Skyview Chronicles Vol. 28
Mar. 27 - Apr. 3, 2020
A Devotional From Angela Leyba
Matthew 6:25-33
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’
For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
~
3rd Quarter Report Card Schedule
Zoom Meeting Tips
When meeting with students there are three things to set up for success:
- Disable Chat
- Mute all (disable the ability for students to turn off mute)
- Under advanced settings select Host only so you control the screen at all times.
CLASSDOJO
ClassDojo just came out with more resources on how to support teachers for online learning. These resources are located in the shared Academy Teacher Distance Learning Google Drive folder.
If you have any questions please contact your grade level tech support ~ Nataley Kehney.
Google Form
Below is the link to the document that goes over how to create a Google form/quiz and an overview of all of its features.
Quick tip if you are using a Google Form for a quiz is to make the first question a place for students to fill in their first and last name.
HELPFUL LINKS
Below are links for supplemental activities that you and parents may find helpful during this time. These resources can be found on the Purposeful Design website.
Science: Activities and Games
https://your.acsi.org/PDP-St ore/Textbook-Support/Science-Activities-and-Games
Math Resources
https://your.acsi.org/PDP-Store/Textbook-Support/Math-Resources
Purposeful Design Moments in Math/Instructional Videos
https://your.acsi.org/PDP-Store/Textbook-Support/Math-Resources
.
Resources for STEM
I wanted to share a resource in case your elementary, kindergarten and pre k teachers are looking for supplemental hands on at home ideas. I work in publishing now and one of my clients is TheDadLab — he is a stay at home dad who has a mission to give parents activities they can do at home with materials they typically have at home that can be a way to spend more time with their children while also educating them in stem and art.
His Instagram is Instagram.com/TheDadLab and you can also find him on Facebook if you look up TheDadLab. He has hundreds of videos posted online for free for parents and the age group for all of his activities is between the ages of four and eight.
He will be doing live events on Facebook 1 to 2 times a week but also all of his videos are archived for access at any time. In the event or something here that can be useful to your teachers I wanted to share it.
Again I truly appreciate everything you guys are doing and do wish you well.
If I had to do it again/ What I wish I knew at the beginning
Advice from international educators who are on prolonged online learning due to school closures.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AZYaeXp9aWebmC8Qmb4dzUQuQMfTAatZqAmYbNLbgew/mobilebasic
Upcoming Events
March 30 - April 3
- NO School - Spring Break
Apr 6-7
- Optional Specialists-Led Home Based Learning
April 7
- End of Qtr. 3/Grading Day
Apr 8
- Home Based Learning continues
Apr 12
- Happy Easter!
April 27
- Back to classrooms
Apr 27 - 29
- PTF Staff Appreciation Days
Apr 30
- NO School - Teacher-In-Service
~~~~~~~
Best Practices Sent to Parents
AT HOME ONLINE SAFETY
- All ncalive.org accounts are set to strict filtering through Google, but we have no control if they do not log into their account or use a personal Gmail account to login outside of school.
- We do have some control over a student Chromebook if they do use that device, but just know that students still find ways around this from time to time.
Tips for Parents
- Talk to your child and set clear guidelines for internet use.
- Establish an internet use agreement with your child (This may include: Safety and communication expectations with others when they are online).
- Monitor your child's internet use. Place computer in a common area where the screen is visible. Monitor all other internet-enabled devices, such as cell phones, tablets, and gaming devices. Always keep students in an open area that can be monitored. Parent monitoring is the best deterrent.
- Make it clear to your child that they should let you know if someone says or does something that makes them uncomfortable.
- Enable safe searching options and monitoring software in your home.
- Set a limit for how much time your child can spend online.
Some filter and monitoring options:
- Parent Control Setup with Xfinity: https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/set-up-parental-controls-with-comcast-networking
- Manage and monitor multiple devices: https://www.mobicip.com/
- Manage and monitor multiple devices: https://www.qustodio.com/en/
- Circle Home Plus: https://www.amazon.com/Circle-Parental-Controls-Internet-Devices/dp/B07QQHRB8P?tag=p00935-20&ascsubtag=03Q87QvscO89dbv11MgywgB
Live Zoom
After Spring Break, your teachers will be setting times to meet with your child's whole class once a week on Zoom. We will be sending you a link through Renweb. We know that everyone will not be available at that time due to schedules. This is only an option and it will help to keep our classroom relationships strong. I know that we really do miss each other.
There will be tech assistance as well if you are in need. Please email me separately and either I will assist you or I will connect you with someone who can assist you.
- Set up the zoom call in a shared space like the kitchen table. Your child needs to be in a common room such as a living or dining room when on Zoom during teachers' office hours.
- Have parents around to help get on zoom. For a one-on-one appointment with a teacher on Zoom, the child needs to be in a common room and the parent needs to be present.
- Be on the call 2 minutes early.
- Use the hand raise function to indicate you have a question or something to say.
- Mute yourself on entry into the call.
- Dress Code - free dress day or uniform please.
Test Proctoring
Create a comfortable test-taking environment for your student (lighting, room temperature, supplies, minimal interruptions)
Communicate test taking expectations (academic honesty)
Use the restroom before taking a test to minimize interruptions
Supervise- circle around the room while your student is taking a test or be present in the room
Answer questions your student may have about a test, but do not give verbal or nonverbal clues/hints about an answer
If your student is frustrated allow them to take a small break
If your student is frustrated on a specific question, then have them skip the question and come back to it at the end of the test (Tip: If a student skips a question, make sure they write down the question on a piece of paper so they do not forget)
Organized Desk
Find the right space in a central location especially for younger kids. Think your kitchen or family room. Also choose a place close to an outlet for charging their devices.
It is important to be able to spread out all their materials and supplies like Chromebooks, pencils, erasers, notebooks, highlighters etc. If they are using the kitchen table maybe have a mobile supply caddy or station. Having supplies within reach of the workspace is key to their success.
Help keep your child’s different subjects organized with a binder and tabs, or color coded file folders. It is important that your child knows where to find thing and where to place them when done. A place for everything and everything in its place.
Expectations Communicated to Parents
NCA is making a mind shift from at school learning to distance learning. How can we keep the momentum of student learning in this new environment? First and foremost we are putting our time into creating lessons, activities, and facilitating student learning. Second NCA is making the online live connection through Zoom office hour an important daily routine to reduce students feeling isolated and continue our wonderful classroom communities. Finally we are working hard to get feedback to students in a timely maner. Thank you for understanding this changing landscape is an adjustment for all of us.
- Grades are in RenWeb.
- Daily at least one assignment will be graded with feedback to students.
- Other assignments will be returned within 48 hours of the due date.
Communication:
- If you email a staff member you can expect a reply within 24 hours. All email communication with teachers will occur through their school email account.
- Weekly newsletters from the division principal.
- Weekly Zoom calls from the principal to parents.
- Bi-weekly survey to parents to get feedback.
- Please feel free to call the principal any time at 425-322-2398 to talk or email at kkreutner@nca.school.
Please contact Janet Christy, Student Learning Director, if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s learning progress. jchristy@nca.school