COVID-19 UPDATES!
September 16, 2021
July 24, 2020
Dear Parents,
Greetings!
American Christian Academy acknowledges challenges for students who may not be 100% available for onsite learning. Provision of online classes will be made available to such students. Families who plan to be away are required to send an official letter to the respective VPs on or before August 3, 2020 in order to make adequate preparation for their child(ren)’s online learning during their time of absence from school.
In order to provide the best online learning experience possible, parents are advised to create an environment conducive to virtual learning (fast internet, tablet/laptop/Chromebook/headphones/good lighting). The necessary books can be downloaded from Google Classroom.
Online classes will be available from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm from Monday - Friday. Students will be required to attend classes as per school schedule and submit their assignments on or before the due date/ time. For the students who will be out of Nigeria, recorded onsite lessons will be uploaded on Google Classroom for their benefit.
Parents and students will be required to go through the guidelines and online policies designed to help students succeed in their virtual learning experience. Guidelines and policies will be sent via email and WhatsApp on the first day of school.
Please be reminded that 1st quarter fees are due on or before September 3, 2020. Please stay safe and healthy!
Blessings on you and your family,
Equi Nwulu (PhD
Head of School
Tiered Colored Alert Response July 19, 2020
The American Christian Academy (ACA) will use a tiered colored alert response chart in its COVID-19 monitoring during the 2020-21 school year. Situation reports on the school’s COVID status, under its Contingency Planning and Crisis Management (CPCM), will be regularly monitored and changes communicated to our school family. The table below identifies conditions for ACA’s monitoring levels and what each level signifies. This list, like the Pandemic, is emerging and subject to change. However, State, National and NCDC protocols for schools will override this response tracking!
ACA has three possible learning responses:
1. Normal Learning Condition: All students are in the physical classrooms in the school buildings.
There are no community infections; school runs as before the pandemic.
Attendance and other school activity policies are normal as per the Parent/Student Handbooks.
Academic policies are the same as before.
2. Blended Learning Condition: Most students are in the school building.
Minimal to moderate community transmission.
Modified attendance and academic policies.
School-wide social distancing and hygiene protocols in place.
Special safety and sanitizing protocols as recommended by the authorities.
Initial health screenings (for re-entry) and routine health screenings (as needed).
Concentrates on students in residence but provides flexibility for Day students.
3. Online Learning: No students permitted in the school building.
Substantial community transmission.
Attendance and academic policies highly modified.
All schooling transitioned to Distance Learning.
Our mission to provide excellent education to our students is best fulfilled when teachers and students come together on campus and in classrooms. However, until the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, opening school buildings requires special precautions and protocols in order to safeguard the health and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. We have developed these protocols in close coordination with state and federal guidelines.
It is our intention to re-open the school buildings when conditions permit. For the safety of our students and staff, and depending on conditions and guidance from the authorities, we may resort to distance learning. Thank you for your patience and your prayers as we persevere through this challenging time.
For Wellsprings:
We plan to resume teaching and learning on campus this fall, and we look forward to having both new and returning students here in ACA. Though the plans we lay out here represent our most up-to-date thinking about the year to come, please check back frequently as these plans are subject to change in response to evolving circumstances.
All Wellspring residents will arrive according to the tentative 2020-2021 academic calendar. During this time the community will enjoy orientation programs, meals, outdoor activities, in small groups, and maintaining social distance. ACA will make arrangements for a COVID clearance test for all residents upon resumption.
The following procedures will be expected from all residents of Wellsprings before admittance into the Boarding House:
All students coming from outside Nigeria are required to be on a 2-week isolation before resuming to Wellsprings.
Any resident who falls ill a week before resumption should stay back for another week at home, s/he should bring a health clearance report from a medical personnel when coming to school.
Provision will be made for two students to share a room, rather than the normal four students to a room, to maintain social distance.
Residents should wash their hands regularly, while temperature checks will be conducted twice each day.
Grading and Promotion Procedures for ACA Online School
April 21, 2020
Dear Parents,
Greetings!
We continue to thank God for giving us his abundant grace to keep us through this difficult time. Today marks the end of week-4 of our online-learning, a very challenging time that our school community continues to face with a determined resolve to make the best out of the dire situation. Our thoughts and prayers are with all experiencing various hardships and challenges as a fallout of COVID-19.
Until the lockdown order is rescinded by the appropriate authorities, ACA will continue to deliver its program for the last quarter of this school year online. Our goal is to provide uninterrupted quality educational opportunities for students in place of the closed onsite school. We appreciate the huge sacrifices all stakeholders are making to ensure that quality learning continues under the difficult circumstances that we find our planet. Our plea is that as a school community, we all pull together and successfully round up Q4 of the 2019/2020 academic year, so that our students can look forward to a new beginning come September.
Please find below elementary and senior school grading and promotion procedures for our online program at this time:
Prescheduled Q4 curriculum is assigned daily, Online, except on weekends. Teachers provide interactive synchronous (live) lessons at least once a week via Google Meet/Screencastify/ZOOM to reach out to students, teach difficult topics and discuss challenges faced by the students.
One-on-one private arrangements are provided for students who have challenges with understanding certain topics online. Teachers will keep regular contact with students, and parents are welcome to contact homeroom/subject teachers/VPs respectively if needed. Teachers have posted their “office hours” and are willing to make use of whatsapp video conferencing to support students/families that need additional help.
Online assignments are monitored, graded, and timely feedback is provided by the teachers as private comments on Google Classroom.
Hard copy assignments may be picked up/dropped off at ACA’s security house by arrangement with the respective teachers for collection and grading applicable only in the preschool classes.
Successful completion of onsite and online learning assignments through the FOUR QUARTERS (Coursework/Tests/Final exams) in grades 1-12 and a minimum of 95% attendance will be used as evidence to support promotion or retention for the 2020/2021 academic year.
Fees are overdue for Q4 and we would appreciate that parents who have not yet paid fees kindly settle the same without further delay.
We will keep updating you on upcoming school programs, such as final exams and other sundry year-end activities. In the meantime, we appreciate your support, and will continue to improve on our online delivery and student support as we await government updates on school resumption.
Thank you for your patience, and support during these unprecedented times. We continue to marvel at the resiliency and positive attitude of our school community. Finally, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of “COVID-19”, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6.
The Lord bless you!
Equi Nwulu (PhD)
Head of School
Fourth Quarter: Online School
April 14, 2020
Greetings Parents,
I hope you had a good Easter weekend with your children. I know that these are troubled and uncertain times and it is so important to make sure your children feel safe and protected and still continue to have quality education.
Studies have shown that “parents, family, and school involvement in education correlates with higher academic performance and school improvement."
4th Quarter Online School: Begins Thursday, April 16, 2020. Please, remember, online lessons are designed to reinforce and enrich our regular school curriculum of teaching and learning while schools are shut down temporarily. They are NOT meant to add stress to an already very difficult time in our lives. Encourage your children to maintain a disciplined study habit in order to keep in step with the fast pace of online learning and to communicate with their teachers if they have any questions or concerns. We will be patient and resolve issues as soon as possible. See a few reminders below:
Check your email daily for updates and information. If you have not heard from your teacher/s or have questions, please email or reach out to them on WhatsApp. Teachers will be available from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm every day on WhatsApp to address any issues with online learning.
Parents should encourage their children to read, reflect and participate enthusiastically in online learning.
Students are to follow instructions and online learning rubric provided by ACA.
We are working diligently to meet the needs of all of our students including IEP and English Language learners.
All assignments, projects, participation in google meet/Zoom sessions are graded.
Scores will be updated on ALMA regularly.
Report cards for the second semester will combine online and onsite learning outcomes.
For crèche to pre-kg, besides online instructions from the teachers, there will be lesson packets at the security house every Monday and Thursday for parents to pick up.
We are thankful for the online platform deployed by K-12 international schools around the globe to sustain quality learning in a locked-down new world. We are especially grateful to all members of our school community for taking the online challenge head-on! Please follow ACA/NCDC guidelines in observing social distancing and the hygiene protocol for the prevention of COVID-19.
Remember, life will get back to normal eventually, and when it does, maybe we would appreciate more, the blessings of freedom that sometimes we take for granted. Please do not fear or panic as it will not change anything. Instead, let's continue to trust God that none of ACA community members and their loved ones will be afflicted by the COVID-19 scourge. Let us continue to remind God of his promises to us contained in Psalm 91: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. We will say of the Lord, He is our refuge and our fortress, our God in whom we trust.”
Blessing on you and your loved ones!,
Equi Nwulu (PhD)
Head of School
Online Learning Expectations for Faculty and Students
April 14, 2020
What you can expect from your Teacher/Facilitator:
Clear and concise instructions and exercises on Monday morning from teachers to students.
Weekly structured ZOOM or Google MEET interaction: explanation, demonstration feedback, and assessment. Details in lesson plans
Discussions will be monitored 2-3 times a week to clarify students’ postings, highlight good or interesting comments and ideas, and provide insight/guidance.
Range of practice opportunities–from self-corrected multiple-choice items to free form expression on a concept.
Teachers respond to student’s questions within 12 -18 hours except during holidays or weekends.
Reminders about missed assignments will be sent to all students through google classroom announcements a day after the due date.
Graded assignments will be returned and updated on ALMA within three working days after the due date.
Online Learning Expectation for Students:
Take the student orientation tutorial for this online learning management system before getting started. Links for google classroom (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfgqtCi7hdo), google meet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H8HGsMITQk, and zoom (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOUwumKCW7M)
Must complete required tasks as at when due (follow due dates instructed by your respective teachers). Parents are to inform teachers in advance of internet problems and NOT on due date of assignments.
Do not plagiarize!! (Do not copy and paste from Google. Read your textbook, notes, or any other resource suggested or provided by your teachers). Cite sources as references at the bottom of your assignment. Use your own words in your writings.
Pre-plan for testing situations to ensure uninterrupted test. Ask your parents if possible to monitor you while you take your test, quiz or any form of assessment. Keep all resources away from your working area to prevent cheating.
No online bullying. Only class work allowed to be discussed in the class space (online classroom).
Protocol for resolving technical issues:
Use a laptop or desktop instead of tabs as tabs do not support certain google apps used for online learning.
In case of challenges with technology, read ‘log error messages’ record the specific problem and forward to Tech Support (Mr. Felix - 08056644123 or Mr. Bolu - 07034240575) and your respective teachers. Take a screenshot, if possible, to illustrate the exact problem.
Remember that your peers can help you, too!
Lastly, after someone (or you) fixes the problem, make sure you refresh/reload the Web page, as the system will remember and display the exact same page (with errors) from the last time you logged in.
Thank you.
Dr. Equi Nwulu
Head of School