For students who do not have reliable access to the internet, we are using school buses to bring the internet to them. We currently have a number of mobile hotspot locations where buses equipped with WiFi will enable children to connect to participate in virtual learning.

WiFi extends up to 100 yards on each side of the buses. At present, plans are for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools to deploy a total of 20 buses with WiFi connectivity to areas identified as having a high number of students needing connectivity support.

Current WiFi Hotspot locations:

• Wynnfield Court Apartments Kernersville
• Woodlawn Apts on Weatherwood Ct (Upper and Lower) 2 buses
• Birchwood Apts on Weatherwood Ct
• Colony Apts on Brownsboro Rd
• Skyline Village on Timlic Ave
• Skyline Village Bruce St
• Rolling Hills on Ferrell Ct
• Oldtown View Apts on Yarborough Ave
• Salem Gardens (Salem Gardens Dr)
• Willow Creek Apts. Stagecoach Rd (Stanleyville)
  
  

Students are asked to be responsible for the general care of the Chromebook and charging adapter they have been issued by WS/FCS. For detailed information on proper usage and guidelines for Chromebooks, please visit https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Page/117677.

The WS/FCS Technology Service Desk is available at (336)727-8300, 7:00am–7:00pm, Monday–Friday or email ServiceDesk@wsfcs.k12.nc.us. Our technology support technicians can provide phone support, as well as remote control computer assistance to troubleshoot and repair technical issues.

Additionally, students and families are encouraged to visit the Technology How-To Guides accessible on the Our Safe Return page of the WS/FCS website. The guides provide step-by-step instructions and self-help videos to many of the common technical issues including assistance with login, password resets, security filters, Canvas training, Zoom for Education, Microsoft Teams and parent portal access.

If your WS/FCS issued chromebook or WiFI hotspot is not working properly, please take it to one of our Technology Device Repair and Exchange Depots. Depots are open throughout the school day and after hours to exchange devices used for remote instruction. If you are unable to travel to the depot, please contact your student’s school and/or the Technology Service Desk at (336) 727-8300to make alternative arrangements. Please visit the Technology Assistance page on Our Safe Return for an updated list of Depot locations and hours.

Starting the week of August 24, WS/FCS began the rollout of several mobile classrooms using school buses equipped with WiFi hotspots. For students who remain unable to access the internet, these mobile hotspots will serve all grades but will not be staffed with teachers. Students will have access to the internet in close proximity to the bus to work on school assignments. Mobile classroom locations will be updated regularly. To find the mobile classroom location nearest you, call the WS/FCS Hotline at (336)661-3128 or visit Technology Assistance on the Our Safe Return Page of the WS/FCS website.

Yes—our Technology Team has created a Technology How-To Guide available online on the Our Safe Return page with step-by-step instructions for the most common questions coming into our Technology Service Desk including log ins, expired passwords and security filters. Please use this Guide as the quickest and easiest resource for answering your technology questions.

Check out the Technology How-To Guide which has step by step instructions for logging into your chromebook and also into NCEdCloud.

Check out the Technology How-To Guide for step by step instructions for resetting your password.

Check out the Technology How-To Guide for step by step instructions for addressing this message.

You will log into these Home Base Apps through the NCEdCloud to gain access to many different applications, including Canvas, Easy Bridge (Middle School), SchoolNet, PowerSchool Student. There are other apps that are school specific in which case, you will receive information from your school or teacher.

Parents should visit our Technology How-To Guide which has a dedicated section for parent resources. Important resources include steps for setting up your parent accounts in Canvas and PowerSchool as well as a Canvas training video.

Make sure you are on your school’s waiting list by contacting the school office, as we are continually evaluating where other available resources are in the district and redistributing those. We are working to fulfill every student’s request.

For students who remain unable to access the internet, starting the week of August 24, WS/FCS is rolling out several mobile classrooms using school buses equipped with WiFi hotspots. To find the mobile classroom location nearest you, call the WS/FCS Hotline at (336) 661-3128 or visit the Technology Assistance section on the Our Safe Return page of the WS/FCS Website.

Yes, please contact your school office to let them know you need a chromebook. Your school can provide more detail.

The Our Safe Return page on the WS/FCS website as well as the WS/FCS Guidebook, available in both English and Spanish on the Our Safe Return page, are your best resources for information about the first quarter of the school year.

These are two terms that students and families may hear quite a bit in our remote learning model. Synchronous learningrefers to live, virtual instruction that the student has in real time with the teacher. Examples of synchronous learning is the teacher-led online instruction using Zoom or Microsoft Teams where the student is interacting live with the teacher. Asynchronous learning is when the student is completing assignments on his or her own without live virtual interaction with the teacher. Examples of asynchronous learning may be a Canvas podcast that the students listen to on their own or a worksheet that is completed independently.

It’s important for students and families to remember that “FLEX” Fridays are instructional days and student attendance is expected. Student attendance is determined by

• Working on and/or completing and submitting assigned tasks from your teacher(s)
• Participating in small groups or one-on-one sessions as assigned by your teacher(s)

While no new skills or concepts will be introduced on “FLEX” Fridays, students can expect instruction to follow this FLEX acronym:

F        Flexible groups such as small work groups to remediate, provide guided practice, or enrich learning, as well as to provide additional collaborative learning opportunities.

L        Continued Learning representing a continuation of the skills, facts and concepts taught throughout the week.

E        Enrichment/Extension of concepts and ideas from lessons taught throughout the week with opportunities for deeper dives/examinations of material.

X        eXtra support by using this day to catch up and/or connect with teachers or other staff for additional support needed for student success.  

Students will receive direction from their teacher(s) for their “FLEX” Friday assignments. Please reach out to your teacher(s) directly if you do not feel your “FLEX” Friday requirements are clear.

We also hope students will take the opportunity to use FLEX Fridays to engage in a favorite interest away from the screen to recharge.

Yes, under Plan C, students will be able to continue with their classes just as they would if they were in the classroom. Plan C enables us to offer HAG classes, AP classes, IB classes and CTE classes with those same teachers and curricula. What will change will be limited access to hands-on experiences for our CTE students and science labs. Those experiences will be delivered virtually as best as possible. If we are able to move to a blended learning option after the quarter, like Plan B, we plan to reserve Fridays for small groups of our middle school and high school students to return to the classrooms to participate in labs and CTE classes as well as receive tutoring and other support. Under Plan C, however, all learning will remain remote.

The remote learning plan found on the Our Safe Return webpage of the WS/FCS website outlines some of the specifics for the youngest learners. Our Early Learning Department has tailored plans specific to the youngest learners and we are communicating those specifics directly to our Pre-K and kindergarten parents. Please contact a member of our Early Learning department with questions.

We are offering Pre-K and it looks much like kindergarten. Direct communication was sent to Pre-K parents including expectations, schedules and more. Our EC department is working to directly distribute specific instructions to our EC Pre-K families. Please contact a member of our Early Learning department with questions.

Updates will be shared with families via:

• The WS/FCS Our Safe Returnlanding page
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Cable 2 Television, local television stations, newspaper, radio stations
• Message from the district phone line
• Email, Mobile App, and Text messages

We will use all of these methods of communication to keep our team and families updated on district news.

If you do not have a child enrolled in WS/FCS and would like to receive regular notifications, you can download the WS/FCS app to receive messages. You can also contact us at wsfcsinfo@wsfcs.k12.nc.us.

Yes, we did extensive training on Canvas, our new learning management program.  Canvas provides our teachers with more tools and support specifically for a remote learning environment. The training on this new platform has involved principals, teachers, instructional facilitators, and many others focused on instruction within each school.  The training will be ongoing.

At this time, a reduction in force is not recommended. As we look to a very different school year ahead, it is likely that some members of our staff will have different responsibilities. We have communicated with employees impacted by a change in duty and offered them other work responsibilities while we continue working on plans for an eventual safe return. Those plans could possibly change if we need to continue remote learning well into the school year.

Complete details are available on the Virtual Academy webpage on the WS/FCS Website. You also can call the Virtual Academy at (336) 703-4296. The WS/FCS Virtual Academy is only available to K-8 students during the first quarter of school. We will be reevaluating expansion to high school students as we are able to move into Plan B.

The list of classes offered by the Virtual Academy for Elementary and Middle School students is posted on the Academy’s webpage on the WS/FCS website.

Yes, you can return to your residential or Choice/Magnet school at any time, but we are encouraging all students to remain at the Virtual Academy for the first semester. For students wanting to leave the Academy during the semester, those details would need to be worked out with the Virtual Academy administration team and our Student Assignment office.

Please contact the WS/FCS Student Assignment Office at (336) 748-3302 and they will process your enrollment status.

Yes, we plan at this point to leave the Virtual Academy open for enrollment of new students. It is recommended that school changes happen only at semester breaks. Please view information about enrollment on the Virtual Academy’s webpage on the WS/FCS website.

Parents, guardians or other adults in the home play an important role for students attending the Virtual Academy. Although Virtual Academy students will have daily remote instruction with their teachers, there will be work to be completed by the student on his or her own. For students younger than 11 years of age, we do recommend that they have an adult supervisor at home with them. On its FAQ page, the Virtual Academy outlines the critical role of the parent/guardian with suggestions for supporting the student.

No, there is no cap on enrollment at the Virtual Academy. We will serve all interested K-8 students.

The best way to differentiate between Remote Learning and the WS/FCS Virtual Academy is to think of Remote Learning as an approach to learning and the Virtual Academy as a separate school that will always teach students virtually regardless of the status of the district.

WS/FCS is working alongside the The Forsyth Promise to establish Community Learning Centers. The Centers are organizations who are collaborating with us to support small groups of students and mitigate barriers with remote learning by providing space within their facilities where students can access WiFi, be supervised, and receive support. These Community Learning Centers are supported by staff and community volunteers. For the most updated information including Center locations, please visit the Community Learning Center section of the Our Safe Return webpage.

We have a dedicated committee that’s been working since earlier this spring on making sure our EC and students with IEPs are fully supported with remote learning opportunities and other structured support services. We made great headway in enhancing and strengthening our efforts for the 2020–21 school year.  This is a huge point of emphasis for our district and parents can expect more direct, individualized communication as each individual case is different. If you have a student in the EC program or with an IEP and have not received communication, please contact our Exceptional Children department by email at ecinformation@wsfcs.k12.nc.us or by calling (336) 727-2083.

We know the move to Remote Learning may have an impact on the emotional and mental health of our students and their families. School counselors are available to set up times to speak with students and families.  Parents are encouraged to reach out to their school directly for that support. Teachers also have been provided resources and support to address the emotional wellness needs of their students.

Another priority is connecting families with the appropriate service providers in our community. We continually collaborate with a robust list of community partners to map resources families need. Information about those community partners, as well as strategies and tips for working with your child at home, can be found on the Our Safe Return page of the WS/FCS website. Additionally, our CARES Teams are working one on one with families to support many needs, including mental and emotional health support.

Families looking for child care options can connect with the following resources.

• Find Child Care NC Hotline at (888) 600-1685 established by the NCDHHS in partnership with the NC Child Care Resource and Referral Network to help families find child care programs that are open and that meet NCDHHS health and safety guidelines. The hotline is staffed by child care referral specialists, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• The Child Care Resource Center is a location organization that has a database of over 1,200 child care programs across 9 counties, including Forsyth County. Contact them at (336) 245-4900 or visit their website, childcareresourcecenter.org.

There will be no in-person volunteer opportunities for the first quarter of the school year and once schools reopen, likely under a Plan B scenario, the opportunities for volunteering will be limited due to best health and safety practices. We are exploring virtual volunteer opportunities. While those details are not finalized, we still encourage interested volunteers to complete the application process found here on our webpage and join our list so that when we do have opportunities available, they will be among the first to get information and have immediate ability to begin their vital role within our district.

Behind the Wheel training resumes Monday, August 3. We ask for your patience as there is a backlog of students due to the amount of time we were unable to conduct training. The NC Driving School will be contacting and scheduling students in the following priority—first, students whose Behind the Wheel training was interrupted due to COVID school closings, then students who completed the full 30 hours of classroom training, and then students who’ve completed the minimum of 15 hours of classroom training in order of age (oldest to youngest). To provide a safe environment in the cars, we are supplying masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, wipes, thermometers, spray bottles of sanitizer and cloths for wiping down the common touched areas of the car. The training will take place with one instructor and 2 students at a time. Visit the NC Driving School website for additional information.

Our Student Activities working committee is thinking creatively and in concert with state organizations to determine how athletics, after-school activities and clubs can still be part of the school experience. Here are some decisions that have been made at this time.

• Student clubs and competitions will be held virtually.
• The N.C. High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) has delayed the start of the fall sports season. See the NCHSAA Amended Calendar for exact scheduling based on each sport.
• Football has moved to Spring 2021. Football practice will start Feb. 8 with the first playing date being Feb. 26. Football teams will play a condensed schedule of seven conference games.
• Marching Band has been delayed to match the football schedule.
• Performing arts concerts and performances have been delayed—however, instruction will continue.
• Middle school sports have been postponed indefinitely. A decision on start dates for winter and spring high school sports has not been made by the NCHSAA.
  
  

CARES stands for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security. The CARES Act signed into law earlier this year provided funding for school systems to add staff who will work in the community to help students and families experiencing challenges with remote learning.

Students and families will go through your student’s school to connect with a CARES Team should the school determine that this is the best course of action.

On August 31, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it will continue its free student meal program until further notice.

This means any Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools student can receive free meals – breakfast and lunch --- from our meal pick-up locations until further notice. This change comes after USDA originally indicated that proof of student acceptance into the free and reduced lunch program would start September 1.  Thankfully, this change means free meals for any student will continue through the fall. 

We are serving Take-Home meals from 39 school locations across the county as well as more than 130 mobile meal stops. You can pick up meals from any school location or mobile meal stop – you do not need to go to your student’s school location.

We are not doing daily meal service. Instead, on Monday’s and Thursday’s from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., you will go to a school location serving as a meal site or to a mobile meal stop to pick up a box containing meals for breakfast and lunch to cover multiple days. Your Monday box will contain breakfast and lunch for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Your Thursday box will contain breakfast and lunch for Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Please note that starting September 3, we will offer late afternoon meal pick ups at eight elementary school locations. These schools are Gibson Elementary, Griffith Elementary, Ibraham Elementary, Kernersville Elementary, Smith Farm Elementary, Speas Elementary, South Fork Elementary and Walkertown Elementary. Only these 8 locations will add the late afternoon pick-up, all other school locations and mobile meal stops will continue to serve from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Information about school pick-up locations, how to apply for free meals, mobile delivery sites and schedules is posted on the WS/FCS website on the Child Nutrition department page and the Our Safe Return page. You also may call the Child Nutrition office at (336) 703-4275.

Based on new Federal guidelines and until further notice, any Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools student can receive free meals – breakfast and lunch --- from our meal pick-up locations. You do not need to apply for Free and Reduced Lunch to receive free meals -- every student qualifies.  

Until further notice, you do not need to complete an application for Free/Reduced Meals for your student(s) to receive our Take-Home free meals. Free meals are available to all students.

We encourage families to use our interactive menu app called Nutrislice, which will allow you to search the closest meal location to you. You can download the Nutrislice App for free at the Apple Store or Google Play. Information on meal sites also is available on the WS/FCS website on the Child Nutrition department page at  https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Domain/18 and the Our Safe Return page at https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Page/115981.

Yes. Parents and guardians can pick up meals without students being present and will not be required to provide any additional student information at this time.

Although we will be learning remotely, state law says all students must be current with mandatory Health Assessment Forms and Immunizations. There are no changes to these requirements due to COVID-19, however Governor Cooper did extend the deadline to October 1, 2020 with a 30-day grace period. All students entering Kindergarten and those students new to our district are required to have a Health Assessment Form signed by a health care provider.

Students new to WS/FCS and all students entering Kindergarten, grade 7 and grade 12 must have the required immunizations. Information about required immunizations can be found on the DHHS website.

If your family cannot secure an appointment with a health care provider, you can call the Bulldog Health Center at 336-703-4273 for information about their services. Additionally, immunizations may be obtained at the Forsyth County Department of Public Health, appointments are now required, 336-703-3324.

Families of Kindergarten, 7^th and 12^th grade students who are not current on well-child checks will receive an automated call from the Northwest Community Care Network reminding them to schedule an appointment with your primary care provider as soon as possible.