At DLH Academy, one of the best parts of our job is working with families and our "village" to provide the best that we can offer to our children. As such, all family and community inquiries help everyone to sharpen their skills and expectations for all scholars. As we embrace and conquer the changes that we must face, our continued partnership and frequent communications are even important! Consistent, collective sharing and learning continue to improve our communities. So, THANKS, MOM, DAD, GRANDPARENTS AND GUARDIANS, for staying in the loop and adding your voice so that we can continue to refine our operations. For added clarity on student progress monitoring, I have posted a response to a recent re-occurring question that has risen among families over the past two weeks. The questions involve our continued aggressive pursuit of student participation in home learning, even though participation is not considered mandatory at this time. It has come to my attention that using the phrase "not mandatory" has misrepresented the importance of continued learning to a child's academic future. As such, please read the message below to clear up any confusion and as always, continue to reach out to your child's teacher for specific information on individual progress.

The phrase "not mandatory", indicates that no PUNITIVE measures are taken for non-participation in virtual learning at this time. Punitive measures include such things as behavior logs for failure to cooperate, reports to the state of truancy or child neglect if parents are unresponsive when being asked to partner with teachers to help their child continue to progress during the closure, dropping students from enrollment, etc. These punitive actions are not taken during this crisis since some families may face circumstances that prevent home study such as sickness, homelessness, no adult support, excessive work hours or some type of instability in a child's home situation.

However, what is strongly encouraged by DLH Academy, and mandated by the state, is that continued verifiable efforts for learning at home take place, as the importance of and need for educating our children must remain a priority for every able body person who is responsible for the care and well-being of a child. If continued learning does not happen in some form, we'll have to start the student where they left off academically when they return to school (probably a little further back with review since regression sets in when no studying happens for a long period of time). This is not a punishment; it is a condition of circumstance that together we can overcome. As we seek to keep our parents well informed, continued updates are provided to families so that parents and guardians can make informed decisions and provide the necessary support to their children.

Thanks again for all of your efforts, flexibility and for keeping the lines of communication open. Your continued partnership is important to us and essential in providing a quality education for our children!