Viking Voice

Thank you for an amazing first week and a couple days of school! We appreciate your patience and flexibility as we navigate through the start of the school year through eLearning. We have been incredibly proud of our students and how seriously they are taking their schoolwork.

Our 2019-2020 yearbooks have finally arrived! If you purchased a yearbook they are available for pick up at Salt Creek Primary School from 8:00-3:00. If you are not available to pick them up, we will give them to your child once we are back to in person learning. If you are not sure if you purchased a yearbook, please call the Salt Creek office @ 630-832-6122. We are very sorry that these took so long to arrive!

1. Set a specific area in your house as the working area for your student.

Find a specific area in your home where your child can complete their schoolwork. Have your child personalize the area with the materials they need. Help them to make the area their own, such as a favorite picture, a comfortable blanket they like to sit on or use, their favorite set of pencils, etc.

2. Set expectations for your student while they are at school.

Teachers are setting classroom routines and expectations for their classroom during these first several weeks. Talk with your child about these expectations and what these look like in your home. These expectations might include staying in one spot during learning, focusing on the teacher during lessons, not eating during a lesson, keeping toys off to the side, etc.)

3. Establish routines and expectations for your household.

It is important for students to develop good habits from the start. This includes going to bed at a certain time, having the same routines in the morning to get ready for school, etc.)

4. Discuss with your child the importance of school whether at home or school.

It is even more important than ever for teachers and parents to be on the same page with learning, since it is happening in your homes! Make sure to talk to your student about why we are needing to learn at home at this time and how this school is just as important as school in our buildings. They are still there to learn and grow!

5. Stay in Touch

Make sure to email or communicate with your child's teacher if you have any questions or concerns. They are your first point of contact! They work with your child everyday and know what is happening in their classroom.

6. Encourage physical activity, exercise, and screen breaks.

Encourage your child to participate in the physical education activities throughout the day. When a child has a break in their day, encourage your child to play with a toy, move around your house, go outside to play, move away from their computer for the break. You do not need to complete the asynchronous instruction at the time stated by your child's teacher. If it is more beneficial for your child to work on an activity at 6:30 at night, that is fine! Make the asynchronous schedule work for you and your family!

7. Connect with friends, safely, and be kind.

Kids love being social and making friends. We are already seeing relationships among students during our school days. We want our students to be talking and socializing. Remind your child to be polite, respectful, and kind. See if you can organize a Google Meet for your child to have a play date with a friend. Make sure to monitor any social media use of your child.

8. Celebrate success!

Learning remotely is difficult! Make sure to celebrate with your child their successes!

Please remember that the teacher and other students in the classroom can see siblings, parents, and pets that might be behind a student during a live lesson. This is a polite reminder to make sure you are using appropriate language and dressing appropriately while helping your child to learn! Make sure to take breaks when your child has a break! You need some down time as well! Communicate with your child's teacher if you have questions about a lesson or expectations. If you are having a technical issue, please contact the SC office @ 630-832-6122 or the SMS office @ 630-834-6256. We are able to troubleshoot your technical issues quicker than your classroom teacher, who is teaching at the time!

The eLearning schedules for each classroom are posted on the Salt Creek District 48 website every Friday at 5:00 PM for the upcoming week. This allows you to schedule your week and get an idea of what is ahead! Your child's teacher will also be sending home the eLearning schedule to you on Friday afternoons. Please remember that the asynchronous times and activities can be done at any time throughout the day. These learning opportunities can be done at your own child's pace and timing. If your child needs a longer break, that is fine with us! We hope that you can schedule your day around the synchronous learning times for your child and make those lessons a priority.

For student confidentiality, please refrain from videotaping or taking pictures of your child's computer screen during any synchronous instruction. If you have taken any videos or pictures, please delete them. Thank you very much!

Sarah Smith, Principal

ssmith@saltcreek48.org

Sarah Monroe, Assistant Principal

smonroe@saltcreek48.org