Newsletter

Hello 401 Families, 

I hope you all had a relaxing "Spring Break" week and that everyone enjoyed their virtual field trip adventures! 

This coming week marks a new phase in our remote learning. Starting Monday, April 20th we will be launching NEW units in reading, writing, and math and will be trying out new forms of teaching including live small groups and recorded mini-lessons. 

We've spent the last month as a class experimenting with new technology, practicing our typing skills, and getting used to Google Classroom. Students have already grown SO much in this virtual environment! They continue to amaze me with their flexibility and creativity with these new platforms, and I have no doubt that they will keep wowing us all as this year continues.

Next week when your child logs on to Google Classroom, they will notice some organizational changes to the classwork page. Instead of "Daily," "Weekly" and "Long Term" assignments, new assignments will be categorized by subject area. 

The goal is to have the daily schedule remain flexible to suit the needs of individual families and students , while also introducing new content and daily practice in the core subjects of reading, writing, and math.  

Morning Meeting/Office-Hours

  • Daily Meeting at 9 a.m. This is always an optional meeting, but is highly recommended, especially this coming Monday as I will be explaining this new learning format and schedule. 

  • Office-Hours on a "sign-up" basis daily from 1:00 to 2:00

    • Keep an eye out for a sign-up sheet on Google Classroom! 

Reading 

  • NEW Mini-Lessons will be posted on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. 

  • Daily independent reading and weekly reading responses are still mandatory, "Must Do" work  

  • Your child has been invited to a "Book Club" once a week. These will be small groups that meet in Google Meets to discuss the Historical Fiction books students are reading. 

    • Keep an eye out for Google Meet invitations in your child's email inbox and calendar! 

  • As part of our historical fiction unit, I have posted read aloud videos from "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry. Students will be able to listen to a chapter a day, read by yours truly. I hope this is a relaxing, fun part of the day!

Writing 

  • NEW Mini-Lessons will be posted on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday

  • Daily writing (10-20 minutes of pen to paper or typing to Google doc) will still be mandatory, "Must Do" work 

  • I will be posting a "Writing Conference" sign-up sheet and will move into every-other-week writing small groups ideally starting next week. 

    • Keep an eye out for that sign-up sheet on Google Classroom! 

Math 

  • NEW Mini-Lessons will be posted on Tuesday and Thursday 

  • I will keep our Google Meet open after Morning Meeting on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for "live" math instruction and questions. It is highly recommended that your child try to attend Morning Meeting on these days if they have questions regarding math content or if you feel they could use the extra review. (I will also be recording these meetings to ensure that all students have access if unable to attend the live session.)

  • Your child has been invited to a Math Small Group once a week. 

    • Keep an eye out for Google Meet invitations in your child's email inbox and calendar! 

Attendance/Specials

I am attaching a basic sample student schedule. The hope is that most academic work assigned for 401 will be completed in the morning, leaving the afternoon free for Specials, "just for fun" tasks, and one-on-one conferences and Office Hours.

Of course, you and your family should make and stick to a schedule that works best for you. I also want to remind you that while the time blocks for each subject are 40-50 minutes long, it is encouraged that your child take breaks between subjects. The real aim is to do independent work for 20-30 minutes periods. These time frames best replicate the work done at school. Set those timers! If all of the work doesn't get done everyday, that's OK. It's the routine and effort shown that matter most.

  • To be marked present, students need to show an "academic sign of life" each day: responding to my daily email, posting an assignment to Google Classroom, or joining our Morning Meeting are all ways to show engagement with the material. 

  • If you know that your child will be unable to participate in Google Classroom for whatever reason: please reach out and let me know! 

  • Assignments from Specials teachers and "check-ins" for Art, Music, Gym, and Greenhouse are also necessary. Make sure your child checks in with those teachers on a weekly basis! 

Behavior-Live Engagement Expectations

I am also attaching a "Remote Learning Expectations" list to review with students. As we begin to meet in small groups for live-learning, it is important to make sure students come to these sessions ready to do their best learning. This means having materials ready, sitting in a quiet space, ideally with their device on a hard surface like a table or desk. Students should plan to eat and use the bathroom before meetings to maintain their best focus.  

I will be reviewing these expectations during Morning Meeting on Monday and throughout the course of this week, but any extra encouragement and support you can give your child with this at home is appreciated. 

The adventure continues co-teachers! We have spent the last month working together to find balance, establish new routines, and learn a whole new set of skills. I am beyond grateful for your patience, support, and communication during this time. 

Now more than ever, communication will be key! Continue to reach out about both successes and struggles as we move forward. By working together I have every faith that we can make the rest of this year as fun and positive as posible! Let's do this team! 

Best,

Kati