Better Together
Geist Montessori Academy@GeistAcademy
Volume 18, April 10, 2020
New beginnings, love, and happiness!
Dear GMA School Family,
There's such magic in the air this time of year, reminding us that change can be beautiful. It's a time to witness the tremendous transformation in your child’s learning, as well, as s/he continues to thrive these last few weeks of the school year.
I hope that your spring break was refreshing, invigorating, and filled with love! As you know, our aim was to be able to reunite in May. However, on Thursday, April 3, Governor Eric Holcomb and State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick announced that all schools will remain closed through the end of the school year. As a result, instruction will continue via remote learning through Thursday, May 14. All school events that were scheduled for April and May are being adapted or canceled until further notice. The last student day is May 14, and teachers will have professional development and work days until May 22, at which time the progress reports will be sent home.
We will continue having eLearning days Monday through Thursday, and teachers will continue to prepare and collaborate on Fridays to ensure that your child’s needs are being met. Since we are ending the school year early, teachers will be focusing on core competencies and targeting instruction towards the most essential standards in order to equip students with the necessary prerequisite skills for the upcoming grade level. The focus in the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year will be keeping true to Montessori principles and observing the child. Teachers will work to meet students where they are in their learning, filling in any gaps by adjusting curriculum, accordingly. As always, our incredible teachers will spiral the review of grade level standards throughout their subjects and coursework and provide engaging and authentic learning experiences to bring the curriculum to life.
Please know that I am filled with such awe and gratitude for our amazing GMA school family! Being of the Montessori philosophy, we are allowing the school/home learning connection to truly unite, and our children are thriving in their thinking, learning, and growing.
I wish you all a blessed week, filled with the delight of more awakenings. May you witness the growth and blossoms of your child’s inquiry, perseverance, and passions.
Wishing you love, peace, and the bliss of new beginnings,
Cindy Schuler
Executive Director
Geist Montessori Academy
(317) 813-4626 cschuler@gma.k12.in.us
“It is like the sun which appears at dawn or a flower just beginning to bloom. Education cannot be effective unless it helps a child to open up himself to life.”
― Maria Montessori
Continuous Learning Guidelines~ Embracing the Journey
Guidelines
- Teachers will send their individualized work plans in the format they have been communicating all year. Plans will be focusing on the high priority standards, where students will be communicating and sharing work through their familiar learning platforms, such as Seesaw and Google Classroom.
- Weekly assignments, projects, video check-ins, and projects are all ways that teachers will be assessing learning.
- As always, students will be given choice and voice.
- Hard copies of lessons are available, if needed, in the tote outside of the school. (Please sterilize it after each use.)
- Communication is available in a variety of modes: emails, text, phone calls, live chats, WebEx, recordings, social media, and weekly class and school newsletters
- Weekly community circle time or lessons will be provided via modes such as Zoom or Google Meet.
- Weekly strategies and tips from the special education and high ability team will be provided via the Better Together Newsletters.
- Social emotional learning, fitness, and healthy habits will be weekly distributed by Nurse Joy and Michael Skiles, school counselor, via the Better Together Newsletter.
- Teachers, teaching assistants, therapists, our EL teacher, and all special education staff members will be holding consistent, scheduled office hours to better support your student’s individualized needs.
- Teachers will post announcements via email, Google classroom, Jupiter, or Seesaw including an explanation of activities, clarification of when assignments should be completed and/or submitted, and directions on how to find helpful resources.
- Elementary students will be engaged in learning activities daily for approximately 60-80, plus an additional 10-15 minutes for weekly special area classes.
- Middle School students will log into Jupiter to find their daily assignments, as well as resources that will help guide and support their learning. They should be engaged in continuous learning for at least 30 minutes per subject area.
- We recommend chunking this time into smaller segments throughout the day in order to provide age-appropriate learning conditions.
- Teachers will communicate office hours to students/families via email.
- During office hours, teachers will be available for real-time email inbox conversations or through integrated video conferencing tools. Teachers will be monitoring their inbox throughout the day to answer questions and provide support for students.
- All staff will respond within 24 hours to your calls or emails.
Attendance
Teachers are responsible for reviewing attendance of students and reporting any absences to administration by the end of each e-learning window. Students will have four school days to complete the assigned work for each e-learning day. By establishing a four-day e-learning window for each day of unplanned school cancellations, students will have adequate time to complete their assigned lessons. Some students have assigned devices for school-related work while at school or at home while following established policies and procedures.
Attendance is collected at the end of the 4-day e-learning window. It is based off 80% of work being completed; this is based on the current attendance requirements.
Assignments
In the event of a scheduled cancellation of classes, students will be informed at least forty-eight hours in advance, and teachers will give out materials/assignments ahead of the scheduled e-learning day. In the event of an unscheduled cancellation of classes, teachers shall inform students of assignments for the day by 9 a.m . In the event of a two-hour delay that becomes a cancellation, students will be informed by 11 a.m.
Work Continuity
Each lesson will cover priority competencies that would have been addressed if school were in session in a traditional setting or an equivalent lesson.
Accommodation Support
Special education students will receive accommodations outlined in their Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). English Learners will also receive accommodations according to their Individual Learning Plan (ILP). Students with Section 504 Plans will receive appropriate accommodations as outlined in their 504 Plan.
Conferences will be held for students, as needed, to address any unique circumstances regarding each student’s learning needs to support them on e-Learning days. In some cases, an addendum to the established learning plan may be sufficient.
Special Populations Resources
English Language Learner
o eLearning Resources - English Learners - This hub features resources for both teachers and families of English learner students. Included are links to other EL-specific resource hubs, such as WIDA’s, links for effectively connecting with multilingual families, and instructional programs and supports.
o eLearning Requirements and Supports for English Learners - IDOE’s guidance on the requirements for providing services, communicating with families, and assessing English learner students.
High Ability
o Online resources for High Ability remote learning
Special Education
o Office of Special Education COVID-19 Resources & Information
o eLearning Day Program Guidance for Students with Disabilities
Offline Support
For students with disabilities who do not use an online platform for learning or for whom an online platform is not appropriate, teachers will provide parents/caregivers with appropriate educational materials and learning activities for student use. Alternative plans will be developed for students as appropriate. Such alternative plans may include prepared activities focused on the student’s individual learning plan, and they will be shared in the tote outside by the front office.
Individual Needs
For limited English proficient students, teachers will provide parents/caregivers appropriate educational materials and learning activities for student use per the Individual Learning Plan.
Technology Assistance
During continuous learning days, technology staff will be answering technology-related issues through email, lbonar@gma.k12.in.us
Additional Information
In the event of a widespread technology issue, GMA will communicate the problem and any solution to students and parents as soon as practicable. If the problem is not determined to be a district issue, staff will work with the student/parent to address the concern on a case-by-case basis when students return to school.
For more information regarding eLearning Days from the Department of Education - click here: https://www.doe.in.gov/elearning/elearning-day-program.
- During continuous learning days, technology staff will be answering technology-related issues through email, lbonar@gma.k12.in.us.
- Cindy Schuler, Executive Director, will be available during regular school hours via email, cschuler@gma.k12.in.us
Here is the link to GMA's Continuous Learning Plan:
Visual Writing Prompts prompt thinking
THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND REFLECTIVE WRITING
Visual writing prompts are thought-provoking, encourage higher level thinking, and reflective writing.
Help bring your child's thinking to the next level with this strategy:
Padlet to Share Ideas
We have already been receiving so many incredible ideas and adorable pictures of amazing projects/learning at home. As such, I have decided to create this Padlet for our GMA School Family: Better Together: Padlet to Share Ideas/Learning
Please feel free to share photos, ideas, or other positive items to this site. You can upload items by clicking on the + sign. This is a fun way that we can all stay connected as a supportive and caring community. I look forward to the posts, and thank you for sharing!
FRee MOntessori materials and MORE
Talent Show Coming Soon!
It's time to begin planning your art project or talent show act.
We are going to have a virtual show on May 8 via pictures or videos.
More details will be coming out soon, so start rehearsing.
We can't wait to see you shine!
Connectivity is Key
Charter Communications announced on March 13, 2020 that for 60 days the company will offer free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access to homes with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a subscription. Installation fees will also be waived for these households. Enroll by calling 844-488-8395. Charter will also continue Spectrum Internet Assist, a program offering low-cost broadband internet of 30 Mbps for low-income households without school-aged children.
Comcast, which owns Xfinity, will offer 60 days free and increased speeds for new families who join the Internet Essentials program, an internet access program for low income families that is normally $9.95 a month.
AT&T announced on Friday it would not cancel service and would waive late fees for any wireless, home phone, broadband residential or small business customer experiencing hardships because of the coronavirus pandemic and can't pay their bills. Qualifying low income households can apply for $10 a month internet access through the Access from AT&T program. Fixed Wireless Internet and Wireline customers can use unlimited internet data. AT&T will also keep public Wi-Fi hotspots open.
Comcast offers free service: https://www.internetessentials.com/covid19
Free public wi-fi locations include: McDonalds, Starbucks, Panera, Public Libraries, Lincoln Pancake House, and Meijer among others.
Notes from the Nurse
Hello GMA family,
Hopefully everyone is hanging in there during this difficult and isolating situation that we are in. Keeping our kids safe and healthy during this time is very important. Unlike before, we can’t go out due to exposure, which means doing things to stay healthy and safe are very important. In addition, knowing what to do for simple first aid needs at home is key because most doctors and urgent care offices are not allowing patients to come in due to COVID-19. Obviously, there are certain situations that still call for a trip to the emergency room, like a broken bone for example. If you can handle the situation at home, it is best to manage it without exposure to the hospital.
Basic First Aid at Home
We are all cooped up at home and nothing is better than getting those kiddos out for some fresh air. Kids love to run, jump and play, but with that comes injuries and bumps/bruises. Knowing how to manage basic first aid needs at home is helpful in order to avoid a trip to the hospital. Also keep in mind that if your kids are playing outside to apply sunscreen. Just because the sun isn’t shining bright or it isn’t hot outside doesn’t mean that a sunburn won’t occur. Below is a website link put together by the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding basic first aid at home. It is a wonderful resource to have on hand in case of an emergency.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/First-Aid-Guide.aspx
Germs and Handwashing
Staying healthy and preventing infection during this COVID-19 pandemic is more important now than ever before. Educating your kids on how to stay safe and prevent infection is a skill that should start young and be ingrained in their daily habits. Germs are everywhere and this can be a difficult thing to explain to little ones. Hand washing is the most important thing you can do to prevent infection. Germs are on every surface and in the air. They attach to your clothing, hands, objects and anything they can find as a host. For kids, it may be hard to understand why hand washing is important or how germs can spread if they can’t see them. Below is a link to a fun “germ” experiment that you can do with your kids. It’s a quick way to show them how germs spread and practice good hand washing.
https://thesoccermomblog.com/glitter-germy-hands-experiment/
I am eager to see all of the student’s sweet faces back at school. Hopefully that will be soon, but until then I am still available by e-mail at jsterrett@gma.k12.in.us and I am checking it frequently. Please don’t hesitate to e-mail me with any questions you may have. Enrollment is coming up and there will be new forms to fill out for the students for next year. In addition, I am currently reviewing all immunization records to ensure that the kids are up to date, so stay tuned for more information on this should your child need to catch up on vaccines.
Best of luck at home,
Nurse Joy
Joy Sterrett, RN, BSN
School Nurse
Geist Montessori Academy
(317) 813-4626, extension 106
Graphing Stories
Dan Meyer and Buzzmath collaborated to create a collection of resources called Graphing Stories. These video tasks compare relationships like distance and time to a dependent variable over time. Click here to check it out!
1. Pass out the graphing paper.
2. Watch the video
3. Graph
4. Reveal
Hop to It
Equipment:
- Sidewalk chalk
- Large concrete or blacktop area (like a driveway)
Set-Up:
1. Create a large activity area by drawing 20–30 circles and 20–30 squares throughout general space. Leave at least 1 foot in between each shape.
2. One tagger will begin on one side of the area. The rest of the players line up on the opposite side.
Activity Procedures:
- Today's activity is call Locomotor Shapes. It’s a tag game with jumping, hopping, and leaping. The object of the game is for all the players to get to the other side of the area without getting tagged.
- Designate 1 player to be the tagger. The tagger will start on 1 side of the area, and all other players start on the opposite side of the playing area. To begin, the tagger will say, "READY, SET, GO!"
- To move, the tagger and all other players must jump, hop, or leap and land correctly from shape to shape. You must jump on squares with a 2-foot landing. You can hop or leap onto a circle with a 1-foot landing.
- When a player is tagged, start the game over. The person who was tagged will be the new tagger. If all players cross without getting tagged, designate a new tagger and play again.
Tips:
· Think safety first: Don’t try to land on a shape if another player is jumping or hopping onto that same shape.
· Work on bending knees, swinging arms, and building momentum for longer jumps and hops
Balance Your Moves: There are lots of ways to stay healthy, and balance is important. You rely on balance when you are hopping on 1 foot, and having balance on your plate is also an important step toward healthy eating. Choose a variety of foods from all the food groups while minimizing fats and oils. Good nutritional balance will keep your body strong and healthy.
More ways to stay healthy and energize your student can be found at: https://openphysed.org/activeschools/activehome
Getting into shapes by Laura overdeck
Normally a picture – or anything – being held together by tape is a sign something went wrong. But in this art project by our very own Maura Bigelow and family, the tape makes the shapes! With the help of the family dog, the kids and dog split a big square into smaller shapes by running stripes of wide tape across it. Then they colored in the shapes with sidewalk chalk. Once they peeled away the tape, look what was left behind! Of course, with April showers arriving any day now, this art might not last long… but that’s the perfect excuse to break out the tape and get into shapes again.
Wee ones: Can you find a triangle – a shape with 3 sides – in the picture? Point to it!
Little kids: Which has more total sides: 1 square with 4 sides, or 2 triangles with 3 sides each? Bonus: If this art used up 3 blue chalk sticks, 2 pink, 2 yellow, 2 purple, 1 orange, 1 red, and 1 brown… how many total chalk sticks did it use?
Big kids: How many shapes are inside the square – and how many shapes had to be colored for 1/2 the shapes to get color? Bonus: If there were 26 shapes, and there were 3 times as many blue as red and 3 times as many green as blue, how many shapes of each color would you have? How can you solve this in your head? (You can!)
Answers:
Wee ones: There are many triangles. 3 easy ones to spot are the yellow triangle in the upper left corner, the blue and red triangles in the upper right corner, and the red triangle touching the bottom edge.
Little kids: The 2 triangles have more sides, because 3 + 3 = 6, more than 4. Bonus: 12 chalk sticks in total. You can combine the alike numbers to keep them straight: 3 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 3 + 6 + 3 = 12.
Big kids: 34 shapes in total, and half would be 17 shapes. Bonus: You’d have 2 red shapes, 6 blue and 18 green. Why? Because each red shape has 3 blue friends and 9 (3 x the 3 blue) green friends, making a crowd of 1 + 3 + 9 = 13. If there are 26 shapes total, there must be 2 crowds of friends like this.
Find out more fun ways to bring math alive at : http://bedtimemath.org/getting-in-shapes/
Hi, it’s Ms Jeanie with one of my favorite spring ephemerals (plants that appear for only a short time in the spring).
Dutchman's Breeches
This is a picture of Dutchman’s breeches. They will be blooming until about the middle of April. They don’t look like most flowers, do they? There’s a reason. Remember that plants that have the power to get energy from the sun. But plants cannot get up and go get the other things they need, so they bring helpers to them.
Queen Bee
Here’s the first helper. Dutchman’s breeches need someone to take their flower pollen to other Dutchman’s breeches. They don’t want their pollen mixed up with other flowers. So, they have a flower that is special, and that only a bumble bee can get into.This a queen bumblebee, the first of her hive, getting energy to start her hive and helping the Dutchman’s breeches.
She takes nectar for energy with her long proboscis.
She gets dusted with yellow pollen.
What do you notice about the leaves?
She goes to another Dutchman’s breeches flower.
She rubs pollen from the first flower off into the second flower which produces a seed. Then Dutchman’s breeches uses a second helper. The plant needs somebody to take that seed to a new spot to grow. So, it grows some food on the outside of the seed.
Ants come and carry away the black seed.
They eat the whitish food off the seed.
They carry the seed to their garbage pile where it will grow.
The plant gets help with pollination and planting.
The queen bumble bee gets energy to start her hive.
The ants got energy to feed their colony.
This is called symbiosis, different species living together. Here is a website about symbiosis.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/symbiosis-art-living-together/
-Do you know other examples of symbiosis? Could you explain them to me?
This is also a part of the web of life, connections between different species.
-Think about would happen if I didn’t have bumble bees in my garden?
-Explain to somebody would happen if I had no ants in my yard?
-Write about what could happen if my queen bumble bees and ants had no Dutchman’s breeches to eat?
-What other plants cover their seeds with tasty food? You may have some in a bowl on your table.
-Do you think Dutchman’s breeches look like pants hanging out to dry? Why or why not?
They also have a Latin name, Dicentra cucullaria.
Photo information. (My camera isn’t up to taking close ups of flowers.)
1. Photo of Dutchman’s breeches by Quetzalkat7
2. Photo of bumblebee opening Dutchman’s breeches by Nativebeeology
3. Photo of bumblebee dusted with pollen by Student Conservation Association
4. Photo of Dutchmen’s breeches seed with leo by bellmare_jesse
Cooking up some fun with Conner Prairie!
Continuing the learning Journey
Here is a list of free education resources that you and your student can use to continue the learning journey when classes are cancelled. As long as you have an internet connection, you can use these online resources to unlock hours of learning:
At Home Activities:
Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/) – Khan Academy offers free courses of all grade levels to help students master subjects and accelerate their learning. Through these courses, Kahn Academy allows students to personalize their learning and learn at their own pace.
PBS LearningMedia (https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/) – PBS LearningMedia provides students with free lesson plans, videos, and games aligned with standards they are learning in the classroom.
TEDEd (https://ed.ted.com/) – TEDEd brings lessons to life for students through animation. TEDEd’s goal is to ignite curiosity among learners. To do this, TEDEd collects the best teacher lessons around the world. Then, it turns them into shareable animated videos for students.
PowerMyLearning Connect (https://powermylearning.org/learn/connect/) – PowerMyLearning Connect offers curated learning from a variety of online platforms. K-12 students can access free content in all core subjects and many electives, with the ability to choose standard aligned lessons.
BrainPOP (https://www.brainpop.com/) – BrainPOP provides animated interactive lessons, quizzes, and games for core subjects and a variety of electives.
Lumosity (https://www.lumosity.com/en/) – Lumosity offers free brain games to keep student minds actively engaged. For example, the games use problem solving, critical thinking, and memory to keep students on their toes and strengthen their skills.
Duolingo (https://www.duolingo.com/) – Duolingo helps students keep up with foreign language skills. Duolingo offers 30+ languages so students can start learning a variety of languages that interest them. Or, students can use Duolingo to practice the foreign languages they are already learning in the classroom.
EVERFI (https://everfi.com/partners/k-12-educators/) – EVERFI offers free supplemental lessons for the whole student in areas of Finance, SEL, Health, College/Career Readiness, and related topics.
Here is a list of free education resources that you and your student can use to continue the learning journey when classes are cancelled. As long as you have an internet connection, you can use these online resources to unlock hours of learning:
The Smithsonian Learning Lab ( https://learninglab.si.edu/distancelearning)-offers teachers and parents access to millions of digital resources from across the Smithsonian's museums, research centers, libraries, archives, and more. Includes pre-packaged collections that contain lessons, activities, and recommended resources made by Smithsonian museum educators. Includes self-directed learning modules for teens and tweens.
Online courses and video lessons
- Crash Course, an online youtube channel started by Hoosier natives Hank and John Green, has 15 courses with up to 75 video lessons for each. Lessons are geared for the middle and high school student.
- Crash Course for Kids follows the same format as Crash Course but with elementary level content.
- TedED has engaging video series for all ages. Sign in with Google to create lessons.
Ranger Rick (https://rangerrick.org/)- The National Wildlife Federation has opened all articles behind its paywall through June 30. This includes Educator’s Guides and Ranger Rick, Jr. Parent Reading Guides in English and Spanish.
Stories Around the World (International Children's Digital Library) Explore tales, fables, and stories from around the world in over 59 languages.
Free tutoring with Rose-Hulman (AskRose) has extended their free tutoring service hours for middle and high school students.
The Encyclopedia of Life (http://eol.org/)- an online database of over one million species and counting, provides a platform for the scientist and citizen-scientist alike to collaborate on scientific information for every living thing on Earth. This “open-science” website aggregates information from over 180 scientific organizations and scientists and as a result, provides rich and detailed text descriptions, photos and video clips, sound files and links to research and associated research.
Department of Defense: Learn about careers in STEM fields
Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics: Kids' Zone
Department of Energy: Games and Activities; Virtual Field Trips to National Energy Labs
Environmental Protection Agency: Games, Quizzes, and Videos about the Environment
The Library of Congress: Presentations and Activities to Help Students Learn about History
NASA: Interactive Lessons about Space, Earth, Solar System and Universe; Lessons from Astronauts about Living in Space; STEM Activities for Students of All Ages
The Kennedy Center: Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems; Tour the Kennedy Center with The Pigeon
The Smithsonian: Free Smithsonian STEM Games and Simulations; Meet the Animals of the National Zoo; 3D Exhibits and Virtual Tours; Smithsonian Magazine Ten Museums You Can Virtually Visit; The Museum of Natural History Virtual Tour; Digital Smithsonian American Art Museum; Distance Learning Resources
NOAA: Use Real-Time Ocean Data to Explore the Environment
USGS: Learn from Home About Physical science, Geography and Maps
Social Emotional Resources:Social Emotional Learning Resources related to Covid-19
Resources to support you and your family:
- See this link for information on hospitals, Community Mental Health Centers, and other local supports: https://www.in.gov/issp/2422.htm
- Trauma and ACES: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/aces-and-toxic-stress-frequently-asked-questions/
- Resources from Indiana Department of Education: https://www.doe.in.gov/elearning/2020-covid-19-remote-learning#family%20resources
- Resource from World Health Organization:https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/helping-children-cope-with-stress-print.pdf?sfvrsn=f3a063ff_2
- Parenting Tips and CIVID-19:https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/healthy-parenting?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_campaign=030096d2e1f0&utm_medium=page
- Intro to Seesaw video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzlrtDR84KY&feature=emb_logo
- Family guide to Google Classroom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Iowi-gmbys
- How to use Zoom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCjksPhTlyE
- Microsoft family guide: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/distance-learning-with-office-365-guidance-for-parents-and-guardians-89d514f9-bf5e-4374-a731-a75d38ddd588?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=U
Special Populations Resources
English Language Learner
- eLearning Resources - English Learners - This hub features resources for both teachers and families of English learner students. Included are links to other EL-specific resource hubs, such as WIDA’s, links for effectively connecting with multilingual families, and instructional programs and supports.
- eLearning Requirements and Supports for English Learners - IDOE’s guidance on the requirements for providing services, communicating with families, and assessing English learner students.
High Ability
Special Education
- Office of Special Education COVID-19 Resources & Information
- eLearning Day Program Guidance for Students with Disabilities
Staff Specific Resources:
IDOE eLearning Day Program - resources to assist schools in implementing eLearning days
SETDA Coalition for eLearning - resources and guidance for online learning
Learning Keeps Going - a curation of free tools, strategies, tips and best practices for teaching online from a coalition of education organizations
Rose-Hulman PRISM Rose-Hulman PRISM provides a free Moodle LMS for any Indiana K-12 teachers. Teachers can build / author their own courses on the LMS. PRISM staff will provide online Moodle training if needed and daily support. Teachers can build as many courses on the LMS as needed. Teachers can continue to use the LMS indefinitely. This is not an offer for just the current time.
ASUforYOU - School Training - Free short videos for teachers and families to learn the basics of how to transition your instruction online.
Resources for Families:
Search the Resource Database below for content specific supports.
TV and Movie watching templates for Elementary and Secondary students - IDOE wants to ensure learning continues for students at home. These templates are meant to provide an opportunity for students to learn and grow while watching a TV show or movie.
AskRose Homework Help - A free math and science tutoring service for Indiana students and other students in grades 6-12. Students can call 877-ASK-ROSE, email, or chat live with a friendly tutor to work through and better understand homework assignments.
ASU for You Free Online Tutoring - Tutoring sessions for Math, ELA, Science and Social Studies via ZOOM.
March 23 – May 20 2:00-3:00pm EDT - Monday: Math | Tuesday: Science | Wednesday: Math | Thursday: Science | Friday: Math
March 23 – May 20 3:00-4:00pm EDT - Monday: Language Arts | Tuesday: Social Studies | Wednesday: Language Arts | Thursday: Social Studies | Friday: Language Arts
Fred Rogers Center - Talking to Young Children about the Coronavirus
CDC - Talking to young children about coronavirus
PBS - How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus (with PBS Kids videos and shows that discuss hand washing)
NASP - Talking to children about COVID-19
Other valuable resources:
Trauma and ACES: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/aces-and-toxic-stress-frequently-asked-questions/
Resources from Indiana Department of Education: https://www.doe.in.gov/elearning/2020-covid-19-remote-learning#family%20resources
Resource from World Health Organization:
Parenting Tips and CIVID-19:
Embracing Uncertainty; Supportive Strategies by Peg Rideout
Embracing Uncertainty
As you’ve embarked on adding teacher to your already long list of titles, I hope you are learning that you may not know (or remember) everything you thought you did. Most parents/guardians never expected to have to teach their child what the brick and mortar school always did. You could empathize with your child about the challenges of learning and remind them that you were in third or sixth or first grade once too. But now….we are in uncertain times. Just as quickly as schools closed, you had to jump headfirst into doing something you may not have felt prepared to do. I want to encourage you to embrace the fact that you may have no idea what you’re doing. But rather than be stuck and frustrated with yourself or your child, reach out for help. The staff at Geist Montessori Academy are ready and willing to offer you help with any area - no judgment. Are you having trouble getting your child to start or continue working on an assignment? Are you having trouble understanding the directions for an assignment? Is it hard for you to explain something so your child can do the work? Do not struggle alone. Embrace the fact that you are learning how to be a teacher! The staff frequently has to collaborate with each other to problem solve issues like these and more. During these days of continuous learning and uncertain times, please do not add the stress of inadequacy to your plate. Ask your child’s current teacher, a previous teacher, an assistant, another parent in your child’s class, or me! My email is prideout@gma.k12.in.us and I will problem solve with you. I can call you or Zoom with you or email with you - whatever works best for you. Sometimes a person to bounce ideas off of can make a world of difference in your confidence level. You aren’t alone. Embrace the fact that you need help and model for your child how to get it - your child will appreciate your honesty and openness which may be the best thing you can teach them.
Takeaways:
Embrace the experience.
Don’t struggle alone.
Be open and honest with your child.
Know that the GMA team is ready to meet you where you are!
https://www.passiton.com/inspirational-quotes/7884-embrace-uncertainty-some-of-the-most-beautiful
Here are some strategies to help your child embrace uncertainty - a blog by Hollis Montessori School
Schuler Scoop
Please join me for the Schuler Scoop!
Cindy Schuler is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Schuler Scoop
Time: May 1, 2020 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/128598036?pwd=OUIyR0hnRjJZRXJTZTAxaS94aXhldz09
Meeting ID: 128 598 036
Password: 1SoZDU
Better Together: GMA School Board Supports our School family~ they volunteer countless hours and work at all times behind the scenes
working together for the better!
Meet Geist Montessori Academy's Executive Director: Cindy Schuler
Email: Cschuler@gma.k12.in.us
Website: gmacademy.org
Phone: (317)813-4626
Twitter: @GeistAcademy
New Phone Number: (317) 813-4626 and Address
Please take note; our new school family has a
NEW PHONE NUMBER:
(317) 813-4626
NEW ADDRESS:
6058 W. 900 N.
McCordsville, IN 46055
s'more Newsletters
Better Together Newsletter, Volume 1
Better Together Newsletter, Volume 2
Better Together Newsletter, Volume 3
Better Together Newsletter, Volume 4
Better Together Newsletter, Volume 5
Better Together Newsletter, Volume 6
Better Together, Newsletter, Volume 7
Better Together Newsletter, Volume 8, 1.26
Better Together Newsletter, Volume 9, 2.2.2020
Better Together Newsletter, Volume 10, 2.9.2020
Better Together Newsletter, Volume 12, 2.23.2020
Better Together Newsletter, Volume 13, 3.1.2020
Better Together Newsletter, Volume 14, 3.8.2020
Better Together, Volume 15, 3.15.2020