Open Houses begin tonight, OLR Reminder, Technology Approach for 26-27, ParentSquare Info, Consent to Communicate Waiver

Beginning this school year, our youngest learners in kindergarten through second grade will no longer participate in a one-to-one device program. At these critical ages, students learn best through conversation, play, reading, writing, exploration, hands-on experiences, and meaningful interaction with teachers and classmates. Technology will continue to be used when it enhances instruction, but it will represent only a small portion of the instructional day.

Students in grades 3 through 8 will continue to have access to individual devices during the school day. However, these devices will remain at school and will no longer be taken home each afternoon. If a student needs Chromebook access for a short time at home, a student may follow the checkout procedure.

Students in grades 9 through 12 will continue to have 1:1 access and may take them home. Students will have a more blended approach, with awareness of classroom screen time.

This revised approach allows us to provide students with the benefits of technology during instruction while also promoting a healthier balance beyond the school day. It also allows students to be actively engaged in high-quality instruction that features a variety of activities, such as discussions, collaborative tasks, problem-solving, and more.

With ParentSquare, you’ll receive all school and classroom messages in one place and translated into your preferred language—whether by email, text, app, or web. You’ll also be able to:

All school, grade-level, and classroom communications come through ParentSquare, and StudentSquare is available for grades 6-12 and offers the same features as ParentSquare.

If you have changed an email address or cell number, please call your home school to revise that information in Infinite Campus. Once the new information syncs with ParentSquare overnight, you will be able to use it to log in to your account.

For more information about using ParentSquare, please visit our ParentSquare webpage.

For certain situations, such as close family friends, athletics, or babysitters, the parent and employee can complete a parental consent form and submit it to the Webster County Board of Education office.

Parents may revoke this permission at any time.

A parent must submit a consent form for each permission granted, and the employee must also sign it. The consent form will not be accepted unless all requirements are met, including valid signatures from both the parent and employee.

The completed consent form must be returned to the Webster County Board of Education office prior to the communication. The Webster County Schools Consent for Outside Traceable Communications (“the waiver”) is available at the Webster County Board of Education office or by clicking this link: Consent to Communicate Waiver.