Hello 401 Families,
Thank you all for your support and patience as I work to move the 401 community into a digital learning space. This week has been full of deep contemplation and discovery, and while newness always comes with a sense of uncertainty, I am excited for the possibilities and educational opportunities of remote learning. (There's A LOT of cool stuff out there!)
That being said, these coming weeks will be a learning experience for all, and I want us to take this process in stride. I know that many of you are working from home and balancing sharing technology and space, and are working out new schedules and routines. In these uncertain times, I want families' well-being and health to be the priority. My hope is that school expectations will help families bring structure and engagement to their daily lives rather than bring extra, unnecessary stress. Please continue to stay in communication with me about ways I can help your child and your family transition to this new way of learning and living.
On Monday morning, when your child signs into Google Classroom (if you have not already logged on and explored the learning platform, I recommend doing so this weekend) they will be greeted with Daily Assignments, Weekly Tasks, and Long Term Projects. While there will be daily expectations for learning in all core subjects, families should feel free to schedule these assignments in the way that works best for them. I am attaching a document with the daily and weekly expectations in two formats, as well as a sample weekly schedule, to help guide you in planning your child's days and weeks
For this coming week, I would like to try Zoom for Morning Meetings. I have already scheduled a daily Zoom meeting in Google Calendar and students should get a notification to join a daily meeting at 9:00 a.m. While Morning Meeting is optional (some families have already shared concerns about not being able to join daily due to work conflicts) I do feel that students benefit from coming together as a class at the beginning of the day. During this time I will share the daily expectations and make any announcements or clarifications. As I learn more about the platform, I will also try to host class shares, similar to what we would do in the physical classroom.
As another way to communicate, I will be hosting daily "office hours" in a Zoom Room. Consider this a move from Rm. 419 to room 896-490-6346. I will be available to chat face-to-face during the hours of 1:00-2:00 p.m. I will be active on Google Classroom throughout the day and will do my best to respond to all questions and comments during typical school hours.
At the end of the next week, I plan to send out a survey to both students and families to check in. Your feedback will help me as I plan for the coming weeks!
I want to thank you all again for your well-wishes, support, and patience through all of this. There is going to be a lot of exciting learning coming our way---parents, teachers, and students alike---and I'm grateful to be embarking on this journey with you.
Have a restful, healthy weekend and I will see you all (virtually!) soon,
Kati