Communicating Our Learning Goals

We did it!  Spring break is almost here. I am so proud of everyone’s progress this term.  Everyone deserves their break.  To allow for a good classroom cleaning, all school supplies will be sent home with students on Friday.  Students are asked to bring a cloth bag to school as soon as possible if they have not already done so in order that supplies can be sorted out throughout the week.

There is no need to empty the bag or do anything with it.  Place it in a closet and please remember to send it back on the first day back after the break.  We return to school on Monday, March 29th.

Your child may have come home with 1 or 2 books today.  These books are for your child to keep and add to their own home library.  They may bring home 1 or 2 more before Spring Break.  I will be bringing in new books after Spring Break and would like to make sure that we have space on our class shelves to be able to find and enjoy them.  Please remember that students benefit from books being read to them as much as reading independently if the book they chose is not at their reading level.

This is a one time event.  If students come home with books after spring break, please be sure to send them back.

Welcome back!  I hope everyone had a restful, fun vacation.  I look forward to seeing everyone again tomorrow.  With two weeks off, it is easy to fall out of routines so I wanted to add some gentle reminders:

1. Bring back school supplies – It’s time to pull your cloth bag of supplies in the back of your closet.  I’ve put my kids’ bags in the car already.
2. Make sure your masks are washed and packed.
3. Pack for the weather.  It is a bit colder now than it was before we left for vacation.  Hats, mitts and lots of layers will be appreciated.  Some students have started wearing snow pants for warmth.
4. Check your change of clothes.  The clothes that would be great when it was warm in September may not be a good choice in January.
5. Get lots of rest!  When we are overly tired we sometimes get headaches or don’t feel good.  We have to be so careful now about calling home if someone isn’t feeling well.

I can’t wait to hear what you have all been doing and get started.

I am hoping everyone is preparing for a relaxing holiday.  I know students have worked hard and deserve their break.  To allow for a good classroom cleaning, all school supplies will be sent home with students on Friday.  Students are asked to bring a cloth bag to school as soon as possible so that supplies can be sorted out throughout the week.

There is no need to empty the bag or do anything with it.  Place it in a closet and please remember to send it back on the first day back in January.  We return to school on Monday, January 4th.

Filming for the Winter Concert is happening on Thursday, which requires students to wear white or grey depending upon if they are a snowflake or a snirt.  The reason we are asking students to come dressed in their costume is to avoid crowding and having students changing in the bathrooms.

Unfortunately, there has been a conflict with Crayon Day.  In speaking with Divisions 12, 13 and 14, we have decided that we will have our own Crayon Day tomorrow so that we can be as bright and as colourful as we want.  Students are encouraged to bring in a loonie or a toonie as part of Crayon Day in order to support families in our school in need.  Donations will be used to purchase gift cards for winter break hampers.

As you may have realized, I like to be prepared.  Before Friday, I will be sending home a duo tang of interlined paper.  Please keep this in your child’s quiet homework space.  This paper may be used if your child forgets their spelling duotang and needs paper for homework or it may be kept to complete writing assignments if we need to move to online learning.  If your child runs out of this interlined paper, more can be printed off of the blog.  The link can be found here.  Additional writing tools can be found under dropdown menu for Writing, found under  the Literacy tab.

I’ve had a number of questions come up about online assignments and would like to address them so that everyone has the same information.

Purpose of Online Assignments

I know as a parent and as a teacher, online learning can be very challenging for both students and families.  The online assignments are intended to explicitly teach the skills students may need to have if online learning becomes necessary.  (I have been given no information about that possibility).

Homework assignments are provided to allow students to practice skills that have been demonstrated in class on their own devices at home.  Since everyone has different devices, each child will have a different experience at home.  The goal is to give students and families the opportunities to ask questions before it becomes necessary to use these skills for homeschool assignments.

What if my child can’t complete an online assignment?

Great!  It is way better to know that there are skills I need to explicitly teach/review now rather than when everyone is at home and sharing screens is much more challenging.  If you child can’t complete an assignment, send me an email and let me know what your child is struggling with.  We will work on it in class on Mondays or Fridays, when we have the IPads.  Often if I get one email, it means that there are several children that are struggling and it helps me to know what to review.

What programs do I need to use to annotate photos?

There is no need to purchase any programs!  In class, we used Preview on the iPads to write and draw directly onto photos.  You can use any photo editing program you already have.  We used Preview because it comes loaded on the iPads and most students have told me they have access to iPads at home.  (You are not expected to have iPads at home, just access to any device that will allow them to work online).  I wanted to show them using a program that most would have access to.  If you are using a tablet or computer, use what is available.

On Friday, we used Pic Collage to create posters that could include backgrounds, pictures, text, and stickers.  We did this mostly for fun but it provides a second way of annotating photos for a presentation.  Pic Collage is free for download from the App Store but we did discuss as a class that the program has in-purchase add-ons that are not necessary.  This is a way the company tries to make money but they are not to ask/use add-ons.  The basic version has a lot of flexibility and will do everything we need for school.  You may want to have the same conversation at home if you choose to download Pic Collage for your child.

What happens if I am late handing in an assignment?

Using Teams is challenging for students, so is using technology in general.  There will be times when assignments are late.  Please do your best to have your child complete the assignment as soon as they are able.  Assignments stay open until they are complete.  Since many of these assignments build upon skills we will use later, it is better to go back and complete old assignments before starting more recent ones.

What if my child (and I) don’t understand the assignment?

Please email me if an assignment is unclear.  Teaching online is very different from teaching in the classroom.  In class, students are often able to ask questions right away.  It may be necessary for me clarify instructions or add more examples.  This is part of the reason why it may be necessary to revise hand-in times/dates.  Please be aware that it may sometimes be necessary for me to revise an assignment after the fact if I am finding that students are finding it very challenging or I realize that they need more time to complete it.

What should my child be working towards being able to do online?

Skills we have been working on completing in class include having students being able to independently (without your help):

• log onto Office 365.  Yes, they can use their planner to help them.
• get into Teams and read the posts on the main page.
• find assignments in Teams
• be able to use Immersive Reader to have to computer read assignments for them if needed
• be able to take pictures with a phone or iPad
• be able to annotate a photo using Preview or Pic Collage (or another program of your choosing if you choose).
• be able to attach a photo or assignment to an assignment in Teams (You may need to help them find where photos and documents are saved on your device since this will be different than at school.)
• be able to find their “Hand In” section in Class Notebook to add their work.
• type in their work in Class Notebook.
• Post a comment or question on the boards in Teams for peers or myself.

This is a long list and students will need to continue practicing before they are completely confident in these skills.  Please support them by encouraging them to do as much as they can on their own and prompting them with the next steps when they need help rather than doing it for them.  I know that this can take longer but it will save us all time in the future if they can learn these skills now.

What should I do if I do not have a device for my child to use at home or I do not have internet access?

Please be sure to let me know as soon as possible so that we have time to make arrangements to ensure that your child will be able to continue learning if schools eventually need to be moved online.

Students will be given poppies to wear on Tuesday, November 10th to show respect and remembrance for those who have fought for our freedom here in Canada.  Please consider sending in a donation to Royal Canadian Legion to offset these costs and to support our veterans.