The Lion's Share
March 27, 2020
Message from the Principal:
I can't tell you how happy it made all of us at Settler's Point with the turnout that we had for our "teacher parade" last week! With almost all news being negative, I think it was exactly what we needed as a community to show solidarity. Please know that while we are not seeing our community daily, we are very much still thinking about all of you.
This week has been extremely busy for the teaching staff at Settler's Point. The majority of our staff have spent the last several days preparing for remote learning opportunities for our students. The district has been offering "around the clock" trainings for our staff to learn about new web tools to help facilitate learning for our students. I am so fortunate to be surrounded by some of the most dedicated teachers around, as they have jumped "head first" into this inititative because that's what's best for our students.
As we move forward with these remote learning opportunities, it's important to note that everyone involved will be a learner over the next few days, and part of learning involves making mistakes. Developing engaging online learning is new for our staff, learning via online tools is new for students, and helping in this capacity is new for parents. I have repeatedly told my staff that it's ok to make mistakes, but we are committed to being better each day.
While much has been said from a district level about "remote learning" I wanted to explain what it means to us at Settler's Point, how it could look, and how our district is mobilizing to support parents through this transition.
Please know that it has always been my philosophy that a school should be the "center of a community." If we can help support you and/or your student in any way during these difficult times, please feel free to reach out to me.
Robert Bircher
Principal
District Updates...
As you have questions, or hear about what other districts are doing, the latest information for GPS will be posted here:
https://www.gilbertschools.net/alerts
The information here is generally sent via email to parents, and posted to the various Settler's Point social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram).
Picking Up Personal Items...
If you need something, please contact the front office and we will schedule a time for you to pick it up.
Teacher Requests for 2020/2021....
Please know that there are many considerations that are taken into account when placing a child with a teacher. While your input will always be considered, it's not a guarantee that your child will be placed there.
Remote Learning at Settler's Point
Definition of Enrichment....
Without going too much into the legal rammifications, all of these activities are designed to be optional for our students. That means that nothing will be taken for an official grade, nor will not completing the activities be held against your student.
These times are truly unprecedented, and with seemingly everyone working from home, we know that some days are better than others. While we would love to have students participate in the daily learning activities, it is not required.
What to Expect...
- Continuing relationships with students is the priority; teachers are supposed to make every effort to talk to you and/or your child weekly
- Daily assignments should be centered around reading and math skills (more on this in the next box)
- Every attempt should be made to continue teaching and engaging students with learning material (not just packets and busy work)
- New learning/materials should be uploaded daily to help with not overwhelming students and parents
- Teachers should set specific office hours to answer questions from students/parents and assist if students need help
- Depending on your student's grade level, there shouldn't be more than 30-90 minutes of learning a day; some may provide other optional websites/practice
- Feedback should be given to students on any assignment that is turned in (not a grade)
Again, please provide some grace with these expectations, particularly in the beginning as this is requiring all of the staff WELL out of their comfort zone; however, I feel that with partnering together, we can make this successful.
Reading and Math are Key....
While the other subjects are great, and students often really enjoy them, with our limited resources we have decided to focus our attention here.
In addition, each grade level is focusing on the key 5-10 learning standards that are absolutely critical for success at the next grade level. We have tried to be very intentional in how we are formatting these enrichment opportunities for our students.
Teacher Websites....
Some teachers will be utilizing their site as their means of putting out daily information, while others have added a Google Classroom. Your teacher's site will be the "first line of contact" for these daily activities, starting Monday, March 30.
To access these, go to our school site, click on "Staff Directory" and then click on the name of your student's teacher. This should take you directly to your teacher's website.
WebEx...
This is an app that can be dowloaded on a desktop or cell phone. This is a district approved app that allows for multi-line audio/visual phone calls (think Facetime, but with unlimited lines added). You might be familiar with Zoom, which is similar, and very popular.
Again, dowloading this app onto your device is optional, but our staff has been trained to facilitate online conversations with their students, and it could be used to schedule conversations that give a more "personal touch," to this transition.
Accelerated Reader....
If you need your student's username and password, please reach out to your child's teacher.
Quick Links for FAQ...
Settler's Point Elementary
Email: settlerspointinfo@gilbertschools.net
Website: https://www.gilbertschools.net/Domain/28
Location: 430 East Settlers Point Drive, Gilbert, AZ, USA
Phone: (480)507-1481
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/settlerspride/
Twitter: @settlerspride