Here's what to expect moving forward!

Hello Families!

I am sure many you have questions about the expectations as we move through this week. Please do not be concerned about jumping into the deep end of learning this week. I would like for you to take the time to discuss with your family how you will fit at-home learning into your lifestyle. I am posting a form on Classroom for students to complete as a check-in. I will continue to add small tasks on Classroom throughout the week and will provide students with virtual instruction. 

Here is a video outlining what to expect in the coming days: https://youtu.be/c7NLM7tmEe8

I want to reassure you that I am here to offer support. We are planning on about 5 hours per week of learning time which includes the time to complete assignments. Some students may complete their work quickly and others may need more than 5 hours. The learning students are doing is not intended to be overwhelming or to require numerous hours to complete. If your child is having difficulty, please let me know without delay. 

Here are some things to consider:

- What is reasonable and meaningful learning for my child?

- Is there a space that can be used for learning?

- When is a good time for my child to do their learning? 

- What are the obstacles for my child when learning from home? -- Sharing devices with other children/adults, Adults have limited availability, Additional responsibilities at this time, Difficulties with motivation, focus, emotional, or social needs

- Is distance learning manageable for my household? (There are ways I can help ease the pressure!)

I am not expecting you to become the teacher for your child. It is my hope that my students practice time management and project management skills at this time. If I have concerns regarding your child's progress, I will contact you and we can discuss how to build support strategies. Ask your child to tell you about what they are doing and the work I am giving them. You aren't expected to be sitting with them as they work but it is helpful if they can discuss some of it with you (5 minute chats are great). 

Thank you, 

Shaz-Marie McLean  B.Ed, M.Ed.

Welcome back - Update on Student Learning

Hello families,

I hope you have had some time to rest and do some activities with your loved ones. As I am sure you are aware, there have been many changes as far as how school for your child will look over the next few weeks. Since there is a strong need for social distancing, I have been working on ways to support your child's learning from home. I want to ensure that each of my students feels connected and engaged in their learning and continues to build relationships with myself and their peers.

I cannot imagine how difficult this sudden series of events has been for each of you. I do understand that this time for our children is exceptionally challenging. We know that the pre-teen and early teen years are a time of social and emotional development and peer relationships become very valuable.

I will be working to provide online learning opportunities for all of my students who have access to technology. For those of my students who cannot rely on regular access to the internet/technology, I will be creating individual solutions based on their needs. I have included a link to a brief survey that I am asking you to complete. This will help me as I shift our learning from the classroom setting to your child's home.

I am also building a webpage where I will be providing resources for you to help your child and links to assignments. The format of student work may look very different. Thank you for your patience as I explore what will work best for each of my students. I do not expect each child to spend hours at their computer but I will be building in opportunities for online chatting with me, posting instructional videos, and providing project choices so that your child is able to choose some of what they will be working on.

Please visit my webpage for information and resources: www.madamemclean.blogspot.com

Please complete the survey (Thank you!): https://forms.gle/mU1ZFUnN8KRnFGL17

Thank you so much for your support.

Madame McLean ❤️