Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

After careful evaluation of all options, and consideration of several internal and external factors, it was determined that starting digital is not only the safest way forward for students, families, faculty and staff, but also the option that gives us the greatest opportunity for continuity of learning. By committing to start 100% digital now, we are giving teachers the opportunity to focus on a single teaching “channel” — planning and preparing a top-notch program that takes advantage of best practices in personalized digital learning. There is currently no scheduled end date for digital learning. The Josephinum leadership team will be closely monitoring the COVID-19 data and trends, as well as following state and local guidance. We hope to return in part, or in full, to the classroom as soon as it is safe to do so. 

Students will participate in digital learning five days per week. Four days of classes (typically Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday) and one day for independent work and one-on-one virtual meetings with teachers and counselors. Initial schedule is as follows: 

While there are scheduled class times during the M/T/Th/F schedule, students will not necessarily be online for all four hours. Learning will be a combination of will be “synchronous” (scheduled time where teacher and students meet together in class) and “asynchronous” (learning on your own time, going at your own pace independently). Teachers will communicate with students about synchronous learning requirements each week. 

Students are expected to attend Advisory and all scheduled synchronous learning sessions. Teachers will communicate their expectations for meetings and check-ins each day through Schoology. If a student is too sick to participate, or otherwise has an unavoidable conflict during class time, a parent or guardian needs to contact the school office at (773) 276-1261, just like a regular school day. You must have a doctor’s note to be excused (this can be emailed to us, faxed, taken a picture of, etc.). Students are responsible for contacting their teachers to touch base and getting the information needed to catch up with the class.

All assignments, scheduled Zoom calls, one-on-one meeting requests and other classroom requirements will be communicated using Schoology. Student email accounts as well as Google G-Suite applications (Google Docs/Sheets/Slides, Google Meets, Google Chat, etc.) will also be used for communication and submitting of assignments. Students are expected to check both email and Schoology daily. Additional resources will be utilized and communicated to students by their teachers on the first days of class. 

As we are starting this year’s school year in a digital format, all assignments will be graded as if students were in traditional “in-person” classes. Grading rubrics will be provided for all classes and grading structures simplified so that students and parents can easily get an accurate assessment of a student’s progress on an ongoing basis. Late work policies will be communicated by teachers. While it is understood that students may encounter a variety of challenges during this unusual time, it is also important for students to be accountable for submitting work on time when there is not a specific hardship.

Regarding sports, the IHSA continues to update its plans for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. The volleyball season is currently scheduled from March 8 - April 24 and Soccer and Softball will run from April 5 to June 19. For the latest news, please watch for communications from Mr. Ziolkowksi and check Josephinum’s Athletics web page and Instagram feed for updates.

Club plans for the 2020-2021 school year will be determined on a case by case basis, but it is our goal to continue to provide as many extra-curricular activities as possible to keep us connected while we are learning digitally. Details on clubs and other activities will be shared as plans are finalized.

To ensure we are supporting the complete needs of our students during this challenging time, a number of initiatives are being launched or expanded in the 2020-2021 school year. 

• A new program is being launched this year called Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). The cross-functional MTSS Team is designed to provide both academic and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) support based on a student’s particular needs.  

• Daily advisory group sessions allow for check in with a built-in SEL Curriculum designed by MTSS team following CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) and state guidelines. 

• Our referral program and protocol give teachers and students a defined, anonymous process for recommending, or requesting, additional individual support to address concerns with anxiety, depression, grief, fear of safety, etc.

• Small groups addressing grief and anxiety led by the counseling department.

Classroom learning will offer many options for students to work together in pairs, small groups, and larger groups. Students will be encouraged to form their own Zoom or Google Meets virtual meetings for project work. Socially, we plan to continue virtual team-building activities and fun challenges to keep students in touch with each other.

In addition to synchronous learning time, students can reach out to teachers and counselors during school hours for additional help or with any concerns. Counselors can be reached by email or through the referral process.

Beginning April 12th, the building will be open for hybrid learning.

The building will be open on a limited basis to give students that need a safe physical space from which to work. Staff will be on hand to supervise and ensure that social distancing, mask use, and other COVID-related protocols are followed. No teaching will be conducted in person at school. All teaching will take place digitally.

We have more time to thoughtfully prepare and plan, and to research and implement best practices. We are not starting from scratch - not modifying overnight and under pressure. Rather than quickly adapting content designed to be delivered in class to a virtual environment, our curriculum is being modified ahead of time to take advantage of the digital learning environment.

While digital learning can have its drawbacks, it also provides a new world and platforms that have been able to bring us together in unique ways and circumstances. It is personalized learning that we are uniquely able to implement due to our small class sizes, our commitment to understanding the academic and SEL needs of every single student, and teachers’ eagerness to innovate and adapt to optimize digital learning platforms. 

At the Jo, this means taking the whole student into account. Teachers, counselors, and administrators learn about the student’s academic needs and abilities as well as learning about who they are, how they engage with their work and with the classmates, their social-emotional needs, physical needs, and any other information that is pertinent to understanding the obstacles and opportunities each student will face in their classroom.  It means giving differentiated instruction and student choice whenever necessary and/or possible.  It means giving each student targeted instruction and learning goals, feedback, and clear communication about their progress (good and bad) so that they truly understand what they each need to do to continue growing. In addition, students are taught about reflection and metacognition to increase their ownership of their learning, and improve their ability to communicate their needs as well.