Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday that Florida K-12 schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year due to the coronavirus shutdown. The governor acknowledged online teaching isn’t the “ideal” learning environment, but given it is almost the end of April, it’s the approach that makes the most sense. “We’ve got pretty good momentum for distance learning,” he said at a Saturday press conference. - Ocala Star Banner
OCMS staff is committed to providing the best opportunities for our students to continue remote learning.
This is a reminder that when the Governor says, "School is closed," it doesn't mean school is not in session. It simply means the campus facilities are closed. But, remote learning continues through the remainder of the school year.
And students are still obligated to connect with their teachers on a daily basis (excluding weekends), completing assignments by deadlines, and following school guidelines as though they were on campus.
Parents are wondering what this means for the Fall, when the 2020-21 academic school year begins. The answer is it is too soon to tell.
The administration has already begun work on preparing for the Fall, with the expectation school campus will be back open and students will physically be returning to the school and no longer learning remotely. However, as you can imagine, this is a daunting task as we have to consider CDC guidelines such as how we are going to implement social distancing, hand-washing, etc., if that mandate is still in effect.
Over the summer break, the administration will work to prepare for both on-campus and remote learning options to ensure that whatever direction we need to go, everyone will be prepared by the time school starts in the Fall.
Because the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and the public are of utmost importance, we will follow the guidelines in place at the time school starts in the Fall. We understand remote learning is not at all ideal. It is challenging, frustrating, and certainly inconvenient at times. And we are hoping that COVID-19 is eradicated sooner than later so all of us can get back to some sense of normalcy.
Until then, please stay safe. Do your part to "flatten the curve," and know we are working hard to help you and your student overcome the challenges of remote learning.