EBENEZER--The Foundation for Secondary Education SVOBE provided parents and guardians of the Milton Peters College (MPC) and the Sundial School with an update on the continuation of education for its students.
SVOBE’s Interim General Director Jacqueline Duggins-Horsford said teachers have worked diligently to put a contingency plan in place for the continuation of the educational process of their students.
“Consequently, all students started with schoolwork from Wednesday March 25. Students received a lesson plan through Somtoday, WhatsApp or other media,” she said in a letter addressed to parents and guardians on Friday.
According to the letter, students with no accessibility to internet were called into the schools to collect their work. “Some teachers have even delivered work to student’s homes. However, there is still work that has not been picked up,” she added.
Parents and guardians have been advised to contact their child’s mentor if their child does not have accessibility to internet and/or have not received any schoolwork. The use of the website www.somtoday.nl has been advised to keep those updated, as messages are not always transmitted on the Somtoday phone app, said the director.
SVOBE said distribution of the term two report cards scheduled for April 1 has been postponed until further notice. Report card meetings with teachers will be conducted remotely next week. “After these meetings, the final term two averages will be visible on Somtoday effective April 14,” said Duggins-Horsford. “When school resumes, a hardcopy of your child’s report card will be shared.”
The planned “test week 2B” for the MPC examination students has been postponed until further notice. The central exams have also been cancelled in the Netherlands. “We are still awaiting the official confirmation from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (ECYS) as these decisions are not made by the schools,” she added.
“This is a moment in time that none of us –parents/guardians, students and teachers– could have ever imagined; however we are doing our utmost to make it through as [best – Ed.] as we possibly can. We must continue to work together and remain positive,” said Duggins-Horsford.
Parents and guardians are advised to monitor their child’s daily activity. “They should be doing schoolwork every workday. Depending on the form and/or level, even on weekends,” the director said. “Keep contact with your child’s mentor and/or subject teachers. Do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have.”
“Bear in mind that during this time your child needs his/her device(s) for school purposes. Therefore, do not confiscate them, but monitor the usage,” she concluded.
