PLD Welcome Letter

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
1600 Man O’ War Boulevard
Lexington, KY 40513
Telephone: 859-381-3546
Fax: 859-381-3560
August 10, 2020
PLD Families:
The FCPS Board of Education voted unanimously to begin the 2020-2021 school year with Non-Traditional Instruction/Differentiated
Distance Learning (NTI/2DL) and the first day will be August 26, 2020. We are excited to start the school year and we are looking
forward to meeting incoming freshman and families, reconnecting with returning upperclassman, and getting back into a routine, even if
it is a virtual routine! This letter contains general school information as well as a detailed plan for how NTI/2DL will operate for Paul
Laurence Dunbar students and families. We know you have questions about starting school virtually and we have tried to answer your
questions as best as possible.
Class Schedules: Student schedules are enclosed with this letter and all schedules will be available online on August 19 th through the
Infinite Campus portal. The website address for the parent portal is https://fayetteky.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/fayette.jsp.
There is also a link to the parent portal on the PLD website (www.pld.fcps.net) as well as the FCPS website (www.fcps.net). The
user ID and password used last year will still gain access, even if a student attended a different FCPS school. If you are new to the
district or have never set up your parent portal, please use the IC Parent Portal Support Tool located at https://apps2.fcps.net/icsupport
and follow the “Register” instructions. You can also use this site to reset your password or if you have questions about how to
use the portal. Dunbar cannot assist you in gaining access to your portal account; you must go through this support tool for assistance.
If there are any errors on your student’s schedule, please alert your counselor as soon as possible using this Google form
(https://forms.gle/QrhjyZPFDk2ZkJgp9). There is also a link to the form on the PLD website under Student Support. Your student’s
counselor is listed below, on the portal, and on the schedule. Please be aware that not all requested changes can be
accommodated, even if they fall within the guidelines of the policy.
Counselor Assignments: Please see below for your student’s counselor assignment.
Last Name begins with: Counselor Name Counselor Email
A – Bal & MSTC Melanie Burch melanie.burch@fayette.kyschools.us
Ban – D Kelly Krusich kelly.krusich@fayette.kyschools.us
E – I Melissa Long melissa.long@fayette.kyschools.us
J - Mon Callie Donovan callie.donovan@fayette.kyschools.us
Moo – Scho Kendra Tackett kendra.tackett2@fayette.kyschools.us
Schw – Z Deanna Smith deanna.smith@fayette.kyschools.us
9 th grade orientation: For incoming 9th grade students and families we will have a drive thru orientation on August 20 and 21. PLD
families will enter campus and follow the signs through six stations. Please see the schedule below and plan to drive thru during your
designated date/time. If you cannot attend and you have questions, please contact the assigned counselor for your student.
Students with LAST name Drive Through Assigned Assigned Counselor
starting with:
Block TIME:
August 20 th A – Bal & MSTC 9 AM – 10:30 AM Burch
Ban – D 11 AM – 12:30 PM Krusich
E – I 1 PM – 2:30 PM Long
August 21 st J - Mon 9 AM – 10:30 AM Donovan
Moo – Scho 11 AM – 12:30 PM Tackett
Schw – Z 1 PM – 2:30 PM Smith
ADMINISTRATION
Betsy Rains, Principal
Tony Blackman, Associate Principal n Andrea Tinsley, Associate Principal n Nancy Hill, Associate Principal
Liz Pelphrey, Administrative Dean nTonya Merritt, Administrative Dean n Deanna Smith, Head Counselor,
Karen Young, MSTC Director

Schedule for the first day of school, August 26, 2020: Students will Zoom meet with all classes for an overview of each course on
the first day of school. Access to each scheduled class will be through Canvas. Thursday will be an A-day; Friday will be a B-day.
Zero Hour: 7:50 – 8:20
Homeroom/CCR: 8:25 – 8:55
A1: 9:05 – 9:35
A2: 9:45 – 10:15
A3: 10:25 – 10:55
A4: 11:05 – 11:35
Lunch: 11:40 – 12:15
B1: 12:25 – 12:55
B2: 1:05 – 1:35
B3: 1:45 – 2:15
B4: 2:25 – 2:55
Instructional/Class Fees: All students will be required to pay an instructional fee of $64. There may be additional fees depending on
the courses the student is taking, however this year fees will be reduced due to virtual learning. All fees need to be paid (cash or
check) by the end of the semester. If needed, you can make a partial payment of at least half with the remaining payment being
made by the end of the first semester. All fees will be mailed home with an addressed, stamped return envelope. An itemized listing of
fees will be available on the parent portal. If your family qualifies for assistance based on the Federal guidelines for the free or
reduced lunch program, complete the forms, which are located on our website. Updated forms are required each year.
College & Career Readiness Block: During NTI/2DL, College & Career Readiness (CCR) information and activities will be provided
each Wednesday. Students will connect with their CCR teacher at 11:00 AM to receive grade-appropriate information about careers,
the college application process, financial literacy, global competency, test-taking skills, mentoring, and various other topics.
College and Career Center: The College and Career Center is a dedicated center to assist students on exploring career options,
developing a career path, and understanding how to be college or career ready at the time of graduation. The center hosts college
representative visits, business and industry representative visits, military representative visits, FAFSA days, guest speakers from a
variety of careers, and student group college & business site visits. Due to COVID, we will not be participating in any on-site visits and
all representative visits will be virtual for the fall semester. A monthly newsletter will be sent to parents via email on the activities from
the College and Career Center. This information will be posted on the College and Career Center webpage under the Student Support
tab on the PLD webpage. Virtual and phone appointments can be made with our College and Career Coach, Pamela Bates.
Directions for scheduling appointments are on the CCC webpage, https://www.fcps.net/domain/8234.
Grading: PLD uses Standards Based Grading for all of our classes except Dual Credit. SBG emphasizes accurate reporting of
student learning focused on the key content for each course. The details of our grading policy are on our webpage and included in our
SBDM policies. Class syllabi will also include specific information about classroom expectations and procedures related to grading.
Your student will receive a final letter grade of A-F in all classes. Advanced, AP, and DC classes continue to receive an extra quality
point on the weighted GPA. The main differences that you will notice are that the grading scale is 0-5 instead of 0-100 and that
students have opportunities to improve their learning results if they are struggling with content.
Communication: During NTI/2DL, all communication from school to home will be communicated via email. There may be an
occasional message sent via text and/or phone message. All communication will also be posted on our website and reported through
the PLD Lamplighter (www.pldlamplighter.org). All parents/guardians need to update contact information (email and phone) in
Infinite Campus. Parents can change email and phone numbers only in the Parent Portal by following the instructions on page 7 at
this link, https://www.fcps.net/cms/lib/KY01807169/Centricity/Domain/3950/IC_FAQ.pdf. To change your physical address, you must
send two forms of proof of address (deed/lease and utility bill or other bill) to the registrar. You can scan and email to
chad.gravitt@fayette.kyschools.us or bring copies to school.
Student Code of Conduct: The link to the FCPS Student Code of Conduct is here:
https://www.fcps.net/cms/lib/KY01807169/Centricity/Shared/Code%20of%20Conduct/Code_of_Conduct.pdf
SBDM Polices: All SBDM policies are located on the PLD website at www.pld.fcps.net.
ADMINISTRATION
Betsy Rains, Principal
Tony Blackman, Associate Principal n Andrea Tinsley, Associate Principal n Nancy Hill, Associate Principal
Liz Pelphrey, Administrative Dean nTonya Merritt, Administrative Dean n Deanna Smith, Head Counselor
Karen Young, MSTC Director

NTI/2DL Information
Instructional Models
●
●
Virtual Academy: FCPS’s completely online, asynchronous learning program. Students who select Virtual Academy will
commit to remaining 100% online for at least a semester. Students may participate in sports through their attendance area
school.
NTI-2DL: FCPS schools will begin instruction virtually with a re-evaluation of the academic format every 6 weeks. Students
may transition to hybrid classes or traditional in-person classes as determined by the FCPS Board of Education. NTI-2DL
structures will resemble a traditional school day in order to support a transition to in-person structures when they become
available.
Start Time: Virtual classes will start at 8:25AM and dismiss at 3:15PM. Students taking a zero hour (MSTC students) will begin class
at 7:25AM.
Accessing Canvas and live instruction links: All teachers will use Canvas to communicate class assignments, due dates, office
hours, etc. with students and families. Links to live instruction will be on Canvas as well. Students can access Canvas through this
link, https://fcps.instructure.com, which is also available on the PLD website under Students èStudent Resources. Parents also have
access to all of their student’s classes via the Canvas Parent app. For information on how to link to your student’s information, please
follow the instructions found in the video at this link: https://www.fcps.net/Page/15900.
Communication Expectations
● Families, please check your contact information in IC for accuracy and make corrections if needed.
● FCPS email should be the primary means of communication between teachers and students.
● Students who are not able to attend a scheduled class or appointment should email their teacher in advance or, in case of an
emergency, as soon as possible.
● Teachers will be available to answer student’s questions during their scheduled class time on live instruction days and during
individual/group help sessions or by appointment on Wednesdays.
● Teachers are expected to respond to emails within 24 hours and are not required to respond after 4:15 pm or on non-school
days.
● Students/families who are concerned about their progress in a class should first contact the teacher. If the problem continues,
students/families should reach out to their counselor or assigned administrator.
● Teachers who are concerned about student attendance or academic performance will contact the student/family. If the
problem continues, the student may be referred to the student support team (guidance counselor, administrator, etc.).
NTI/2DL Instructional Schedule & Guidelines
●
●
All teachers will use Canvas as their primary instruction platform this year. Teachers may direct students to other secondary
instructional platforms from their Canvas page; however, Canvas should be home base for all classes.
All teachers will provide live instruction via a district-supported platform (Zoom, Google Meet) 30-90 minutes during each of
their regular live class days (M,T,Th,F). These sessions will be recorded and made available for students on Canvas.
○
Class instructional recommendation: I do, we do, you do format
■ 15-30 minutes of direct instruction and guided practice -- recorded for archive on Canvas
■ 10-20 minutes of collaborative/independent application
■ 10-30 minutes to regroup to answer questions, extend learning, assess learning, etc.
ADMINISTRATION
Betsy Rains, Principal
Tony Blackman, Associate Principal n Andrea Tinsley, Associate Principal n Nancy Hill, Associate Principal
Liz Pelphrey, Administrative Dean nTonya Merritt, Administrative Dean n Deanna Smith, Head Counselor
Karen Young, MSTC Director

Class schedule:
All classes will be live for 30-90 minutes at the beginning of their
designated class time on live instruction days. Teachers will remain
available for questions and student support for the entire 90 minute
period. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of live instruction.
There will be an NTI employability grade for each live instruction
day.
Zero hour will meet the same days as other live instruction
days.
Technical school students will attend their technical school
classes at their scheduled time.
0 Hour: 7:25-8:20
1st block: 8:25-9:55
2nd block: 10:00-11:30
Lunch/break 11:30-12:05
3rd block: 12:10-1:50
4th block: 1:55-3:15
Office hours: 3:15-4:15 (club meetings, update grades,
call parents, respond to emails, etc.)
NTI/2DL Instructional Schedule
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
A day live
instruction
B day live
instruction
Flexible Wednesday (in addition to CCR & SEL,
teachers will have PLC, office hours, group/individual
help sessions, student conferences/ feedback sessions,
check-ins, update IC, parent contacts, etc.)
A day live
instruction
B day live
instruction
8:30-10:55 College/University/Military/Career virtual
meetings/ exploration; teacher help sessions
10:15-10:55 Social-Emotional Learning groups live
instruction (select students, attendance taken)
11:00-12:00 CCR class live instruction (attendance
taken)
12:05-12:40 lunch
12:45-2:50 College/University/Military/Career virtual
meetings/ exploration; teacher help sessions
NTI/2DL Employability Skills & Rubric
● Courses will include a 25% weighted category for Employability using the CTE EOP standard EA4.
● Employability grades should reinforce student dispositions and work habits that contribute to learning at high levels but not
penalize students for their mental and physical health, employment, technology access, or home life disruptions.
● Teachers will record an employability grade by the end of each school day.
○ There will not be a specific opportunity for students to re-assess an employability grade.
○ Teachers will provide verbal feedback to students who are not demonstrating mastery on the employability standard.
○ If a student is not in attendance during live instruction, the teacher will record an M (0) for the day’s employability
grade. If a student completes class tasks within a week of the live class session, the teacher will change the
employability score per the rubric.
■ If a student/parent contacts the teacher IN ADVANCE of missing a live instruction meeting AND the student
submits the class work within a week of the absence, the teacher will enter an employability score of up to a
5 reflecting the student’s work habits for that day’s tasks.
■ If a student/parent DOES NOT contact the teacher IN ADVANCE of missing a live instruction meeting AND
the student submits class work within a week of the absence, the teacher will enter an employability score
with a maximum score of 3 for that day.
○ If a student has a consistent barrier to attending live instructional sessions, they may communicate that to the teacher
one time and the teacher will consider that advanced notice until the student communicates otherwise. For example:
unreliable internet/4G/LTE access, home life disruptions, employment obligations, and mental/physical wellness.
● Teachers will intentionally embed opportunities for students to demonstrate the advanced mastery level of employability each
class period using reflection, goal setting, revision, peer collaboration, etc.
ADMINISTRATION
Betsy Rains, Principal
Tony Blackman, Associate Principal n Andrea Tinsley, Associate Principal n Nancy Hill, Associate Principal
Liz Pelphrey, Administrative Dean nTonya Merritt, Administrative Dean n Deanna Smith, Head Counselor
Karen Young, MSTC Director

Employability Rubric NTI/2DL
Not Yet (0.1)
Developing Skills
(2)
Approaching
Mastery (3)
Mastery of
Standard (4)
Advanced
Mastery (5)
EA4 Exhibit
dependability
in the
workplace
(prepared,
engaged, ontask)
There is little or
no investment of
student’s energy
into the learning
tasks and
activities.
The student needs
frequent prompting
to remain on-task
and engaged in
learning activities.
The student
indicates through
inconsistent focus
and engagement
that they are
interested in
completion of the
task rather than
learning at high
levels.
The student
understands their
role as a learner
and consistently
expends effort to
learn.
The student
assumes
responsibility for
high quality
learning by
initiating
improvements,
making revisions,
adding detail,
and/or helping
peers
Class-specific
examples
Student logs on
to live instruction
OR completes
minimal class
tasks within a
week of live
instruction.
Student logs on to
live instruction OR
completes some
class tasks within a
week of live
instruction.
Student
engagement in live
instruction activities
is limited (seldom
asking/answering
questions live or in
chat or responding
to checks for
understanding,
inconsistently
completing class
learning tasks and
assessments, etc),
although they may
need prompting to
do so.
Student logs on to
live instruction OR
completes class
tasks within a
week of live
instruction.
Student engages
in some live
instruction
activities
(asking/answering
questions live or in
chat, responding
to checks for
understanding,
completing class
learning tasks and
assessments, etc),
although they may
need prompting to
do so.
Student logs on to
live instruction OR
communicates
with teacher prior
to session and
completes all
class tasks within
a week of live
instruction.
Student is
prepared for class
and actively
engages in live
instruction
activities
(asking/answering
questions live or
in chat,
responding to
checks for
understanding,
completing class
learning tasks and
assessments, etc)
Student logs on to
live instruction OR
communicates
with teacher prior
to session and
completes all
class tasks and
reflections/goal
setting within a
week of live
instruction.
In addition to the
student actively
engaging in live
instruction
activities, the
student is wellprepared
for class
and participates in
reflection, goal
setting, revision,
and peer
collaboration
activities that
support high
quality learning.
If you have any questions about the above information, please feel free to contact us at our main number, 381-3546, and we will direct
your call accordingly. I hope you have a great remainder of your summer vacation and will be ready for a fantastic 2020-2021 school
year.
Best wishes,
Betsy Rains
ADMINISTRATION
Betsy Rains, Principal
Tony Blackman, Associate Principal n Andrea Tinsley, Associate Principal n Nancy Hill, Associate Principal
Liz Pelphrey, Administrative Dean nTonya Merritt, Administrative Dean n Deanna Smith, Head Counselor
Karen Young, MSTC Director