Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update Center
Passcode: 011138
Update 7/24/2020
Dear Met Families,
We hope that you are well and have been enjoying the summer. By now you should have received our annual Welcome Letter. We want to assure you we stand by our commitment to provide your child a unique, personalized education in a safe and supportive environment where they feel deeply connected. We want you to know that every staff member at The Met is committed to helping your child succeed.
I'm writing to share some updates. We have submitted our 2020-2021 reopening plans to the R.I. Department of Education (RIDE). Although we have not yet gotten feedback from RIDE, they have asked us to share our reopening plans with staff and parents. They specifically asked us to provide three plans: 1) for full reopening, 2) for 50% reopening, and 3) for 25% reopening. We were not asked for an updated Distance Learning plan, but we will be working on that to be fully prepared.
We want to give you time to review the linked documents and send in questions. Your child's principal will schedule a Zoom meeting in the first week of August so you can ask questions and learn more. RIDE has made it clear that they and the Governor will be making the final decision as to which reopening plan will be chosen. That said, I understand that some families are uncomfortable with full reopening in the fall. We have heard the same concerns from schools across Rhode Island. Many of my colleagues around the state and I have strongly communicated those concerns to RIDE. The RIDE timeline is to give us official feedback by July 28 and then have us post our approved plans by July 31. RIDE will determine which of our submitted reopening plans we implement by August 17. We will be communicating our final opening plan after this date.
Attached please find The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center's District Reopening Plans dated and submitted to RIDE on July 17.
Please note this submission has several documents linked within the body of the document. We are also providing these links just below for surety of access.
LINK:Met HS Reopening Information for Students, Families and Staff
LINK: Met Reopening Plans Full
LINK: Screening, Symptoms and Reported Cases Process Chart
LINK:: Work-at-Home_Contact Track & Monitor_SY2019-2020_
LINK: Intervention Steps for staff and students
LINK: Met COVID Communications Plan
LINK: Transportation Planning for Fall 2020 Reopening
LINK : Supply list for 2020-2021
Next steps:
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Your child’s principal will be sending you a Zoom (online meeting app) link so that you can take part in a virtual meeting to learn more and ask questions. This will take place in the first week of August.
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Please feel free to reach out, or add questions to this shared document : LINK Questions from parents. We will do our best to answer your questions.
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Please make sure your contact information is up to date (and contact preferences) with your child’s advisor so we can reach you quickly.
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Please review the safety information: mask-wearing, screening your child before coming to school, requirements of distancing. LINK: Met HS Reopening Information for Students, Families, and Staff
We thank you for your patience and understanding through this hard process.
Sincerely,
Nancy
Update 6/10/2020
These three plans will include:
- a full return of students
- a hybrid in-school/virtual model
- a 100% virtual plan
As we cannot predict the future, we will not be able to decide which of these plans will be implemented until later in the summer. The re-opening will vary even within the state based on community COVID-19 clusters, transportation, and procurement of materials to ensure safety in school.
You will also hear that RIDE will be issuing a 180-day school calendar for the entire state of Rhode Island. We have been told that we will be able to add additional professional development days to this state calendar. However, we have not had the opportunity to review or discuss questions with RIDE.
We will keep you informed about the details as they become available. Thank you for all your hard work, your patience, and your understanding.
Update 4/23/2020
Hello Met Families,
As you might already be aware, the Governor just announced that we will continue distance learning through the end of this school year. Also, all RI schools will now end on the same last day, Thursday, June 18. In addition, the RI Department of Education has shared a new calendar for May and June which includes changes to professional development days for staff (students have no school) and vacation days. Please see the calendar shared below.
We know it is hard, but thanks for the work both families and our staff have done so far with distance learning. We are very grateful for all your support and helping your child. Participation numbers are very impressive and we know it is a partnership with parents and teachers.
Finally, the Governor shared some resources for RI students and families:
- Struggling with Distance Learning? Parent help available (904) 414-4927, highlanderinstitute.org
- Feeling anxious, alone or overwhelmed? Mental health support available (855) 543-5465
- For our seniors, the Met is still celebrating the class of 2020 - hopefully you have received the information we shared about our graduation events. You can also see some listed below on the calendar. The Governor announced, in partnership with PBS, there will be a broadcasted State Graduation event which she promises will be an amazing celebration with speakers, musical performances, and student recognitions.
Did you know we are still accepting new students? Please help us spread the word and share out that our application is always open and available online! themethighschool.org/apply (401) 752-2636
Met End of the Year Calendar Updates
Take good care,
Nancy Diaz Bain
Co-director
Update 4/14/2020
Dear Met Families,
Thank you for your ongoing support of our school and for your child. We continue to work hard supporting our students and families while our country is responding to COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
We are following the recommendations from the Governor and the RI Departments of Health and Education to engage in Distance Learning for as long as this lasts.
We now have our Distance Learning systems organized, connected with students and hit our stride. Students are asked to attend real time sessions in advisory and math as well as virtual check-ins with specialists. Students are also asked to do work at home, at their
pace, that they then post to the teacher or advisor. We believe that this combination of work done together and at a student’s own pace works to support their individual learning and keep students connected to each other and to the Met.
Staff, many of whom have responsibilities at home themselves, have been working tirelessly to support students. We have focused the student work on what matters most: College Classes, Health and Wellness, Interest Learning, Literacy and Math. Learning Plans were created for Trimester 3 that advisors will share with you and your student. As a reminder, during the Distance Learning period, attendance is taken daily:
- Students are expected to be on time to Advisory and Math Zoom sessions (these vary by advisory but are at least five times a week).
- Students are expected to sign in and attend their appointments with their school staff.
- Students are expected to submit assignments to their advisors by set deadlines.
- If an advisor has no contact with a student by 11:30am, they are marked absent.
You can help your child by supporting them to meet attendance expectations and with creating a space and routine for them to work. And, we know the world is difficult for many of us right now; many families need support. If you have any concerns or needs as a family, please reach out to let us know. We can modify learning plans and timelines and connect you with resources.
We post new information on The Met’s Update Blog: themethighschool.org/communityupdate/ and more generally RI Department of Health -https://health.ri.gov/covid/
This is a time for us to work together to make it through, until we can all be together in person. Enclosed you will see your child's narrative. Please contact your child's advisor and or principal if you have questions.
Thank you for working with us now, as always,
Nancy Diaz Bain, Co-Director
Update 4/13/2020
Update 3/31/2020
Update 3/27/2020
Happy Friday, Met Community!
I hope that week two of self-quarantine has brought some calmness and routines into your household. We know that this time is not easy for you but hope that we can be helpful in any way that we can as a school. Here are some questions that may be helpful during this time. 
We started on Monday by having a professional development day so that our staff could prepare for the new normal of distance learning. By Tuesday all staff were virtually connected with students. We encouraged students to be helpful at home, practice self-care and be aware of their own health and wellness, connect with each other, complete exhibitions, and start their college classes online. Some even attended their internships remotely.
Here are some highlights from all our buildings-
Justice- Principal Janet shared lots of great Zoom interactions between herself and her staff and students. Here is a slide she started with to connect with her students as they were all sharing things about themselves.
Liberty- Principal Arthur shared a picture of himself with students modeling the idea of staying healthy and taking breaks to get outside.
Unity- Unity students are working at staying healthy -
Nancy Diaz
Co-DIrector
Update 3/23/2020
Dear Met Families:
As you know, the Governor has declared the next two weeks Distance Learning Weeks in Rhode Island. We have been working on plans to support students for learning from home. The schedule for the next two weeks, or possibly longer, is as shown below.
Monday, March 23 - This will be a Professional Development Day (moved from Friday, March 27). Staff will connect with you and your student to review the plan and specific schedules.
Tuesday, March 24 - Distance Learning begins with a Morning Advisory Zoom Conference. Advisors will be finalizing Trimester 2, and beginning Trimester 3. Work then continues according to the plan detailed below. During these first two weeks we will survey families about our progress.
By Friday, April 3 - The Met will communicate to you what we know about next steps for Distance Learning - how long it might last and what our next steps as a community are. If we continue with Distance Learning, Advisors will reach out to you with modified learning plans for students to complete Trimester 3.
Every student’s schedule is a bit different, but a sample schedule will look like this:
You can find the full Met Distance Learning Plan on our Website here: https://www.themethighschool.org/apps/pages/workfromhome
We will be in contact with you by email and phone. Advisors will contact you to review the plan for your student. Please remind your child to sign in/communicate with their advisor so we can take attendance.
Also, here’s a reminder about signing up for the School News app by Edlio which we are using. All of the news and events posted to our website are posted here. It's a simple way to view the school's news feeds and calendars, and also receive push notifications directly from us.
It's free to download to your iOS or Android phone and quick to set up:
- Go to the App Store or Google Play and search for "School News by Edlio" to install.
- Open the app and search for the school; tap "Add School." If you have kids in other Edlio-powered schools, add them to the app too.
- Enable push notification by going to the Alerts tab and tapping "Enable Notifications."
Additionally, any family with questions can email: NDiaz@metmail.org or call Nancy Diaz Bain: 752-2660 with ideas, concerns, questions. You can send general questions or concerns to us at: https://www.themethighschool.org/apps/contact/
We are grateful for your partnership and look forward to supporting one another in this unique time.
Best,
Nancy Diaz
Co-DIrector
Update 3/18/2020
Dear families, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo announced Wednesday that all school buildings in Rhode Island will be closed through April 3, with virtual learning at home as the state tackles the coronavirus outbreak. After these two weeks, a decision will be made to determine whether virtual learning is extended. Met staff have been working hard over the last two weeks to complete our virtual learning plan, and we have submitted it to the Rhode Island Department of Education for review. By Monday, you and your student will be contacted by your student's advisor with information about the Met's virtual learning plan and how your student will be participating. Virtual learning is something new to our educators, and they will do their best to provide students with the best possible lesson/instruction online during this time. We have also started to use the School News app by Edlio, for alerts, news, and events. It's a simple way to view the school's news feeds and calendars, and also receive push notifications directly from us. It's free to download to your iOS or Android phone and quick to set up:
All of the news and events posted to our website are posted here for easy access. We'll send push notifications out to keep you updated on urgent news. If you do not have internet access in your home, please contact your student's advisor. We are working to support students and families to gain internet access through local providers or mobile hotspots. Continue to check our website or the app for regular updates. We will continue to keep our students' needs in the forefront. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please use our website feedback form: https://www.themethighschool. Take care of yourselves, take care of your families, and remain calm.
Sincerely, Nancy Diaz Bain Co-Director The Met High School |
Update 3/16/2020
Dear Met Families,
Thank you for your understanding after the unanticipated announcement by the Governor that schools will be closed this coming week. While we had been anticipating a possible closure, the timeline accelerated sharply last week. We are deeply grateful to our community for coming together so quickly to support each other and our students. Rhode Island Commissioner of Education, Angelica Infante-Green established this coming week (March 23rd) as the April vacation week taking the place of the originally scheduled week of April 13-17.
We are in the process of planning for work from home opportunities for our students and have submitted a plan to the Rhode Island Department of Education. Information in the coming days and Advisors will be in touch with your child and you to go over the plans and expectations so that we can start for next week. Recognizing that access to resources varies widely by family, we are planning for support to ensure all students can access assignments and learning experiences.
The facilities and custodial staff are using this time to clean our school buildings on Thursday and Friday. If necessary, you can come into the Met:
- Wednesday, March 18th, 9:00am - 3:00pm (All Campuses) - Staff and students may visit campus to acquire belongings and anything that may be needed to support distance learning should school closures be extended. Students can also acquire their Chromebook if left behind and a charger if theirs has been lost.
The Met has been working with other school districts across the state who will offer "grab and go" breakfast and lunch to all students 18 and under. A list of these locations around the state can be found at this website: https://health.ri.gov/diseases/ncov2019/about/foodsites/
Please continue to follow the recommendations of the RI Department of Health . It is critically important that we all practice and remain committed to social distancing and avoid large gatherings. Please find this resource from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) at this link to assist in talking about COVID-19 with your children.
More to come. Please do not hesitate to reach out should you need assistance of any kind.
Co-Director’s Office: 401-752-2660
Curriculum Director’s Office: 401-529-9453
Sincerely,
Nancy Diaz Bain
Co-Director
The Met High School
Update 3/15/2020
Providence Public Schools will provide meals for any school age student who shows up at one of the schools listed below. No ID necessary. Please share this information with students and families. The meal program in Providence will be available 11am-2pm at the following locations:
Cranston Public Schools will provide grab-and-go meals to anyone under the age of 18. No ID required.
Monday – Friday, Breakfast 8am-9am & Lunch 11:30am-1pm at the following locations:
George J. Peters Elementary SchoolThe Newport School Department will provide grab-and-go meal boxes. Meal boxes will consist of one lunch meal and one breakfast meal for the next day. Meals will be available from 12 noon - 1pm each day at the following locations:
Pell Elementary School
35 Dexter St, Newport, RI 02840
Food Service for East Providence Public Schools. March 16 – March 20, 2020. Meals are for all students 18 and under.
Truck #1:
8:30-9:00 a.m. Carousel - 700 Bullocks Point Avenue, Riverside, RI 02915
9:15-9:45 a.m. Pierce Field Stadium Entrance, 201 Mercer Street, East Providence, RI 02914
Truck #2:
8:30-9:00 a.m. Evergreen Apartments, 15 Evergreen Drive, East Providence, RI 02914
9:15-9:45 a.m. Freedom Green Park, North Broadway, Rumford, RI 02914
Production Site:
8:30-10:00 a.m. East Providence High School, Student Parking Lot, 2000 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence, RI 02914
West Greenwich Fire Dept. Free Bagged Lunches:
Available March 16-20, 2020
Pick up 8 am-10 am daily
830 Nooseneck Hill Road, West Greenwich.
No questions asked
The following restaurants have also generously offered meals to students during the school closure. Follow the links below for more information:
Update 3/13/2020
Update 3/12/2020
Dear Met Families,
Thank you for your ongoing support of our school and for your child. This letter is to update you regarding COVID-19 preparedness, previously referred to as “coronavirus.” This is a rapidly changing situation and we want you to know that the health and safety of our students continues to be our first priority.
As you know, we have been educating students and staff on how to uphold sanitary practices and our buildings are taking extensive measures to disinfect school facilities both throughout the school day and after hours.
Also, we are following the advice and recommendations of the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Department of Education on whether to send students to particular LTIs (internships), hold activities and if, or when, school might need to close. While there is no current plan to close The Met in order to self-quarantine, we are planning for how to manage a potential closure.
If we did close school, our goal would be that staff and students work from home, so learning is not interrupted. We are working on projects, readings, and other important work that can be done from home. We will review the materials with the students, and they will then download all needed materials on their Chromebooks and/or be given paper packets.
What you can do:
- Please check in with your student each evening if they have their needed materials. We have asked that students bring home books (e.g. textbooks that are not online, class novels, etc.) that they may need and their school-issued Chromebooks each night.
- Complete this survey, https://forms.gle/5k6Q7vFUzpoM6QY78 if you do not have access to consistent WiFi at home. We are looking for ways to get families connected, or at least make sure students have offline work.
- Email your student’s advisor or principal if your contact information has changed and ask them to update your Emergency Information.
- Stay informed about the COVID-19 (coronavirus) by visiting these sites:
- The Met’s COVID-19 Updates blog: themethighschool.org/communityupdate/o RI Department of Health - https://health.ri.gov/diseases/ncov2019/CDC Website - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
This can be a confusing and stressful time as information is changing very quickly. We are working hard to be prepared and to communicate often because we believe we work best together as partners, for the benefit of our students, families and ultimately our entire community. Thank you for working with us now, as always.
Update 3/10/2020
People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick.
Update 3/4/2020
Staff and students should stay home if ill, and continue to follow these basic safety precautions:
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Wash your hands frequently with soap and water and use hand sanitizer frequently.
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Cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue, then throw the tissue away. Wash your hands.
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Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
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Do not share items such as water bottles, utensils, towels, chapstick, etc.
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Do not share food/drinks.
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Everyone can help by wiping down surfaces and door handles frequently with disinfecting wipes.
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Anyone showing signs of illness should stay home and contact their primary care provider immediately with questions or concerns.
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If you have not already, get a flu shot as soon as possible. The Met Health Center is holding a vaccination clinic on March 9 from 10am - 12pm for students and staff.
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Please only wear a mask if recommended by a healthcare professional.
What the Met is doing:
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Deep cleanings each night by maintenance
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Mist disinfectant ongoing by maintenance
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Surfaces and door handles wiped throughout the day by staff and students
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Lots of soap, wipes, tissues and hand sanitizer continue to be available
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Continuous communications with Met students, staff and families
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Monitoring all information sources (RI Dept. of Health, RIDE, CDC, WHO, etc)
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Flu shot clinic March 9 at the Met Health Center; if you have not yet gotten your shot, please do so.
Additional Resources
Provided byThe United States Centers for Disease Control and Preventions:
