With all that has changed over the past few days, we struggle to make sense of this uncertainty we find ourselves in. Staying connected and supporting each other is a high priority right now, and our team wants you to know that we are committed to doing what it takes to make this new situation as comfortable as possible for your students.
At this point, our school is on an extended recess until Tuesday, March 31st. We will update you with any changes, but eLearning will not be put into effect during this break. If needed, remote learning will begin on March 31st. That being said, we understand how difficult it can be for your students to stay active and keep busy outside of school. It may be a good idea to set a schedule for your child that will add a variety of experiences to each day. Setting aside 20-30 minutes to read and 10 minutes of journal writing each day are simple activities that will keep their reading and writing active. If you want to access digital reading materials, please use this link to access a free account on Epic.
Speaking of reading, the Association of Illinois School Library Education has announced the winners of the Bluestem Awards. Here are the top three:
1st Place: Real Friends
2nd Place: Last KIds on Earth
3rd Place: The Bad Guys.
Thanks to everyone who read and voted for these great books. Special thanks to Virginie Bottero Marr for making several copies of the Bluestem books from the public library available to our students!
I have shared several online resources (links are below) with the students on Google Classroom for US geography practice, but I am presently looking for some fun ideas your students can use to continue their learning at home. These will be shared as soon as they are available.
I am also learning how to use the Zoom video platform so that we can communicate face to face as well. Some of the staff is participating in a trial run today. Once we learn the system, we will make this available to any students and families who would like to join us for video updates. Please watch your email for more information on this opportunity.
Also, if you’d like to know how to help your student navigate Google Classroom should we begin eLearning, use this link for more instructions and information. At this point, our 5th graders are well practiced with this resource, but any questions you may still have should be answered there.
Sending our best to all of you. Please tell your children how much they are missed, and we hope to see everyone back in school as soon as we are able. Mr. Hurwitz and Mrs. Psimaras will be sending an email out later this afternoon. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or need anything from our team.