Dear Lower School Families,
When we left for spring break none of us could have imagined how much the world would change in such a short amount of time. The past week has been a reminder of the power of community and, more specifically, the strength and support found in our own Foote family. The faculty and students have been overjoyed to connect with one another virtually and it has been wonderful to hear the ways distance learning is coming to life throughout the division.
As we think ahead to week 2, I would like to share a few updates to our distance learning plan. There are a number of important details included below so please read carefully.
We are switching to Google Classroom as the platform for all Lower School classrooms. Beginning Monday, April 6 all classroom teachers in Grades K-5, as well as specials teachers, LSP and math support, will provide daily distance learning information via the Google Classroom platform instead than their faculty blogs. With distance learning set to continue for several weeks, rather than just one or two, Google Classroom will provide a more robust platform for shared, interactive learning. We believe this will best meet the needs of students and teachers.
- How will parents in Grades K-3 receive their child's Google Classroom login and password? Parents should log in to their School Forms Online account where they will find their child's login and username information for Google Classroom.
- How do parents access Google Classroom? Parents should go to http://classroom.google.com where they can enter the username and password for their child to log in and accept the invitation to their classroom. Additional information on how to access specials classes will be provided by the homeroom teacher with next week's schedule.
- Need help? Parents should email helpdesk@footeschool.org with questions setting up Google Classroom for their child.
Daily class gathering throughout the entire Lower School. Classes will meet each day for a morning meeting based on the following schedule:
- Kindergarten: 8:00–8:15 a.m.
- Grade 1: 8:30–8:45 a.m.
- Grade 2: 9:00–9:15 a.m.
- Grade 3: 9:30–9:45 a.m.
- Grade 4: 10:00–10:15 a.m.
- Grade 5: 10:30–10:45 a.m.
As we move to more frequent live sessions with our students, we encourage parents to review the Tips and Etiquette for Online Meetings found on our Lower School Distance Learning webpage.
Asynchronous & Synchronous Lessons: Next week classroom teachers and specials teachers will offer recorded videos to support asynchronous instruction. Some teachers will also begin to incorporate live (synchronous) lessons as well. LSP and Math support will start for students, providing synchronous (live) lessons and posted lessons on a regular schedule.
Reminder: Teachers are expected to be online during school hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and respond to parents within a reasonable time frame (which may not be immediate, but within a 3-hour window during school hours).
I am incredibly grateful for the support and partnership from our families as we move deeper into our distance learning program. Thank you to those who have reached out with feedback and words of support. There are many adventures to come in this journey and I look forward to celebrating those moments as a community.
Sincerely,
Chrissy Khachane
Head of Lower School