KIPP Miami Remote Learning Experience

The health and safety of our students, families, and staff are a top priority as we enter this school year. Below are our guidelines for when we reopen our school buildings: 

• Enhanced cleaning protocols, signage reminders and a number of other measures have been put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. We will adjust these as needed according to local health and government guidelines. 
• All students and staff will be required to wear masks while on campus except for during mealtimes. 
• All teachers, staff, and students will receive a simple daily wellness screening as they arrive at school or board busses. This will include temperature and symptom checks.Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be sent home.
• We will minimize the number of students sharing space at a given time. Classroom layouts and arrival/dismissal processes will be modified to maintain social distancing.
• Students will practice regular handwashing and hand sanitation including during arrival, before/after meals, and after bathroom breaks.
• The number of students on each school bus will be limited and everyone will be required to wear masks while on the bus.
• We will minimize the sharing of classroom materials, like art supplies, and wipe down supplies after each class. Students will keep personal items at their desk throughout the day. 
• We will limit adults in the building and restrict access to the main office. Needs like medication drop-off should be handled during arrival, and digital parent meetings can be scheduled in place of in-person meetings. 
• Students will continue to have gym and recess, however, social distancing will be practiced. We will not be hosting field trips, school events or extracurriculars at this time.

Nutrition

For meal and grocery distribution updates, please click here.

When our schools reopen, students will eat all meals in classrooms and be required to wash hands before and after eating.

Additional Resources

Family Health Resources

We remain committed to providing community resources that will help our students continue their education remotely—and keep our families safe. 

• KIPP families who have questions about our school closures, are in need of services or food, or have been in close contact with someone affected by COVID-19 should call 786-309-7697.

For additional information, please visit our KIPP Miami Resource Hub.

As the state of Florida, healthcare providers, and national pharmacies roll out the COVID-19 vaccine, we are committed to providing families with access to the most accurate information on vaccine safety and availability, so that you can make informed decisions. 

If you are interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, click here to pre-register with the state of Florida’s Vaccine Scheduling System and find vaccine sites here. 

Jackson Health System recently hosted an online Town Hall where medical professionals fielded questions on the vaccine’s development, safety, distribution, and much more. Head here to watch the panel. 

Additionally we wanted to highlight these resources available to the public:

• 5 Facts to know about the COVID-19 Vaccines.
• Click here to learn what you might need to bring to your vaccine appointment. You do not need to have health insurance to get the vaccine.
• Johns Hopkins Medicine’s breakdown of myths/facts surrounding the vaccines, for example, the myth that their development was rushed and therefore they are unsafe. 

COVID-19 and the Vaccine for Communities of Color Webinar: An in-depth panel discussion with audience questions addressing concerns related to the vaccine options available to the public. Hosted by ABC’s Darla Miles, the panel includes Dr. Karma Warren, Dr. Pierre Vigilance, and Dr. Wayne Riley.

KIPP is offering access to devices to help support remote learning. We also have a robust tech section on our Remote Learning site that offers support and information on connecting to classrooms as well as answers to common tech questions. Our remote learning programming will have significant online components. To request a device or wifi, learn tips for connecting to Google Classroom, and more, please click here. 

Students who already have their technology device from last school year are encouraged to contact our Family Support Team in case they are having any issues with their current device. The technology team will follow up directly and students can pick up a replacement Chromebook.

Tech Support Hours and Hotline:

Tech Support for KIPP Miami is available Monday – Friday from 10AM to 4PM. The established hotline for tech support is 786-309-7697.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our goal is to provide you and your family with as much information and resources as possible to support the health and safety of our team and family. Below, you’ll find the answers to a number of questions you may have related to the 2020-21 school year and our virtual launch. We will be updating these FAQs throughout the year and in advance of reopening in-person instruction. 

What is the timeframe for re-opening in-person instruction?

In-person instruction will be available on Wednesday, October 7^th for families who opted-in for our hybrid learning model.

Students will still have the opportunity to learn remotely up through December 31^st.

How will KIPP ensure student and staff safety?

Our main guiding principle in our reopening efforts is to keep our students and our staff safe.  We are following the CDC, State and local health guidelines for safety and are taking a number of measures to ensure that our students and staff return to buildings as safely as possible.  These steps are aimed at reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19.  We are purchasing masks, hand sanitizer, and other supplies and are increasing our cleaning protocols at each campus to help keep our students and team safe.  We also have updated our routines and procedures to support a safe and healthy environment. Here is a video that shows more information on how we have prepared our schools for in person instruction.

When in-person instruction becomes an option, can our family still choose virtual instruction?

When it is safe to return to the classroom, we will provide a virtual option for families who do not feel comfortable with in-person instruction. 

What will remote learning look like this fall?

In consideration of all that we have learned from the spring, we will be deeply student and community-centered in our approach to virtual learning. The educational experience for all students will focus on relationship-building and live interactive learning. 

We will provide: 

• Live virtual instruction through Zoom in both small and larger groups, with opportunities to ask teachers questions and participate in discussions with their peers. 
• The opportunity to complete some work independently each day, including reading time and watching video lessons from teachers. 
• Strong supports for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).

To learn more about our virtual instruction plan, please visit our Remote Learning site.  

Will technology be provided for students? 

KIPP Miami is offering access to devices to help support remote learning. We also have a robust tech section on our Remote Learning site that offers support and information on connecting to classrooms as well as answers to common tech questions. 

If you have a broken device, need tech support or WiFi access, please contact the Academic Operations Manager at your child’s school or our regional support hotline at 786-309-7697

Are KIPP Miami facilities open during virtual learning?

All KIPP Miami buildings are closed to students until further notice. We are currently preparing each school for when we can safely welcome students back to the building by updating our health and safety protocols, cleaning procedures, and operational procedures. 

Will my school continue to provide meals to students?

Yes, we are committed to providing students with meals. Please head to our nutrition page to learn more about locations for food distribution and what we offer.

What do families need to do to prepare for virtual learning?

• Make sure your child’s computer is working and is connected to WiFi. If this is problematic or you need access to WiFi or other services, please contact your school. 
• Log into Google Classroom and other online learning platforms. You will receive information from your child’s school on the platforms they will need to join and how to log in.
• Try to find a quiet place for your child to work. If possible, have a set area in your home where your child can work every day. The area should be quiet and distraction free. 

What are the general behavioral expectations of students for virtual learning?

Students are expected to:

• Dress in their school’s uniform for live instruction. 
• Attend each class block on-time and prepared with materials.
• Have their video on and full name displayed.
• Mics should be muted unless directed otherwise by their teachers. 
• Be sitting up and attending classes at their designated work space. 
• Communicate through Zoom chat and wait for guidance if they need to be excused from the screen during live instruction, 
• Not record class sessions; teachers will record classes and will share access with absent students as needed. 
• Abide by school and classroom behavior expectations both in-person and virtual.

What is the attendance/tardy policy for students?

• Your child’s school will communicate with you directly regarding their class schedule.
• For students in the 100% Remote Model, daily attendance (attendance of record) will be based on joining virtual live advisory/homeroom/morning meeting block at the start of each day.
• If a student is more than 10 minutes late to live advisory/homeroom/morning meeting OR advisory/homeroom/morning meeting, but attends the remainder of live sessions for the day, they will be marked as tardy. 
• Attendance will be taken in every class period.

How will students be evaluated or graded this year? 

They will be graded by the following criteria:

• Work Habits (building independent habits in work completion & submission)
• Mastery (how students perform on assessments)
• Participation – MS & HS ONLY (participation & effort in live classes)

How will I know how my child is doing in school?

Progress reports will be sent every other week—families can access this in the DeansList parent portal.

Will extra-curricular activities continue virtually?

Many school clubs or interest groups may continue virtually—so be in touch with your school to learn more about options.

• KIPP Miami Family Letter – 10.2.20
• KIPP Miami Family Letter – 09.14.20
• KIPP Miami Family Letter – 07.30.20