WE CARE

We are concerned about the wellbeing of all students, faculty, staff, and their families. While we are experiencing times of uncertainty, we know many questions are looming in the minds of all stakeholders. Please find the information related to the school changes below. We will update this page as changes occur. Our continual thoughts remain with the Ram Family and community at large. Please be safe.

Schools will be closed for the remainder of the school year, through May 29, 2020.

• schools will operate virtually by non-classroom-based means as much as possible
• IEP-related services may be extended as deemed appropriate
• remaining state tests are canceled
• graduation and promotion requirements are under review
• k-12 school grades will not be calculated for 19-20 (this does not pertain to student progress/report card grades)
• Florida Bright Futures Scholarships will be based on available data and results
• State required instructional hours may be reduced
• No decisions finalized on summer school opportunities at this time
• ACPS Grading Window for Quarter 3 progress reports has been extended to April 7th

Florida Department of Education - Guidance for 19-20 School Year

Scroll down to find information related to ACADEMICS, EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES and HEALTH/SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL WELLBEING

*School Counselors are still available for support. Go to our Student Services Tab, Click Academic Support, Scroll down left side of the screen for a link to request an appointment, and contact information.

ACADEMICS

*District Instructional Continuity Plan

"While the district is on an extended Spring Break until March 30 as ordered by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the district has developed and posted the plans for providing instruction for students on its website at www.sbac.edu. The plan outlines how we will provide instruction after Spring Break, but also includes resources you can use right now. The direct link to the Instructional Continuity Plan is https://bit.ly/2wjxp2M"

Please contact your local internet service provider for details on the phone and remote access/assistance. Check links below for information on discounted internet services. 

Cox Cable       AT&T

ACPS is offering a free school bus wifi program to promote digital learning; the district is launching this new program to assist students with access to the internet. School buses with free 'hot spots' will be available in various locations in the community for three hours per weekday.

Free School Bus Wifi Program (sites and schedule)

ACT/SAT

• ACT has rescheduled its April 4th test date to June 13th; registered students will receive an email with instructions (free reschedule to June 13 or future national test date). Summer testing dates are currently posted as of June 13 & July 18.
• CollegeBoard has canceled the May 2nd SAT and SAT Subject Test Administration; March 14th Makeup Exam, scheduled for March 28th, is also canceled.
• June 6th SAT and SAT Subject Test administration has been canceled. The next assessment to be held at Eastside is currently scheduled for August 29th.
• CollegeBoard is considering adding an international SAT administration later this year

American College Testing (ACT)

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

 Dual Enrollment

University of Florida (UF) Dual Enrollment applications are due by May 1st.

School-based questions about UF Dual Enrollment should be directed to Ms. Turnage (email: turnagas@gm.sbac.edu).

UF Dual Enrollment

Santa Fe College (SFC) Dual Enrollment

Santa Fe College Dual Enrollment

Advanced Placement Testing

• CollegeBoard is providing free remote learning resources
• Traditional face-to-face exam administrations will not take place; students will take a 45-minute online free-response exam at home
• Exams will only include topics and skills most AP teachers have covered by early March
• Digital security tools and techniques will be used to detect plagiarism and other forms of cheating to protect the integrity of the test
• Some students may want to take the exam sooner rather than later, while content is still fresh. Other students may want more time to practice. For each AP subject, there will be 2 different testing dates.
• Any student already registered for an exam can cancel without a charge
• More information about testing and test dates will be shared on April 3rd

AP Updates by CollegeBoard

Credit Retrieval Option Program (CROP)

Students may work from home to retrieve credit that has been lost. Students are encouraged to work on assignments now; teachers are checking progress. If someone is having trouble logging in or making progress, please email our CROP Administrator -         Mrs. Crista Shaffer at shaffercc@gm.sbac.edu

In times past, students could not take examinations at home, but due to the extreme nature of current circumstances, we are making an exception. As students work on assignments and show proficiency, teachers will be permitted to unlock tests for students so students have access at home. CROP teachers and administrators will monitor student progress and unlock tests only when the student has properly progressed to that point of the course. There are tools in the Edgenuity program that may alert teachers to suspicious performance, e.g., how long the student worked on the assessment - sudden peak performance on the final exam when previous proctored assessments were significantly lower, etc. Therefore, students should maintain their best performance.

CROP (Edgenuity Website)

In case students need help getting started, we have provided a "how to get started" video: https://youtu.be/G_HPDRbV8oU

Educational Practice Opportunities

Students may use this site to practice math and English skills, as well as prepare for the SAT.

Khan Academy

International Baccalaureate Program (IB)

• IB Examinations

EXTRACURRICULAR

Senior Activities, listed alphabetically

       All seniors have been asked to complete the awards/ceremonies form sent to their school board email by Dr. Edwards. The deadline was extended to May, 11th. Some seniors have NOT completed it. Please do that immediately.

• Awards Ceremony - May 26th at  6 PM - EHS will host a virtual awards ceremony that will stream to YouTube. *More information is forthcoming.
• Book Return/Debts - Date and time by student's last name                                         
  • Tuesday, May 19th A-F (9 AM), G-L (11 AM) & Wednesday, May 20th M-S (9 AM), T-Z (11 AM)   
  • If you have any questions related to book returns or debts, please email Mr. Williams at williamslv@gm.sbac.edu                                                                                                                                                                                                                
  • Students and parents should drive on campus at the designated times. Cars will line up on the parent pick-side of campus. All persons will remain in their vehicles. All books should be together and handed out the staff through the car window. Please place your printed first and last name on a sheet of paper and hand it to staff with the textbooks. *Seniors can pay their debts during this time, however, they will have the chance to pay during cap and gown pick up too. 
  • If a student has textbooks in a locker, we will escort them to their locker remaining 6 feet apart in efforts to adhere to CDC Guidelines. Once student belongings are gathered then they can return their books at parent-pick up and get into their vehicles.  Since Building 15 is under construction some of those students will not be able to retrieve their textbooks. We will also have custodians stationed in certain areas to assist. 
• Cap and Gown Orders - Go to Herff Jones and log in. You must create an account to make a cap and gown order. Make sure you select Eastside High School in Gainesville, FL. There are several Eastside high schools on the list. When ready to order,
  • (1) Click Shop Grad Product
  • (2) Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Shop Individual Products Including Cap and Gown" in the green bar
  • (3) Click the picture of our former graduation robe ("Cap, Gown, Tassel)" although you will receive the current style with the school crest.
  • (4) You must enter your gender, height with shoes, and weight. The cost per unit is $45 ($48.15 with tax).
  • (5) Click "Check out" and be prepared to enter a credit card for payment.
  • (6) Once everything is entered click "Place Order".
  • All orders are shipped to Eastside High School. Online orders will be turned off on May 23rd. Any purchases after that will be $55 cash, the exact amount only.
  • For questions about orders, please call (850) 792-5110.
  • Eastside holds all caps and gowns until the time of pick-up. Seniors who have met the state of Florida requirements for graduation can receive their cap and gown at the pick-up time. All others are held until after the commencement ceremony. 
• Cap and Gown Pick-Up, Awards Pick-Up, & School Laptop Returns - Thursday, May 28th. A-F (9-10 AM), G-L (10:30-11:30 AM), M-R (12-1 PM), S-Z (1:30-2:30 PM)
  • Students and parents should drive on campus at the designated times with a large sheet of paper indicating the student name in bold PRINT.
  • Cars will line up on the parent pick-side of campus. All persons will remain in their vehicles.
  • Staff will direct students where to go pending whether they are picking up a cap and gown or need to purchase a cap and gown, either way, all school debts must be paid first and textbooks, classroom books, media, laptops, and other school materials turned in first.
  • All books should be together and handed out the staff through the car window. Please place your printed first and last name on a sheet of paper and hand it to staff with the textbooks. 
  • Students will receive their caps and gowns, any awards earned, and an entrance card for the Gainesville Raceway Graduation Ceremony. 

                     Diagram for Cap & Gown Pick Up Process

• Diploma Pick-up - Wednesday, June 10 A-L (9-11 AM), M-Z (12-2 PM)
• Final Grades - All CROP Courses and final coursework is due by Friday, May 22nd in preparation to post grades to transcript for certification of meeting state standards to earn a diploma. 
• Grad Bash - Universal Studios has canceled the Grad Bash event. Since the U.S. federal government extended social distancing guidelines through April 30th and the FLDOE extended the closure of schools in Florida through May 1st, we are not able to reschedule Grad Bash. Universal Studios Grad Events Reimbursement for tickets will be given at Eastside on Friday, April 17th from 1:30-2:45 pm. A valid form of identification will be needed to received refunds. 
• Graduation - Tuesday, June 9th, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM.  Location: The Gainesville Raceway. Address: 11211 N County Road 225, Gainesville, FL 32609  

           Students may arrive at 8:30 to begin lining up the processional of cars. Each graduate will need an entrance card. *More details to come. 

           Please see the letter shared by our school district: Raceway Grad Ceremony  Graduation Info Sheet - EHS 2020 Raceway Ceremony

• Graduation Speech Tryouts - The deadline to sign-up is April 30th. Candidates have received notification of their participation eligibility and will tryout before a committee in a closed virtual setting on Tuesday, May 19th.
• Operation Graduation - A joint effort by the district, CBS4, and Scorpio Construction to recognize the Class of 2020 with TV broadcasts that include the photos/names of graduating seniors from each of our schools. This will NOT replace a graduation ceremony, it's just an extra recognition.

  To be included in the video, a student MUST have a release form signed by the student and parent. The form can be filled out, signed and submitted entirely online:

  https://acpses.na1.echosign.com/public/esignWidget?wid=CBFCIBAA3AAABLblqZhBlSrXMXeDgyqcayKPdGQ7kkymZqhMYfBnX-IzNO_hmd6nS_23I3AJx2iav3NzSOtw*

  You can also print the form, scan it, or take a photo and email it to graduation@gm.sbac.edu. 

• IB Pinning Ceremony - Private Virtual setting on May 7th at 6 PM. Contact Mrs. Koon for details (email: koonal@gm.sbac.edu)
• Prom - Canceled; information on reimbursing tickets is forthcoming 
• Senior Photos - SWI has closed its studio but is still filling orders. Parents/Students may visit SWI Photographers for updates. You may call or email SWI at TEL: 1-800-226-0453 | EMAIL: INFO@SWIPHOTO.COM | MON-FRI: 9 AM-5 PM.
• Senior Photo Make-Ups - For those graduating seniors who did not have a yearbook photo taken, SWI Photography has graciously offered to take makeup photos free of charge from May 11-13. This is ONLY for graduating seniors who DID NOT already have a yearbook photo taken. Families must schedule an appointment so that social distancing can be maintained. Makeup Senior Photos 

  A flyer with more information is attached, or you can visit the special SWI website at https://swiphoto.com/acps2020_web/

• Yearbook - Balfour Publishing will resume printing on May 18th. *Interested in purchasing a yearbook now? -Buy Yearbooks Here. You will see options to buy different packages or just the book. If purchasing through the website will not work for you, email our yearbook sponsor, Ms. Brittany Thomas at thomasbm@gm.sbac.edu, and she will work with you on ordering a book another way. We expect to have yearbooks will be delivered during the week of June 17th.

  Here is a sample of what is to come - Yearbook Preview

Underclassmen Activities, listed alphabetically

• 9th Grade Textbook Returns - Tuesday, May 26th                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
  (A-L) 9:00 a.m. / (M-Z) 11:00 a.m.
• 10th/11th Grade Textbook Returns - Wednesday, May 27th 
  (A-L) Both grade levels, 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m / (M-Z) Both grade levels, 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m
• Laptop Returns - June 2nd - All Laptop returns will occur from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm (Parent Pick-Up)

 Sports

• no extracurricular activities
• no offsite practices permitted
• no penalties enforced for missed games

Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA)

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

HEALTH/SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL WELLBEING

Medication

Parents will not need to pick up medications unless concerned about home supply depleting because of time off from school. In order to pick up medication, a parent will need to come in and sign the Medication Treatment Authorization form that indicates the number and doses picked up. Please call ahead to the front office to schedule a time for pick-up.

Mental Health

We know many of our students are able to maintain social-emotional wellbeing because of school structure and assistance of teachers, school counselors, social workers, peers, and other individuals that provide support during the day. The absence of those figures can cause anxiety for some kids. Students should be aware that local support is offered through the Crisis Center at (352-264-6789), for those who need mental health support. Persons who have battled with depressions or thoughts of suicide can also reach out to the prevention lifeline for help (1-800-273-8255). Please be vigilant about ensuring students who meet with mental health professionals and take medications remain on track with appointments. Consistency is key to minimizing fears.

Crisis Center

Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Frequently updated health sites:

Alachua County Department of Health: http://alachua.floridahealth.gov/

Florida Department of Health: http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19/

The Centers for Disease Control:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html