Letter from Hebrew Acedemy of CLE. Looks like they realized that call-in alone isn't working.
Dear Parents,
First and foremost, I hope that this letter finds you and your families in good health and that your Pesach went well. No one could have predicted how the coronavirus has transformed our lives. We hope and daven that the pandemic passes soon and that all those who are sick merit a speedy recovery.
Thank you for your remarkable efforts before Yom Tov, and our heartfelt appreciation to our dedicated staff who worked tirelessly to provide so many impressive opportunities for continuous learning. Entering into this chapter, the world assumed that the mandated school closures would last for a few weeks. The parental feedback to our immediate response with calling in schedules was overwhelmingly positive. Still, some parents felt that we should move towards a video platform.
When it became clear that the mandated school closures will be extended after Pesach, our leadership brainstormed for ways to better engage the students in more vibrant, meaningful learning.
Assuming that the mandated closure will extend past May 1, the current call in schedule of learning will continue for the next week. With the guidance of daas Torah, our school will then transition to video classes. (Families who choose to call in by telephone may continue to do so.) The Academy has partnered with Kphone, a company endorsed by Torah Umesorah, which has developed software for kosher zoom videoconference. Through Kphone, only meetings created by the school can be
accessed by students.
Parents can choose from the following 3 options:
1) Kphone (at
https://kphone.org/corona/ ) offers kosher zoom only tablets at $150 per tablet. They will program only our
school's zoom classes on their tablets and deliver it to you.
2) Reserve a Hebrew Academy Chromebook on our school's website (at
https://www.hac1.org/apps/form/chromebooks).
Chromebooks will have the kosher zoom app and will only work for the Academy's zoom classes. It will be available for students in kindergarten and above, with a maximum of 3 per family while supply lasts, with a replacement fee of $150 only in the event that it is damaged and/or not returned.
3) If you choose to use your family's device, we plead with you, for the sake of your family and ours, to be sure that TAG is contacted and/or filters and vigilance are present at all times. We do not recommend this option as the Academy discourages
internet for children.
We are living in unprecedented times but our goal remains the same. We continue to be committed to educating, engaging, and connecting with our students in the best possible way. We will continue to monitor the evolving developments and will address needs accordingly.
In the meantime, please know that our thoughts and tefilos are with all our Academy families. May we merit bracha v'hatzlacha, yeshuos, refuos and nechamos for us and for all of Klal Yisrael!
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Shabbos,
Rabbi Simcha Dessler
Menahel / Educational Director