Dear Quincy Families,
This past week, we had two students test positive for COVID-19. The good news is that they were not in school during the infectious period, which meant that no one was exposed to the virus. Their parents made a proactive decision to keep them out of school. This is no surprise, Quincy families just do that–we look out for each other.
If there is an instance where a student or staff member who tests positive for COVID-19 is in school while they are infectious, we will notify Quincy families within 24-hours by email. We are thankful that our safety protocols like masks, cohorting grade levels, and doing our best to social distance has helped prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our schools…so far.
Conferences will be different this year and all of our teachers are looking forward to meeting with you virtually. Thank you for your flexibility and for giving us lots of grace as we navigate this for the first time with you.
We remain thankful for the partnership of our families! Enjoy the weekend!
Allyson Apsey
**SIGN UP** for PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES via ZOOM
Conferences are right around the corner! On November 10, 11 (4-7pm) and November 12 (1-7pm) we will have the privilege of meeting with you via Zoom and discussing your wonderful children.
Please use this LINK to sign up for a 20 min timeslot to meet with your child’s teacher. After you complete your online sign up process you will receive a confirmation which includes your Zoom link.
The sign up link can also be found on our ZPS website under News & Announcements.
QUINCY STUDENTS ARE “ON Q”!
Quincy students earn “On Q!” tickets by following school expectations. Each week we draw a student’s name from each grade level. This week these incredible students were honored as Quincy “On Q!” superstars! Congratulations to all our students were “On Q!” this week.
IMPORTANT DATES COMING UP
Nov. 10 4-7pm Parent/Teacher Conferences (via Zoom)
Nov. 11 4-7pm Parent/Teacher Conferences (via Zoom)
Nov. 12 Virtual ½ Day
Nov. 12 1-7pm Parent/Teacher Conferences (via Zoom)
Nov. 13 No School
Nov. 18 Geskus Picture Retake Day
iPAD USE/SECURITY AT HOME
As a district we believe that there is a significant amount of internet learning resources that benefit our students. We take the responsibility of providing supervised access to these resources very seriously. Our goal is always to better prepare students to become lifelong learners.
As a general practice, the district protects all of the devices assigned to students with a variety of security layers. We contract with a company called iBoss to utilize their content filtering services. Staff is constantly adding items that they run across that should be added to our filter. We also subscribe to several current security publications that recommend updates to our student protection package.
Even with all of this, it may not meet the specific needs of the 6500+ students/families within the district. Some families want to have more access to internet sites that we currently block while others think we are not tight enough. Know that in all cases the base layer of items such as porn, gambling, hate speech, etc… is always blocked whether students are on and off campus. It is a constant challenge to maintain the balance of access, security and appropriateness within the wide variety of opinions and personal values that come from our stakeholders. We rely on parents to take an active interest as to what their children may see online. Having a continuous connection with your child’s teacher about iPad concerns is the ultimate tool that we have to make things work for the best.
As a district we believe that the resources available on sites like YouTube (when combined with the current content filter) has solid instructional value for our students. However, sometimes things may not be rated as we all think they should. If you find something that you feel should be added to the content filter, please let us know and we will get back to you.
Regarding why we lock down the machines to prevent configuration changes
We have seen some of our students attempt to disable some of those protocols to gain access to items that may not be in their educational best interest. No solution is perfect, however, we must take significant steps to ensure that students can’t disable the security. It is a constant struggle to make sure that kids can’t get around the security system with enough access to allow them to make the device their own. Our current solution does not permit parental customization of our security/content filter applications. If we were to allow parents/students to change the setups, it would impact learning in the classroom. There is a level of consistency that the teachers need to have when knowing what to expect with the daily use of the devices in the classroom.
Our current educational environment demands that the same level of care and flexibility be applied with the use of Technology. We will continue to try to improve how we apply both.
Please feel free to contact me or your child’s teacher should you have any questions.
Thanks,
Mark Washington, Technology
Zeeland Public Schools
ZPS PLANS FOR SECOND SEMESTER:
ZPS is preparing for the second semester, which runs January 25 through June 10, 2021. In response to COVID-19, all students will continue with two learning options: In-Person at ZPS or via Z-Connect Online Learning from home.
ALL Parents are asked to participate in a short survey English Version Spanish Version by November 20 to inform ZPS of your selection. Please take time to discuss the best fit for your family moving forward. Additionally, parent-teacher conferences can provide additional insight on your student’s current educational path. This information may be useful as you determine which option to select.
Please find more detailed information on our website.
ZPS FREE MEAL SERVICE *EXTENDS* THROUGH JUNE
ZPS Food Service is pleased to extend the free meal service for both breakfast and lunch through the end of the school year. Free full meals are available to all students regardless of income. If you have any questions about ZPS Food Service, please contact ZPS Food Service at 616-748-3128 or on the ZPS website.
MY CHILD HAS A COVID-19 SYMPTOM. WHAT DO I DO?
We have two resources to share with you that will help guide you in case your child has a new COVID-19 symptom that is not typical for your child. You can check out this flowchart from the Ottawa County Health Department, and you can check out this clickable slideshow (created by Mrs. Apsey) that can guide you along.
FREE TUTORING AVAILABLE
Beginning October 5, Grand Valley State University is offering free 1:1 virtual tutoring/homework support to all K-12 students in Michigan throughout the school year. GVSU gave us an opportunity for an early sign up through their website. Tutors, comprised of GVSU students, faculty, staff, and alumni, will be available Monday through Friday from 11a to 9p and Saturday from 12p-5p. Every tutor has passed a background check and all sessions take place through Zoom which is monitored full time. Content areas include English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish. Additional subjects may be added throughout the year. Please feel free to take advantage of this exciting opportunity.
English and Spanish flyers can be accessed below:
Spanish_ K-12 Connect User
English_ K-12 Connect User
SIGN UP FOR “Z for ME” UPDATES
The district will be updating families throughout the summer in the “Z for ME” updates.
Sign up using this link
VALENTINE’S DAY 2021 
Families have shared that it is helpful to set alarms on student iPads to alert students to join their Zoom meetings. 
We know that Thanksgiving will be different this year and we all will miss out on our big family gatherings. But, if that means that we can keep others healthy and get back to school sooner, the sacrifice will surely be worth it. As always, if there is anything we can do, please email me at 
