Dear Ones,

Okay, so here we are in this next strange phase of human existence.  If you’re anything like me, you have been bouncing around through all kinds of emotions and thoughts, ranging from “Ahhhhh…. nothing to do…” to “AAAHHHH!!!! NOTHING TO DO!!!!!”  And if you’re anything like me you’ve found profound relief in the simple distractive pleasures of Survivor (and Top Chef! And Next in Fashion!) (don’t judge) and you’ve maybe discovered the deep satisfaction that comes with getting home, washing your hands, and disinfecting all door knobs, faucets, and light switches and then exhaling.  How strange that this has become, for now, the way we live. 

Another day I will tell you the story of my epic two-week hunt for spray disinfectant and the story of the time I knocked over a bowl of marinating chicken in my fridge, spilling raw chicken juice over all the groceries I had just wiped down half an hour before, but in the meanwhile, let’s get to what I know is the burning question in your minds: what is school going to look like? (Actually, that is more likely a barely simmering question – “How late can I sleep in tomorrow?” and “How many more hours of _______ [fill in the blank with preferred game or anime channel] can I get away with before I get yelled at?” are probably the burning questions…)

The short answer to the question about school is: TBA.

A virtue that will be demanded of all of us over the next few weeks is patience.  Things will roll out slowly.  We might end up trying one format and then discovering that another works better.  This will not and cannot be a replacement for the in-person classroom learning we are all used to.  You may feel like you are getting less (or more!) that you want.  There will be mistakes.  But we will make those mistakes together, and we will help each other through.  

Some things that, unfortunately, we will have to let go of for the time being: 

• Dungeons and Dragons.  I am so sorry about this – I know many of you were super jazzed about becoming immersed in this great group storytelling game, and I was very excited to witness your discovery of its pleasures, but given our present circumstances, I just don’t see how it will work.  If there are any tech-savvy DMs out there who want to explore the possibilities of platforms like roll20.net or other virtual tabletop tools, I’d be happy to try to support your discoveries.  In the meanwhile, if you have grown intrigued by the game and want to have the distraction of watching some experts of the game at work, you can invest in the 1000s of hours of the hit show Critical Role (made up of voice-over actors you are sure to recognize from gaming and from animated series – seasons 1 and 2 are posted on YouTube – warning: there is quite a bit of swearing in that show, so if you are going there, please check in with your parents first), or check out Relics and Rarities with the amazing DM Deborah Ann Woll or anything with Chris Perkins or Jeremy Crawford.  
• Lit Circles. Again, due to present circumstances, getting copies of books to people is just not possible. I will, however, at a later date, post a list of the books that were going to be options for Lit Circles – if something on the list strikes your fancy and you are able to secure a copy, feel free to read for pleasure!  Or, contact me and I can give you some ideas of how to conduct an independent novel study for extra credit.  Or if a group of you is interested in a particular book and are able to find e-copies or hard copies, I would be happy to help facilitate on-line book clubs.
• Mini-Brain-ing. I am open to suggestions, but at the moment I am not sure how to continue with class government from afar.
• 3-Square and Giant 6-Rectangle.  There are no words to describe this loss. (Hmmm… would any geniuses out there be able to code a version similar to this??)
• Pointing out Prof. Great Brain’s myriad mistakes – oh, wait, that is definitely possible, and the steep learning curve I am on exploring on-line learning tools will provide you with ample opportunities. What are we at now?  Mistake 21,433 or thereabouts? 

Some things that will for sure continue:

• Our amazing graphic novel adaptation of The Black Cauldron – my intention is to send a copy of our final product to Lynda Barry as a thank you, so get those hands in good shape.  More on this soon, but for now continue with practicing your characters, objects, and places every day. Reread the section of the project outline that related to the Creation phase we are about to embark on. If you do not have a way to get in touch with your partner, please contact me and I will hook you up.
• Science inquiry projects.  Again, more on this later, but we will continue with check-ins around your research and work toward making Mind Maps of the results.
• First Nations studies. We will continue to explore the writing of Richard Wagamese, focusing on deepening our understanding of the items on our vocab list and seeking personal relevance in the material – as previously discussed, we are working toward a visual representation of that relevance; note-taking (from Term 2 and moving forward) is key, so that you have a lot of ideas to work with.
• Daily Diary (open to parents, siblings, and former students who are trolling this blog, too!)
• Index card drawings (also open to parents, siblings, and former students)
• Morning Check-Ins
• Crossword puzzles
• Silent reading
• Math – see Terror Level chart above
• Survivor!  I hope you have been keeping up to date and taking notes. Your first assignment starts… now!  Go here and open the Second Pick doc. Note the deadline of next Wednesday, April 8.  Do keep track of your notes of what you learned about social politics from each episode – once we get our on-line learning platforms up and running, we will begin sharing those ideas. Please be careful of spoiling friends: always start any Survivor conversation with, “Are you caught up?”

Please note that all of the above is subject to change as we explore our on-line learning tools and get a sense of the daily flow of learning – things may be added and/or dropped. 

Finally, can each of you please email me with your preferred email address?  Some notes on email etiquette (learned in the School of Hard Knocks, AKA emails from past students):

1.  When writing to anyone whom you would use “Vous” in addressing, always begin with some form of salutation (“Hello Prof. Great Brain,” or “Dear Grandma”).
2.  Offer a friendly opening (along the line of “I hope this finds you well” or “I just wanted to check in about _______”)
3.  Avoid text-style abbreviations – those are great for texting, but not really appropriate for emails unless with close friends.
4.  If you are requesting help, try to express gratitude and don’t make it sound like a demand that you are entitled to make.
5.  Include a sign-off (“Yours truly,” “Sincerely,” “Best wishes,” “See you soon,” etc.) and include your name (ahem the REAL Maya ahem).
6.  If your initial email leads to a message thread, it is okay to gradually drop these formalities, but always err on the side of politeness, especially at first. For certain people – for example, if you were writing to Mr. Kanno – you would always follow the above format, regardless of the length of the email chain.
7.  If you are writing about something you are angry or upset about, always wait at least 6-24 hours before sending.  Reread with a calmer mind and ask, “Do I need to send this?” If yes, edit for tone: an angry or accusatory tone will only get the other person’s back up and make them defensive, and little or nothing will be accomplished – and/or you will suffer from Sender’s Regret when you think back on the email in a neutral state of mind. 

You’ll receive more info from me shortly, either through your parents or the blog. Get in the habit of checking the blog every morning for updates and/or activities.  If you want to get ahead of the game (and maybe become my Tech Support!), start exploring on-line tutorials about how to use the tools available within Teams in Office 365 – that will be our first stop in exploring our new way of working together. 

Finally, amidst all the emotions I am managing now, mourning is a strong one.  As you know, underneath my crusty “No Talking in the Hallways!” exterior is a big softy (don’t let that out to the grade 5s, yet, please!), and I am missing you all terribly.  I am confident, though, that we will find ways of feeling connected.  In the meanwhile, remember your civic duty to help contain the Covid-19 virus: hand-washing like a boss, strategies to avoid touching your face, coughing in appropriate places, physical distancing from those outside your family bubble.  Remember that your parents’ lives are really complicated right now – do what you can to ease their burden (this includes things like resisting the urge to torture your siblings).  Think about who you know who might benefit from a text, an email, or a phone call.  Reach out to your grandparents and other elderly relatives who might be feeling profoundly isolated.  Bring your best self to this period of time.  Remember to breathe.  Spend as much time as you can outside and pay attention to nature – I’ve been hitting the Lynn Canyon and Seymour River trails every day since we last saw each other and it is a great tool in perspective-taking: there is new green emerging, the robins have come back, and the river keeps on flowing.  In times like these, it is important to remember that life continues.  We are strong and we will get through this – we will do it together. 

And finally-finally, just when I thought I couldn’t admire Judy Woodruff more:

Check out the reaction at the 3:13 mark, and then her simple but explicit words of support to Yamiche Alcindor. What might this look like in your own life?

I have emailed Ms. Woodruff to let her know about our “Shields and Brooks!” thank you tradition, and sent her a photo of our class agreement, noting Meow’s suggested addition after our exploration of Jim Lehrer’s “Rules of Journalism” (“Do nothing you cannot defend”).  I am not expecting a reply any time soon, given how crazy things are in the world right now, but if and when it comes, I will be sure to share it.  

To recap: the roll out of learning will happen in pieces, read the Survivor criteria carefully, send me your preferred email, actively do your part as a member of your family community, and check the blog each morning.

More soon,

Prof. G. B.

Vocab: generally speaking, an introvert is someone who recharges by spending time alone, an extrovert is someone who recharges through social interaction with others, and a Type-A personality likes to run the show (and win the show). Perhaps think, during Silent Blocks do you lose yourself in a book and get surprised when time is up (introvert), need reminders to do your activity silently and independently (extrovert), or organize your desk, color-code your notes, and then get a jump-start on work block and think about how great it would be if everyone did the same but hopefully to a slightly lesser degree than you (Type-A)?

Right now I am definitely the Optimist Introvert type, being forced through necessity into adopting a Type A Extrovert attitude.  What quarantine type are you? Use “Leave a Reply” below to post your answer – class names only, please!  Let’s get the ball rolling!