Students in Metro Nashville Public Schools will have an opportunity to continue their distance learning experiences through the summer.
School leaders are launching a district-wide voluntary learning program on June 1 — an extension of the Remote Learning 2.0 plan rolled out at the end of April. The district says 1,300 sessions will cover more than 100 topics available for children, teens and adults. Classes will include reading, coding and foreign language instruction.
“This has been an incredibly unique, challenging, but rewarding year for Metro Schools,” superintendent Adrienne Battle said. “I’m grateful for the hard work, patience, and perseverance of the staff of MNPS, and for our students and families, all of whom have had to go the extra mile to continue learning in a new and different environment.”
Flipgrid, a video sharing tool, will be the primary platform for kindergarten to second graders. Other students will have access to Schoology, a popular learning app.
The district loaned out 10,000 laptops since the transition to online instructions began. Although new reservations for laptops are closed, a spokesperson for Metro schools says the district is planning to reassess their stock to support summer learning.
Administrators say they’ll continue providing food to students and anyone else under 18, through at least June 30. The district currently has 16 school pickup locations and 40 buses delivering meals.
Additional food will be provided by the district’s Community Achieves program on Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. and Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
“Our school year is 10 months, but the job of serving our students is year-round, and making sure they have nutritious meals and engaging learning activities over the summer months will be critical as we address learning loss and prepare for the coming 2020-21 school year,” Battle said.
High school students who need to raise their grades and complete credit recovery courses will have access to the education platform Edgenuity. Parents interested in summer school are required to contact their school counselors by June 1.