challenges, but the safety and well-being of our school community is at the forefront of our decision-making . We promise to be there for you, and we will work tirelessly to do everything we can to help you be successful this school year.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer and look forward to virtually seeing everyone on September 8th.
Sincerely,
Kathy Strouse
Administrative Director
MBIT Virtual Learning Model
Middle Bucks will offer a robust and rigorous virtual learning model to begin the 2020- 2021 School Year. Students will be engaged in live instruction with their program teachers. We do understand that a virtual learning environment is certainly not ideal in the world of Career and Technical Education. Our teachers have been working diligently throughout this summer to arrange their curriculum to not only meet current industry standards, but also ensure its adaptability to an online environment. Upon return to either a hybrid and/or in-person learning environment, instruction will focus on the obtainment of the necessary hands-on skills. Student learning will be consistently assessed throughout virtual learning.
- Instruction will include a blend of synchronous and asynchronous
- Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays: All students will meet during their scheduled MBIT session (either AM or PM) for synchronous (live) lessons with their
- Synchronous lessons will be recorded so that students may review or visit a missed live
- Wednesday: All students will work independently, or asynchronously, during which they will be provided with assignments and/or projects given by their
- Students will also participate in Social/Emotional Wellness lessons prepared by our Student Services
Virtual Learning Platform
- MBIT will use Google Classroom as our Virtual Learning
- Students will participate in live lessons 4 days per week via Google
- All MBIT students will be provided with a login and password for Google
- Returning students will use their same login as last school year; Password has been reset to: password 1#.
- New students will receive a letter in the mail with their specific login instructions; please be on the lookout for this
For most all classes (These requirements are covered by a school district issued Chromebook/Laptops)
- Internet access via wired or Wi-Fi connection
- Access to Google Classroom
- Access to Office 365
- Internal Webcam with microphone installed or USB Webcam with microphone attached
- Speakers
- 3GHz or greater Processor
- 16GB Memory or greater
- High quality video card
- Internet access via wired or Wi-Fi connection
- Access to Google Classroom
- Access to Office 365
- Internal Webcam with microphone installed or USB Webcam with microphone attached
- Speakers
- There will be a usage fee of $75.00 that covers insurance that may result in full repair costs being billed to the student and parent/guardian.
- Lost accessories such as power adapter and mouse are not
- Families who qualify for free/reduced lunch will have a $0
- If you have an economic hardship, please contact Stacy Pakula, Assistant Director at 215-343-2480 X120 or spakula@mbit.org to discuss payment options.
- Devices will not be distributed to families who have not signed the Acceptable Use of Technology agreement and paid the fee prior to pick
Students are encouraged to establish a daily routine schedule, identify a quiet space to work with an organized desk area to help be successful this school year.
Students should save their online work either in Google on the Google drive or on Office.com via OneDrive.
Accessing Google Classroom
If you have difficulty accessing Google Classroom, please send an email to studentservices@mbit.org
Please be advised that a MBIT email address has been created for each student. The student’s email address is:
- User Name: first initial, last name@mbit.org (ex. John Doe= jdoe@mbit.org)
- Password: password1#
- If student has a hyphenated last name, please send an email to studentservices@mbit.org
- Go to google.com and click “Sign In.”
- If students are signed in to a personal account or sending school account, they will need to sign out of that account.
- Enter login information (listed above). Students MUST be logged into their MBIT account in order to have access to the classroom.
- Once signed in, students will see an icon in the top right corner of their screen which contains nine dots. They will need to click that icon, and find “Classrooms.” See image below.
- Click “Classroom.” Once here, students will see an invitation to join their program’s Google Classroom.
- A Session Morning Students log in at 7:30AM
- B Session Afternoon Students log in at 11:00AM
MBIT's administration and special education teachers will be working in collaboration with the sending school districts to review IEPs, GIEPs, and Chapter 504 service agreements and provide educational support.
Attendance
- Attendance will be taken during each class and students are required to participate
- Students will be expected to follow MBIT's Acceptable Use Policy that establishes pertinent technology
- Students will be expected to sign into their Google Classroom and/or Google Meet at their scheduled time, and remain in class for the entirety of the session or until dismissed by their
- Students will be expected to have their cameras turned on in an effort to increase engagement and
- Students will remain on camera during the entire class and mute their microphone when not
Parent Portal
MBIT will continue to use PowerSchool as our Student Information System. Parents/guardians will receive login information in order to create an account on or around September 15th. Once an account has been created, parents will be able to monitor their student's grades and progress. Classroom teachers and/or the school will contact individual families to discuss individual student needs when appropriate.
Social and Emotional Wellness
The COVID-19 crisis has proved to be a tremendous challenge for everyone. MBIT takes the social and emotional well-being of our school community very seriously. Our Student Services department has worked to design lessons to address some of these needs, while also remaining available for individual communication with students and families in need of support. We urge any student or family experiencing social/emotional challenges to contact either Administration or our School Counselors.
Original source can be found here.
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