As the COVID-19 pandemic brings so many changes to our world and how we can safely interact with everyone, Dublin Partners in Education (DPIE) has changed how we deliver our programs so that we can continue to meet the needs of families in Dublin. We have received hundreds of requests from parents to offer education programs online so we can assist families with positive and enriching learning programs while they deal with school shutdowns and shelter in place orders.
Responding to those requests for help, DPIE worked quickly this spring to convert as many of our Spring After School Program courses to an online format as possible. Academy Director, Rich Boschetti said:
“Having never worked with a distance learning program before, we worked closely with our creative vendor partners and some of our excellent Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) teachers and we were able to successfully convert classes like Chess, Public Speaking, Actors Workshop, Yoga, Creative Writing, Book Club and Fitness courses to an online format. We had some bumps along the way, but that was to be expected and overall, parents have been very appreciative of our efforts.
Using creativity and new technology like WebEx, Zoom and Google Hangouts, we were able to convert approximately 25% of our Spring After School Program to the new online learning format and 300 of our elementary students were able to continue their enrichment courses through the month of May.”
DPIE Summer Academies Go Online
Given the positive feedback on the successful experiences with the online format which we received for the Spring After School Academy, DPIE worked with DUSD teachers to convert our math, science and enrichment courses at the high school, middle school and elementary levels to distance online learning formats for our summer academies. Rich added:
“Teachers have worked tirelessly over the last month to create online education environments that will help them effectively teach the concepts that students need to successfully learn in Math and Science courses. DPIE has already invested more than $35,000 in reorganizing our high school and middle school programs and purchasing the technology and licenses needed to make the distance learning a reality. I’m truly appreciative for the efforts teachers are making to make this program work and I know they are dedicated to successful learning experiences for their students.”
Dublin High teachers are currently working to create alternative assessments that will work in the distance learning classroom and instructional videos that can be posted online that students can refer to as needed. The program will look very different from the traditional program we’ve offered in the past, but with flexibility and patience on everyone’s part, we feel the program can work for everyone.
In Person Final Exams for High School Courses and Math Course 3
One deviation from the distance learning format will occur on the last day of class, which is July 9th for Math Course 3 and July 10th for all high school courses. Students will be asked to take their final assessments in person and will be assigned a school site and facility for test completion. Students will be directed to one of the Dublin schools where safety protocols will be put in place, tests will be taken in oversized rooms like gyms and Multi Purpose Rooms and start and end times will be staggered so not all students arrive on campus at the same time. All students will be required to wear masks during the final assessments and students will be spaced according to county requirements.
Middle School Summer Program
We are delighted to offer 8 Middle School online course, ranging from one to two weeks, starting on June 8th. We have new and modified course offerings – click here for more details and to enroll.
Elementary School Summer Program
Working with our elementary school teachers and vendors, we are offering online courses in reading, writing, science, technology, creative and fun starting on June 8th. We have one, two week and three-week course offerings – click here for more details and to enroll.
We at DPIE are committed to supporting the educational needs of the Dublin community and we thank the families of our enrolled students for their patience and flexibility while we have worked through our programs to offer a solution that works at this time.
All the best to you and your families from everyone at DPIE.
