As mentioned on Wednesday, we have our virtual learning plan parent survey results. In the survey, 93% of the ES parents who responded are satisfied or very satisfied. That speaks volumes about how well all of you are doing providing your students with engaging learning experiences. Thank you!
It is a pleasure to report some of the positive comments from parents in response to the question:
What is one aspect of VL that is working for your child?
Wonderful teacher interaction
Instructions are clear and my child can work independently with little support
My children are very proud to be doing their assignments. When they have a question, they want to ask, they ask their teacher questions directly online to get answers. The comments from teachers empower children and motivate them to do better.
Teacher engagement is exceptional
Being in small groups and getting specific support, flexibility in the schedule
Small groups and 1:1s
Individualized learning models, such as 1:1 meetings
Some themes that emerged from comments about aspects that are not working very well include:
Students don’t have enough peer to peer interactions
Some parents want more synchronous classes while others believe their children have too much screen time
Teachers are using different applications which makes the daily plans inconsistent across grade levels and difficult to navigate
Motivating children is hard
You’ll find three data sets below.
Upcoming Week at a Glance:
Math Morning
Elliot will present how Math is being executed this year and will provide examples for how parents can help at home. Parents will have a chance to ask questions. There will be no virtual classroom visits!
Informal Running Records
The window for completing informal running records ends on Friday, September 25th. Please make sure you add the student data to the spreadsheet Alex shared with you.
Student Attendance
As per the Distance Learning Expectations Document:
EY - 2: engagement = attendance. G3-5: engagement and submission of work = attendance
Please reach out to Lynn or Dave if you have any questions about student attendance.
Art/Design Switch in Schedule (at the the end of the quarter)
As you know, some grades are having art class and others are having design class. On October 12th, those schedules will switch so if your students are having art, they will then have design. Next week, we’ll publish a schedule here.
Well-being at AISC
Interested in being a part of the Wellbeing movement at AISC? There will now be 4 committees involved in the makeup of the Wellbeing Steering Committee. Please fill out this survey for an indication of interest
BrainPop Google Integration + Creating Class Accounts
AISC teachers now have the option to login to BrainPop, BrainPop Jr, and BrainPop ELL using Google credentials. Follow the directions here to create your classroom. You might want to create a class account in order to keep track of student progress, assign tasks, or create assignments. Please let Babs know if you have any questions about the BrainPop collection of databases. (From Babs)
From the Counselors
Take a Self Compassion Break! Get your free copy here.
Coaches Corner
Shared Reading
Are you wondering how shared reading might be incorporated into your virtual teaching repertoire? Check out Kristi Marz's blog post and video of her leveraging shared reading on Zoom with her students.
Text Complexity
We know readers grow by having exposure and experiences with texts that are increasingly more complex. Having a handy resource that can help us identify the complexity of a text can allow us to more precisely identify a student’s next step and/or a future teaching point. Here are two new resources (A- M and K-Z) you might consider using when conferring or planning for a small group session.
Balanced Literacy
Check out Erin Kent’s recent padlet for more videos, ideas and resources on teaching Balanced Literacy virtually.
Special Invitation!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89771307384?pwd= T1B0ZkdYdk5BaEl3TlZ5YjhXTW5NZz 09
Meeting ID: 897 7130 7384
Passcode: 9EPG8V
Morning Meeting/RC Corner
Wow! We have now completed the first full 6 weeks of virtual school! A feat never accomplished prior in the world of education. CONGRATULATIONS! You are all trailblazers! As a way to close the first six weeks, we will focus on Closing Circle.
RC describes the Closing Circle as a powerful strategy to ensure that students close their days/week with a sense of purpose and connectedness. This time-honored routine and ritual can provide a sense of normalcy for both teachers and students. Above all else, RC states, “the most important thing right now is for kids to feel seen, loved, cared for, and supported.”
In Closing Circle, one way to incorporate a ritual is to have a reflection time on the week. This could be a weekly appreciation circle where each child appreciates someone in the community for their help or even just appreciates something in life. For grades where students can write on their own, sharing a google slide where each child can reflect on the week on a question while the teacher asks certain students to talk about their reflections is a powerful way to close the week. Theresa Wills shows how this can work in a helpful 2min video. For those that can’t write yet, or have trouble working a slide and zoom on the screen at once, simply having an appreciation circle where each child shares may bring a positive close to the week.
Reminder - Closing Circle does not have to last 30 mins. Do what works for your class for students to feel seen, loved, cared for and supported.
RC also recommends:
- sing a song together (maybe a class theme song which is the same each week)
- share an accomplishment from the week
- set a goal for the following week
- play a game together (could review content this way in a fun way)
- send a friendly goodbye
Have a wonderful weekend!
Lynn, Dave, and Elliot
