Jaguar Journal
Week of March 30th
This week we begin planning....
More encouraging words from NCE parents:
Thanks for your continued dedication and hard work!
Thank you all so much for your hard work and for providing these packets! We appreciate you all and miss you too.
I so appreciate all you guys are doing to feed the food insecure. I ride by the school and see the bus loading up and it makes me proud to be part of this community! THANK YOU!
SO thankful for everyone working to feed families!
Working at Home:
Building Hours/Staff Reporting Sheet - This week the building hours are 7:00 to 3:30. If you plan to come into NCE, please know that custodians will be alarming the building at 3:25 daily. Please indicate here your plans for working daily. All staff members should complete this form each day. Please no longer use any form but this one! The form now allows certified staff to type in activities that you are completing that are not on the NCE Work From Home Sheet. Please ask if you have questions! This form is linked into the NCE Staff page under the At Home Learning Section.
Here are more At Home Work Opportunities - see the opportunities that were shared from the district.
PLC times/days with Zoom
Our first virtual PLCs may take a little longer as we navigate creating our first at home lessons together. I would set aside at least an hour!
Summary of Things to Do from Zoom Meetings: Some things have been updated since our meetings and summary emails were sent so please read!
1. Remember kids have this week and next week to work on packets. You do not need to supplement. If you choose to supplement, keep it simple.
2. Please reach out to families and students to check in on them--preferably through phone calls or Zoom and not just Class Dojo. We want to keep our feeling of community, so a face to face virtual meeting or phone call is best.
3. Please work with EC, ESL, IAs, and Specials teachers to divide up your class and make phone calls to determine who does not have access to the internet so we can make equitable accomodations when we go to At Home Learning after Spring Break. Keep a list of who does not have internet access so we can address these needs during our PLC meetings.
4. PLCs -- Thank you to everyone! Our PLC document is finished! A Zoom meeting ID for each PLC has now been added to the document. Please check the document and use the link or Meeting ID to log into our PLC Zoom meetings each week. Everyone should also have received a Zoom PLC invite email too. Mandy has linked this PLC document into the Staff page under the At Home Learning section.
5. Please remember that every certified staff member is required to complete an At Home Learning Plan Expectation Sheet. Make a copy of the document, fill it out, and put it in this folder. BE SURE to include a section for the support teachers who work with your classes . Their contact info should be included on your communication sheet. Here is an example so we can be consistent. The Spanish version of the document is on the second page. It would be great if you could reach out to our IAs or ESL teachers who speak Spanish and ask them to help you translate your information for the Spanish version so all parents can access the information. There is a section missing on the Spanish version of this document. (Thank you Sabrea and Blanca for figuring this out and translating!) It is the "your child's account information" section. Please include this into the Spanish document:
Como acceder :
Inserte instrucciones para acceder aquí. Esto podría incluir códigos de clase, información de credencial inteligente, etc.c.
6. Please include the office hours you've chosen in this office hours document by Sunday night so we have it ready to refer to for families on Monday.
7. Add Mandy, Carla, and Eddie to your Google Classrooms. You do not need to add us to Seesaw as we have admin rights and can access everyone’s already.
8. Remove any point values to your Google Classroom assignments. Remember we cannot grade or require ANYTHING right now!!
9. Decide with your PLC, before we meet next week, which "one stop shop template" you will use. These can be tweaked. The subjects listed or times shown are just for examples. You can decide what works best. Think SIMPLE! Think of the parent document in the packets. These will be put on our school websites
Twitter Contest
Who wants to win a $25 gift card? Tweet photos or videos of you engaged in at home learning activities (Planning, Attending PLC, Engaging with students, etc.) Be sure to use the hashtag #Jaguarsathome and CCSathome. Each tweet you send using #Jaguarsathome will put your name in the drawing. The more tweets, the more chances to win! This is a great way to inform the community of the efforts you are making and it allows students to see you. Let’s keep trying to build community! Also, please be creative with these, there are an awful lot of Zoom screens flooding twitter right now!
Way to ZOOM this week!
Important Privacy Issues with Technology:
Zoom: We love seeing all the great posts of At-Home learning at #ccsathome and we plan to start #Jaguarsathome too! However, please be careful about posting Zoom photos of the class. The district has shared that a few tweets have had students’ first and last names along with a photo. If anyone has done this, please take it down. This is also the case with Flipgrid screenshots etc. Please feel free to edit the photo and blur out names if you wish to post. Or be sure to ask students to change their names on their Zoom photos using the three horizontal dots to “rename” themselves before you take photos. Also, please be mindful of which students have permission to have photos taken and used. If you have questions, please check with Lynne Crankshaw.
Seesaw: As students have started opening up and working in Seesaw with At Home learning we are noticing some possible privacy issues. When students are working at home on Seesaw, anyone else in their house or who accesses the computer (if students have not properly logged off) can see every other child’s work. The district is currently meeting to decide what their official position on this will be, as there is some debate between privacy and digital collaboration in this time of At Home learning. Until they make their decision we would like to err on the side of caution and prohibit students from seeing other children’s journals. You can do this one of two ways. Please decide which way you would like to ensure privacy and do it soon!
Change your settings: Tap wrench icon > scroll down and turn OFF 'Students can see each other's work'.
At Home Learning Codes: This will slightly change the way students will log into Seesaw so you will need to inform students and parents. If you choose this option, you will want to keep your explanation to families as simple as possible. Carla or Mandy can help you navigate that situation.
Resources:
Free S’more accounts. https://www.smore.com/corona These can help in how you deliver your at home learning information or class newsletters and you do not need to input student information so it is okay to use the free version they are sharing.
Ready grade level packets to use with your students if you’d like. Use the link to access English and Spanish ready made At Home packets for each grade level for math and ELA.
If you have students who have borrowed a Chromebook and are having difficulty logging in, here are directions from Jeff for how to log into a Chromebook from home. These directions have been linked into our Staff page under the At Home Learning section.
Kahoot -- Check out the tweet below! This change makes Kahoot a viable option for even K-1 now! Another resource teachers can use for at home learning!
Achieve 3000: Teachers in grades 3-5, you have access to all resources on Achieve 3000. Achieve 3000 is a curriculum platform with differentiated literacy instruction using nonfiction articles. This is a district purchased resource that dual language teachers have access to digitally and now teachers can access, download, or print the same resources. All 3-5 Dual Language teachers should ensure their students have logged on and taken the level set. This resource is listed on the county and school’s digital resource list and if a parent wants to access it, we need to ensure they can. Kari Layman is an expert at using this resource and can help you learn how to use it for at home learning if you’d like to try it!
Log into Achieve3000.com:
Username: chathamcounty
Password: admin
Adding Icons to Clever:
If you would like to have a one stop shop for your students to be able to access all their digital sites in one place, you can use Clever. Here are the directions on how to add icons into Clever. This will allow your students to access all your websites in one place. However, if the website requires a username or password, students will still need to use them once they click on the icon in Clever. Clever is just a place for them to easily find the website and access it.
From Jeff Taylor and Evonne Jurius -- Loaner Computers for Students:
The public survey is not available for families to access anymore, it was closed last Friday. BUT it is open for Jeff to add names to the survey. Jeff is very happy to provide laptops to as many kids as requested, but please tell families that the school will be in touch with them as to when to come by the school for pick up. It takes time to prep a laptop for delivery. We do not want families thinking they can just show up at NCE and get a laptop. Evonne will help Jeff coordinate computer requests and pickups for North Chatham School. If you have contact with parents or students who would like a laptop, please have them call the school or you can send Evonne their information. Remind them that a parent/guardian needs to be available to sign the computer use agreement at pick up time. There are currently no "extra" laptops prepped for use so they will take the student information and then call parents with a pick up time and place.
Jeff or Evonne will need the following info for each student request:
First Name:
Last Name:
Grade:
Do you have internet at home?
If yes, what kind of internet access? (Hotspot, Cable, DSL, Satellite)
Checking Voicemail Remotely
Here are the directions to assist you with checking voicemail from home.
1) Call the main office number (919) 542-3626 or your school's main phone number and ask to be transferred to your extension. If an auto-attendant answers, enter your extension number after you hear the auto-attendant say "If you know the extension you wish to reach, dial it at any time."
2) When you hear your voice saying your name for your greeting press * 7
3) The Voicemail system should then ask you to enter your mailbox and password. Enter your extension and your password.
Monday is the DAY for Flexible Spending/Pierce Sign up!
Jim Dubovec will be your Benefits Counselor for our 2020 annual benefits enrollment. While the current situation does not allow for in-person meetings, Pierce Group Benefits has established this new format to allow them to provide you with the same level of service you are used to. To schedule a Virtual Benefits Session, SIGN UP HERE . Jim is dedicating Monday March 30th for us, and he will be happy to walk you through your virtual enrollment.
In preparation for your virtual meeting, there are a few things you will need to do:
1. Be available at your computer with internet access and a phone during your scheduled time.
2. If you do not have access to a computer, please let them know so they can provide you instructions on how to proceed.
3. Please be patient while they assist you with this new experience.
Please note, it is your responsibility to complete the benefits enrollment and confirm your elections for the next benefits plan year. You are encouraged to schedule a time with your Benefits Counselor to review your benefits during this time. Follow the link to sign up