End of the Year Message: Indian River Charter High School

End of the Year Message: Indian River Charter High School

The 2019-2020 school year brought unprecedented challenges to our doorstep, and we want to thank our teachers, staff, students, and families for their unwavering dedication to the school and commitment to one another.  Many school districts and schools throughout the country were slow to respond to the Covid-19 shutdown, but we hit the ground running.  Our faculty united to provide our students with a challenging and flexible virtual learning platform.  Our students rose to the occasion and finished out the year with meaningful instruction taking place, even as we missed that human connection that only in-person learning can provide.  We hope that next school year we can maximize in-person learning time and improve our virtual learning platform.  A survey for families has been posted to the school’s website, and we welcome your feedback, as it will shape our plans moving forward.  We want to share this school year’s accomplishments with you below:

• Prior to the transition to virtual instruction, professional development sessions were conducted to train teachers on providing effective virtual instruction. Ongoing, in-depth, and applicable professional development on utilizing technology for virtual instruction was provided to IRCHS teachers throughout the school year.

• Every student was issued an internet-capable Chromebook. Families who had limited or no internet access were issued an internet hot spot.

• Distance learning began on March 19th, thirteen days before the rest of the district, which began on March 31st. Students logged on to learning modules from home via the school-issued Chromebooks.  The average percentage of attendance in any given class was 90%.

• Administration, Guidance, the ESE Department, and teachers coordinated efforts for outreach to families, logging hundreds of phone calls home to ensure every student’s success.

• Seniors participated in both a virtual and a drive-through graduation ceremony, with future plans to host a live ceremony later in the Summer. 

• The virtual ceremony was hosted on May 16th, 2020. A digital platform allowed the school to give an exhaustive account of the many scholarships, awards, and accolades earned by the incredible class of 2020.  It remains accessible so that families can reflect with pride for years to come. 

• The Senior drive-through parade was held on May 20th, 2020, and attended by 153 Seniors. The front driveway of the school was lined with portraits of every senior, a live faculty and student band played “Pomp and Circumstance”, teachers were present to congratulate students and distribute caps, gowns, medals, stoles, and gifts.