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)
  
  

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.

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 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.

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 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.