Pinellas County Schools Community,

Thank you for your continued support during this time of uncertainty due to COVID-19. How we come together to support one another, and our students says so much about our community. This afternoon, 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. Therefore, all Pinellas County Public Schools will be closed for students from Monday, March 16-20 for Spring Break and continue to be closed through April 15, 2020. From March 23-27, all schools will undergo deep cleaning by our plant operations and maintenance staff and all employees will engage in activities that will support preparation for digital instruction.

Digital Learning for Students

Pinellas County Schools is prepared to transition to student digital learning during the week of March 23-27.  During this time our goal is for students and families to access grade level, academic enrichment activities and get to know the digital platforms that are available through our Digital Learning Students and Families webpage.

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. The district will use the week of March 23-27 to ensure staff is trained and students are connected in order to effectively transition to Microsoft Teams.

We want to make this change as easy as possible. All resources for students and families, including frequently asked questions and how-to tutorials are available on our dedicated webpage for Digital Learning 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 contact our Digital Learning Helpline at 727-588-6060 which will be open starting on March 23.

As most staff are on Spring Break, we will continue to communicate district-level updates. Your principal will be communicating additional, school-specific details the afternoon of Monday, March 23 via School Messenger.

Additional Supports

• Digital Device Needs: Should your student need access to a digital device (laptop, computer, etc.) to engage with school work, district device distribution will take place on Tuesday, March 24 and Wednesday March 25.  School specific distribution times will be sent to families from their principal on the afternoon of Monday, March 23 via School Messenger.
• WiFi Access: Thanks to Spectrum, free WiFi will be provided to all students.  For students to enroll, they will need to 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.

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.

Staff Reporting and Preparation

Staff should refer to the communication sent to their district email on March 16, 2020.  Additional information will be sent directly to your district email in the upcoming days.

Food & Nutrition Resources for Students

During the week of March 23-27, our district will establish Grab-and-Go feeding sites at nine Pinellas County Schools to ensure that students have accessibility to meals during this timeframe.  Our Food & Nutrition Services Department has identified the locations listed below that will provide both breakfast and lunch to all individuals 18 years old or under.

As school closures through April 15 were just announced, additional information with regard to longer-term food distribution will be forthcoming.

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 be accepting walk-ups.  Additionally, Pinellas County Emergency Management will be coordinating with other local food providers to allow students to have access to nutritional options at other locations as well.  The school sites below will be utilized as distribution sites.  A complete list of sites throughout our community can be found at  https://211tbc.myresourcedirectory.com/index.php/food.

Distribution Points and Times:

We thank you for your patience during this time. My hope is that we all use Spring Break to focus on self-care and time with your families and loved ones.  Please continue to monitor our social media platforms and district webpage at www.pcsb.org/coronavirus. Thank you for working with us through this unprecedented situation. Pinellas County is a wonderful, strong and vibrant community, we will get through this challenging time together!

Sincerely,

Michael A. Grego, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Pinellas County Schools