New at-home learning that keeps children connected to their school while learning in the home
Hamilton County Schools is working to safely reopen schools in August for students and staff and provide choices that will fit the needs of families in the community. District administrators understand from concerns parents have shared with us that some are not comfortable with sending children back to school in person at this time.
The district has developed an option for these families called “HCS at Home,” which allows parents and children to connect to the school in which the student is enrolled but learn from home. Teachers familiar to the family will connect with the child enrolled in HCS at Home electronically with video lessons and Zoom discussions to keep each child moving forward and learning.
Students signed up for HCS at Home will still be able to:
- Participate in clubs and athletics just like their classmates in the classroom
- Have options for AP and dual enrollment classes
- Follow the schedule of a regular school day at their enrolled school
- Keep regular attendance as the role will be taken each day, just like students attending school in-person in the classroom.
The learning at home process will work differently from the spring experience as teachers and students will work together to learn new material and concepts with the same curriculum and pace as children attending in-person.
You will find more information on the website hcde.org/HCSatHome along with sample schedules and a video to step you through the registration process in your PowerSchool Parent Portal account. he video is very short and informative and can save time in the registration process.
If you do not have a PowerSchool account, call (423) 498-5437 for assistance. Those families with students who will be new to the district can choose an option during the new student registration process. If a family has previously registered a new student, they will be sent an email with sign-up options later today.
Families will have three options for attending school this fall in Hamilton County Schools.
- Option #1 - HCS Learning Continuum - The HCS Learning Continuum option will follow the phases outlined in the HCS Reentry Plan. Depending on which phase the district is in during the school year, students will be learning through either remote learning, face-to-face instruction, or a hybrid combination of remote learning and face-to-face instruction in the classroom. HCS Learning Continuum is the default option for all students. Families who want to follow the phased plan for in-person learning don’t need to complete any additional registration steps.
- Option #2 - HCS at Home Program - All HCS families have the option to choose the HCS at Home remote learning program where the child will learn remotely at home but continue to be taught by their base school teachers and be enrolled in their base school. Families selecting this option will need to stay in the option for the full semester.
- Option #3 - Hamilton County Virtual School - This program requires enrolling at Hamilton County Virtual School as your child’s base school. The programming is self-directed and self-paced, with more reliance on parents for curriculum support and engagement. This school supports students in grades K-12. Hamilton County Virtual School has been a part of the school district for several years.
Teachers and staff look forward to seeing our students at school in August or learning remotely with us through HCS at Home.