When Excelsior initially began its distance learning it was largely modeled after our preexisting independent study system. As we begin the new school year, however, Excelsior is making additional changes to maximize interaction given the uncertainty of how long distance learning will be necessary. These changes are outlined in greater detail in the orientation video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjT4EaogsBo&list=WL&index=98&t=0s, a Zoom “help desk” will be hosted at various times, (listed in the orientation video) and facilitators will begin to contact their students August 24th to schedule meetings and answer additional questions.
Workshops on Zoom
In place of normal on-campus workshops, Excelsior teachers will be hosting their classes over Zoom at their scheduled times. To join these meetings you must be enrolled in the workshop at that particular period, and they will follow the same attendance system as they would on campus, meaning absences must be excused by emailing the attendance clerk at vvworkshopattendance@excelsior.com. Quarter Testing will be taken at home and completed during the workshop times. If you intend to do dual or concurrent enrollment with VVC, VVC is scheduled to host most of their fall classes remotely as well.
Electives, tutoring, and clubs will be held through Zoom meetings in addition to core subjects. Each extracurricular will be held at their own scheduled times and will likely release more information individually. ASB activities, such as spirit weeks, will also be done virtually throughout the year.
Aeries and Canvas
Excelsior will continue to use Canvas as its primary means of assigning work, but unlike previous years, where facilitators have done all the grading for their students’ core subjects, this year, workshop teachers will grade your work themselves. If you are not enrolled in a workshop, a teacher for each subject will still grade your work and your facilitator will be able to access it.
If you’re a returning student, you can log into your Aeries account through your school email. To do so, log into your email with your new password—all passwords were reset to excelsior123—then on the same device, sign into Aeries with your student email and click “Sign in with Google”. You can change your email password by contacting your facilitator or calling Excelsior at (760) 245-4262.
Prior to your first facilitator meeting, students are expected to complete the Math and Reading Assessments. These assessments can be accessed on Renaissance Learning and Renaissance Reading through the Clever portal with a student email. Paperwork will also be sent out at the beginning of the year through email and must be signed through DocuSign.
Excelsior Campus
Though staff will be returning to campus on August 21st, parents and students will not be allowed on campus under any circumstances for the foreseeable future. To drop off or pick up items, you can attend a scheduled date to do so, or make an appointment to meet a staff member in front of the school (masks required). Drive through iPad pickups are scheduled from August 17th to August 20th based on last name.
Last Names A to G: August 17th, 9am-noon
Last Names H to Q: August 18th, 9am-noon
Last Names R to Z: August 19th, 9am-noon
For anyone left who hasn’t received an iPad, there will be an open pickup on August 19th, 1pm-4pm. You can drop off materials from last year at this time or during the drop off only time August 20th at 9am-noon.
School lunch will continue to be available to students Tuesday through Friday at the scheduled time with their student ID number. In accordance with the new lunch schedule for when we return to campus, high schoolers will be able to receive their lunch from the front of the school 11:30am-12:00pm, and junior highers will be able to 12:30pm-1:00pm.
The decision to continue distance learning into this school year is determined by state and local government, not Excelsior, and has no definite ending point. Therefore, to be successful under these circumstances, we must be prepared to continue distance learning long-term and remain diligent. Whatever the school year brings, Eagle Press wishes you all a good year and hopes to do our part in keeping our Excelsior community connected.
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