As announced in Andrew’s email, campus is reopening on Tuesday for students in grades 1-12. New protocols include daily testing, bringing your testing strip each day, and no more wearing cloth masks. You can pick up N95 masks at the security desk.
We know there is a lot of information below. Please read it carefully and email/ text us with any additional questions.
Prep for Tuesday
If you need to go to campus to ready your room or prepare materials, you may go Monday and teach from school. Dave and I will be on campus on Monday. Campus will also be open over the weekend if that’s easier. It’s not necessary to go to campus before Tuesday, but you need to be ready and prepared to teach on February 1st.
New Semester 2 Schedule
Starting Tuesday, we will follow the semester 2 schedule. Please make sure to get this up on your virtual classroom for any students who remain virtual. They will need to know connection times and Zoom links. No need to do any 1:1s on Monday unless you decide it’s needed.
Students Virtual or On Campus?
You may be wondering who is going to show up on Tuesday. HR Teachers please send a message out to parents and ask them if they plan to send their child to school or remain virtual. Then fill in doc (see tab for semester 2) ES student list - virtual/in person. This information will also help specialists.
Cohorting Continues
We will continue with cohorting classes while indoors. Students may mix and mingle while outside but please no mixing of students from different homerooms indoors. Wellbeing classes continue.
Morning Routine
We will follow the same morning routine as we did last semester. Please remind your students where to place their bags and to remain downstairs on the playground until the bell rings at 8:30 a.m. (yes, new starting time!). The library will only be open for class book checkout the first week so no access in the morning or at recess. We’ll re-evaluate that week to week.
New Second Semester Students
If you have any new second semester students, please plan to come down to the ES gate at 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday for an in person meet and greet. Students will be assembled between the EY and ES gate. Once you have your new students, you may take them up to the classroom and get them settled. Please assign them a buddy and make sure they know the basics (where the bathroom is located, for example). The buddy should also help them at snack, play with them at recess, and sit with them at lunch. Linda and Michele can help support the transition for our new students. Reach out as needed.
Virtual Students
I anticipate more virtual students than last semester. You all did a great job with this last semester, but a gentle reminder to please make sure you have work ready for your virtual student and think about ways to keep them engaged in the learning. If they can’t participate in an activity you have prepared for students on campus, please prepare something of equal value for them to compete at home. Students who are virtual should not be just observing what the students are doing on campus. Please continue to do 1:1s with any virtual students when we start back to campus. Reach out to Dave or Lynn if you need support with planning for hybrid students.
Snack
Starting Tuesday, we will have an all ES morning recess beginning at 10:25 a.m. We will need to make adjustments for seating so students in grades 4 and 5 can use the benches and picnic tables to eat their snack. Grades 4 and 5 teachers, please let your students know that they should not sit at the regular lunch tables for morning snack.
Supervision
Please double check the supervision schedule.
Upcoming Week at a Glance:
From the OTL
Our third data meeting is Wednesday, February 2rd from 3:00-4:00. Teams and departments will utilize the data protocol to look at data relevant to their subject areas/grade levels. Agenda and location information is outlined here. Thank you HODs and GTLs for facilitating these valuable conversations.
Professional Development Update:
EARCOS is sponsoring Interdisciplinary Learning & Projects with Suzie Boss March 5 and 12 at 9:00 am Hong Kong Time. The cost is 100 USD. The session titles can be seen below and full descriptions as well as registration information can be found here.
Session 1 - For Interdisciplinary Learning, Focus on Real-World Contexts
Session 2 - Interdisciplinary Projects: Leveraging Opportunities, Overcoming Challenges
World Read Aloud Day 2022 - Repeat Announcement
To celebrate WRAD 2022, the AISC libraries are sponsoring One Book, One Community! On Wednesday, February 2nd, let's all read the same book with our students in celebration of the power of sharing a story! The Good Egg by Jory John will be available for simultaneous check out on Sora, beginning Monday, January 31st, and is a perfect read aloud for all ages. Please find a summary below. We hope each teacher will take this opportunity to relax with your students and share a funny story in support of WRAD! Please reach out to Babs with any questions and add any photos you take to this folder. #WorldReadAloudDay
The good egg has been good for as long as he can remember. While the other eggs in his carton are kind of rotten, he always does the right, kind, and courteous thing. He is a verrrrrrry good egg indeed! Until one day he decides that enough is enough! He begins to crack (quite literally) from the pressure of always having to be grade-A perfect.
Jan Jamboree Thank yous
We’d like to thank the high school students and their faculty sponsors for organizing, planning, and leading a fun Jan Jamboree last weekend. I hope all of the students who were able to attend enjoyed the sessions.
From the Counselors
Here are some quick and easy activities for Zoom or hybrid morning meetings or brain breaks. Some might not be new but maybe slightly different or something you haven’t seen in awhile!
Have a wonderful weekend.
Lynn and Dave
