The Bulldog Bark
An Important Message from Chartwell School
March 17th, 2020
Dear Students and Parents,
Your health, well-being, and education are our top priorities during this time. Research shows that keeping a structured schedule is beneficial for students, especially during difficult and anxiety-inducing times. Thus, we recommend sticking to a daily schedule that includes wake-up times, bed-times, meal times, and the academic schedule below (to the best of your abilities). As always, we understand that each family has unique needs and we appreciate that flexibility will also be paramount at this time.
Here is the plan for the next couple of weeks:
Tuesday, March 17th
Professional Development Day for Teachers Only
No student work or virtual classes
Teachers work to build and launch distance learning via Google Classrooms
Wednesday, March 18th
Students sign in to their Homeroom/Advisory teacher’s Google Classroom to click on the Zoom Link at 8:30 AM for the first Distance Learning Virtual Class and follow their daily schedule listed below
Wednesday, March 18th - Friday, April 3rd
Distance Learning
Schedule of online classes below
Monday, April 6th - Tuesday, April 14th
Spring Break- No Distance Learning Required
General Expectations & Norms for Students
Attendance & Work Completion
Starting on Wednesday, March 18th, students are expected to attend at least 3.5 hours of distance learning each day, including time at the beginning and end of each day to join Zoom with their homeroom teacher or HS advisor and classmates.
Homeroom Teachers/Advisors have set up a Google Classroom for this purpose and will share this with students via Zoom so students are ready to begin work at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, March 18th.
Complete all classwork each day on Google Classroom and turn it into your teacher by 2:00 PM so teachers can provide ample feedback.
Classwork is expected to be completed by 2:00 PM, but you can complete homework during after-school hours if necessary in order to be ready for the next day of learning. Please communicate with your homeroom teacher or advisor if you will need to do your work in the late afternoon or evenings due to your family’s schedule.
Attend scheduled online classes with the provided Zoom link during your class time when scheduled by your teacher. Classes will be recorded if you need to miss them for a valid reason.
Other classwork can be completed during the class period or at your own convenience. The schedule is suggested to provide ongoing structure for students and families, and to provide a framework for live online learning using Zoom. However, the need for flexibility is understood.
If you are too ill to attend class, please remind a parent/guardian to report your absence to your homeroom teacher/advisor via email.
We understand that families have different circumstances and we are always open to individualizing our instructional plan.
Academic Integrity
Hold yourselves to the highest standards of academic integrity and all the guidelines that support your best learning; and ...
Zoom class sessions will be recorded!
Preparation and Engagement for Online Classes
Join the class on time, with materials ready and homework completed
Keep cell phone away from your learning environment
Wear appropriate dress - you’re on camera!
Use headphones if you are not in a quiet location
Mute microphone when you are not talking
See the Class Expectations page posted in your homeroom teacher/advisor’s Google Classroom
Be patient and flexible. Teachers and students are new to teaching and learning in an online classroom. Expect there to be bumps in the road. We will all work together to overcome any obstacles we encounter.
Student Support:
Counselors, teachers, coaches, administrators - all of us - are available to you as needed through Zoom, email, or phone during regular school hours; check the contact information on our website Chartwell.org.
Students who have standing appointments with our counselors (Ms. Kelleher or Mr. Shon), our Speech & Language Pathologist (Ms. Cox), or our Occupational Therapist (Amanda Guerts), will be contacted by Billy Swift to set up appointment times to continue these services.
The Chartwell staff member will reach out to the student/parents in order to verify these appointments.
Students who are having difficulty managing independent work and/or having difficulty with a particular assignment, please email Billy Swift at bswift@chartwell.org and he will provide a time to video conference or assign a support person to help. We have many educators on staff to support students as needed.
Tech support will help you adjust to this new way of going to class. If you need tech support, reach out to your homeroom teacher or advisor and/or Mr. Mueller at tmueller@chartwell.org or Mr. Langrill at jlangrill@chartwell.org.
While no virtual school can replace the comfort and familiarity of being together on campus, we are confident that Chartwell’s innovative spirit will make the next few weeks a success. Remember to take care of yourself: wash your hands, eat well, sleep well, get some physical exercise, and have fun.
If you have any questions or concerns, we want to hear from you!
Sincerely,
Jodi Amaditz and Alyse LeValley