We are midway through our second week of comprehensive distance learning and we understand and can appreciate how difficult this transition has been for parents, students, and teachers alike. I would like to thank our parents for their patience as we implement new instructional approaches that though planned and prepared for have never been implemented school wide until now. We are learning a great deal about what is working well and what each of the affected groups is finding as a challenge. We are addressing the challenges in each of these situations as they arise.
I am pleased that we are able to do some limited in person instruction with students and will continue to expand these options as allowed under the safe school's guidance. Students currently being served on site are limited to no more than two hours per day and groups may not exceed 10 in number. Our staff is working diligently to identify all students that are struggling and that may need extra support here at school to make distance learning a success. We've made a couple of minor adjustments to our building schedule to help make things run more safely and smoothly. Please help us by doing the following:
Parents who are dropping students off for LIMITED IN PERSON INSTRUCTION should use the bus lane to do so, students should be dropped off no earlier than 8:45 and parents must wait for the temperature check to be completed and receive approval from a staff member before they leave. If you need to drop something off in the office please wear a face covering and follow social distancing guidelines that are posted. We have masks and hand sanitizer available in our lobby. I am pleased to let you know that again this year we will have counseling services available through our partnership with George Fox University. Counselors will be on site on Monday and Tuesday of each week. You will see David, our counselor at the elementary, introduce himself to your student during one of the online sessions this next week. We are continuing to monitor the county covid metrics and will continue to provide distance learning until we reach the required less than 30 cases per 100,000 tests and a test positive rate of less than 5% for three consecutive weeks.
The implementation of Edgenuity has gone fairly well and we are learning a great deal about how the system works. It is important for parents to understand that during the diagnostic assessments it is very important that you support your child, encourage them to do their best but do not assist them in answering questions on the diagnostic. Getting accurate information about where they are particularly in reading and math helps the program and your childs’ teacher select the most appropriate pathway for their learning. If you have questions about how to best support your child please contact their teacher during office hours.
Students:
Attend digital learning daily
Login for assignments daily
Inform the teacher and office prior to absences
Inform the teacher for partial absences
Participate in all activities
Be dressed and groomed for school
Have supplies ready for learning each day
Always be respectful to others
Parents:
Set up learning station for your child (small desk/table, small chair, lamp, a place to keep supplies away from siblings)
TV, Radio, other devices are turned off to provide a space free of distractions
Help your child login daily until they are able to do so independently
Show a positive attitude and praise your child every day for at least 5 things you noticed
Help your child be ready for school by sticking to a schedule
Monitor learning and hold your child accountable for doing his/her best work
During break times, plan to engage in some wiggle time with your child
Communicate with your child, your child’s teacher, and other adults at the school to solve problems early
It is important that your child is responsible for completing their own school work, please help them by teaching responsibility through taking ownership of their own learning.
Praise, encourage, praise some more...and repeat!
Sincerely,
Joseph Wehrli
Elementary Principal/Superintendent
