Supporting Your Child During Remote Learning

Resources for Parents
Posted on 09/09/2020
Remote learning for the 2020-21 school year begins Thursday, September 10th. Students in the PURPLE group as well as FULLY REMOTE students will have their first “live” remote classes tomorrow while students in the GOLD group will have their first “live” remote classes Monday. All students will have a half day of asynchronous [“self-paced”] learning Friday.

We know that parents play a huge role in the success of their child’s remote learning and want to provide you with some guidance on how you can best support your child in the coming year.

Homeroom Teacher. Your child’s homeroom teacher is your go to person for any questions about remote learning. If you have any questions or concerns, or need any help, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher. Email is best, as teachers may be in the middle of class during the school day, but you can always call the main office at 469-6647 and leave a message.

Brightspace.  All remote courses will be on Brightspace.  To log in to Brightspace and navigate courses follow these steps.

Monday-Thursday Homeroom. All remote students should log into their homeroom class on Brightspace by 7:45am every morning. Their teacher will have a Zoom meeting set up for their homeroom and will take attendance, share announcements, review the schedule for the day, and check in with each student. Not only will homeroom count for attendance, but participating in homeroom each day of remote learning will make sure that your child’s school day gets off on the right foot.

Friday Homeroom. Students should also navigate to their homeroom class on Brightspace on Friday. Their homeroom teacher will not have a Zoom meeting set up, but will leave you with any information you need for the day, including any specials classes they need to log in to live and which classes they should expect an assignment in.

“My Home Base”. In each homeroom class on Brightspace, we have added a section in the upper right hand corner called “My Home Base.” This has a link to the homeroom’s weekly schedule, so that the student knows which classes to log in to as well as some Standard Operating Procedures for what to do when they need help during remote learning.

“Live” Remote Classes. Remote students are expected to log into each of their classes Monday-Thursday and attendance will be taken. Their teacher will have a lesson for them as well as other classroom activities to participate in and assignments to complete. Your child's full participation is critical in order to learn the material, so they need to have their video and sound turned on. In order to cut down on back ground noise, it is recommended that students use headphones or earbuds when joining remote classes. When the lesson is over, the teacher will let students working remotely know if it is okay to log out of the class.

“Self-Paced” Friday Remote Classes. All students should expect two assignments on Friday which they will need to complete by the start of school on Monday. Completion of these two assignments will count as the student’s daily attendance. They do not need to be “live” to complete these assignments and can complete them at their own pace. Your child will need to log in for any Unified Arts/specials classes they may have on Friday, like art or PE, following the times on their schedule. Teachers may also schedule a Zoom meeting for individual or small groups of students for extra support, special services, gifted & talented, or to get caught up after an absence. Your child’s teacher will schedule this with the student individually if they need to meet with them on a Friday.

Schedule & Routine. Your child’s schedule will provide them with structure and routine during remote learning. It is recommended that you print out your child’s schedule and post it next to their remote learning work space. Writing their schedule on a marker board or other means of visually displaying their schedule can be helpful as well. For students who don’t always keep track of time, setting alarms for the start of class may be helpful.

Movement & Screen Breaks. Sitting in front of a computer for 6+ hours is not healthy for anyone. Remote students should take lots of screen breaks to give their eyes a rest and move around frequently. The daily schedule has five minute break built in after every class- this would be a good time to walk away from the computer, get a drink, and even do some quick stretches before the next class. Remote students can eat lunch when it is scheduled, or at any other time it is not distracting to the class. Recess would be a great time to turn off the computer and go outside for some fresh air.

Set Students Up for Success. Just like in person learning, students need to set themselves up for success. They should have a dedicated remote learning work space in their house with room for their laptop. This space should be separate enough from any other activities in the home- like parents trying to work from home or younger siblings at home- that those activities do not interfere with your child’s class [and vice-versa!]. However, students should not participate in remote learning from their bedrooms or other areas of their home that would be considered private. Similarly, students should dress appropriately for school, even when they are at home. No PJ’s, please!

Finally, remember that you don’t have to be your child’s teacher during remote learning. If you can get your child logged in to their homeroom class every day, we will take care of the rest. If you ever have questions or need assistance, please reach out to your child’s homeroom teacher and we will work with you to make this unique experience successful for all parties.