M-DCPS to Launch ‘Week of Welcome’ to Help Families Prepare for 2020-2021 School Year

Beginning August 24, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) will launch a virtual Week of Welcome, a series of online programming modules to assist families in preparing for the reopening of the school year and introduce them to the routines and practices of My School Online (MSO). The 2020-2021 school year begins August 31 for students across Miami-Dade utilizing MSO.

During the week of August 24-28, sessions covering nearly 60 topics will be available for viewing in English, Spanish and Haitian-Creole at http://miamiweekofwelcome.com. The website has a translation feature so all parents can view it in their preferred language. Each day of the week, additional videos will be uploaded to the site. Critically important modules to facilitate a student’s education for the new school year will be indicated as “Must Watch.”

Select programming will also be broadcast on WLRN-TV Ch. 17. Many of the “Must Watch” videos will be featured each day of the Week of Welcome, as well as special programming for students in Exceptional Student Education and PreKindergarten (PreK) programs.

The topics, which range from cybersecurity and coping with stress to study habits and nutrition, are organized into four main categories:

·         Connecting Virtually – includes information related to distance learning, devices and connectivity, and parent and student portal navigation;

·         Supporting Student Success – includes a host of modules designed to help families establish schedules and routines to optimize learning and develop strong study habits. Modules that will support special populations, such as students with disabilities, English language learners and students in PreK and Kindergarten are included;

·         Healthy Mind & Body –  encompasses topics related to mental health, mindfulness, and nutrition, which are all critical given the high level of stress and anxiety many students and families are experiencing during this crisis;

·         Your Child on Campus – is a series of modules that will provide students and parents with information on what they can expect to see and experience at the physical schoolhouse once M-DCPS enters Stage II of reopening.

 Each module will indicate whether it is to be viewed by students, parents or by both.

These modules will include information on the District’s enhanced safety and health protocols and address other topics that will be important for students and families, who opted for the schoolhouse model in Stage II, as they prepare to physically return to school.

Activities planned for this week will provide numerous opportunities for students and families to familiarize themselves with the tools needed to engage in distance learning. M-DCPS will also provide additional extensive professional development opportunities for teachers to ensure everyone is fully prepared to succeed in a digital environment.

In addition to the materials that will be available for the Week of Welcome at http://miamiweekofwelcome.com, families can take advantage a wide array of resources at the M-DCPS Reopening of Schools website. This website may also be accessed by scanning the QR code to the right. 

School administrators will be providing parents with instructions on how to view videos created by their child’s school showing morning announcements and events such as Open House via the website https://dadeschools.eduvision.tv/.

The Parent Academy provides ongoing training and support for parents so that they may be better able to assist their children with technology fluency and proficiency. On-demand webinars will be offered in multiple languages at parentacademymiami.com/virtual-campus/.

The District is utilizing public service announcements, fliers and other means of communication in mutiple languages to ensure that all families are reached and can take advantage of these learning opportunities. The M-DCPS Distance Learning Hotline, 305-995-HELP (4357), will continue to be available to provide assistance in live-time.

Parents are urged to keep their contact information current to receive informational and emergency messages. They may text “Y” to 67587 on their mobile device to opt in for text messages. For the most up-to-date information, please download the Dadeschools mobile app to your iPhone or Android device. Follow us on Twitter @mdcps and @miamisup, on Instagram @miamischools and @miamisup, and on Facebook at MiamiSchools and AlbertoCarvalho