GLA West Connections
Wednesday, April 22nd
When They See Us, They Will See Greatness!
Happy Earth Day GLA! Join Team Legendary As they Celebrate All Week Long!
A Message from our CEO and Principal
Greetings Families!
We hope this message finds you well and in good spirits. We are in week two of 'Virtual Global' and it has been a joy to witness! Scholars are logging on, they are excited, and they are working hard to complete their academic expectations. Thank you so much to our families for your ongoing support. With anything new, there will be bumps along the way. Continue to communicate with us and let us know what things are working and what the challenges are. There are two important updates that we want to share with you this week:
1) Spring Intersession Change: We were scheduled to take our spring intersession from May 4- May 15th. However, because scholars are just getting into a groove with virtual learning, we don't want to lose that momentum. Instead of breaking for two weeks in May, we are going to continue working through June and just end two weeks earlier. The last day of scholars this year will be June 11th. Please see the revised yearly schedule below for details.
2) Parent Contact Information: We only had about 100 families complete last week's contact information update. Please take a few minutes to complete it by this Friday so that we can ensure that we have your most recent information. Thank you in advance for your continued support. We are #GLOBALSTRONG.
Sincerely,
Dr. Naomi Johnson-Booker, Executive Director/CEO
Ms. Shoshana Tyler, Principal
Updated Yearly Calendar
click to download
PARENTS, PLEASE HELP US STAY CONNECTED!
we look forward to seeing your scholar at harambee twice a week!
TEACHERS ARE HOSTING OFFICE HOURS DAILY TO REVIEW CONCEPTS, TEACH MINI-LESSONS AND OFFER SUPPORT IN SMALL GROUPS. SEE SCHEDULE BELOW!
Virtual Learning in Action!
Technology Corner!
1) This video is a walkthrough of how to navigate the Google Classroom app on an iPad:
Make sure you can find announcements, assignments, Harambee and office hours links, and how to contact your teacher!
2) Getting connected to Google Meet on the iPads has been an ongoing struggle for many families. If you haven't watched the troubleshooting video, please do, as it may help solve the problem.
If the solution in that video doesn't solve the problem for you, try not to stress out. We are working on a comprehensive solution for getting any new apps installed that may become necessary through the remainder of the year. The instructions for how that will happen will be coming out soon.
From the Tech Dept., we hope you are staying safe and healthy.
have you subscribed to our at-home learning videos?
Have you checked out our Home Learning Videos? All of our GLA at-home learning videos are posted in our GLA At-Home Learning Youtube channel! Subscribe to get notified whenever there's a new video, and check out the Playlist for your scholar's Academy.
Its a family affair! Check out these GLA educators with special guests!
It Takes A Village!
#globalstrong
Get healthy GLA!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS!
IMPORTANT NOTE RE: SCHOOL DISTRICT DEVICE PICKUPS
We want to send a friendly reminder to parents that we do not operate under the umbrella of the School District of Philadelphia and do not have access to their resources. GLA's has worked to afford all of our families with technology, and the district is doing the same.
The School District has received numerous questions from charter school families looking to pick up technology and such families have been turned away. We want to ensure the safety of all during this time and thus protect families from unnecessary travel. Please do not attempt to pickup a school district device on behalf of GLA.
Your Questions Answered!
1. How long will school be closed?
The Department of Education in collaboration with the State Health Department & Governor's Office officially announced that all PA schools will be closed for the remainder of the school year.
2. Can my child use a cell phone or other home device to do their Remote Learning?
For a successful experience with 'Virtual Global' we are not recommending that a cell phone be your child's only accessible device. The device used needs to have internet access, the ability to compose writing assignments (typing or voice recognition) and the ability to access their Google classrooms.
3. We are confused about the assignment or having technology issues accessing the lessons/assignments - what do we do?
Please email the teacher first and give them time to respond. For tech issues, send email to: ParentTechHelp@ga-schools.org and someone will connect with you as soon as possible.
4. Can I still sign-up for an Ipads for my scholar?
We have completed our Ipad distribution to the 350 families that completed the needs based survey. We currently have a waiting list for technology and will not be taking any more requests at this time.
5. Will our scholars still be traveling on global excursions and if not do we receive a refund?
We have currently cancelled the 8th grade excursion and postponed the 5, 6 and 7th grade excursions due to the social distancing expectations of our country. All 8th grade scholars are being prioritized for refunds and 5, 6, and 7th grade scholars will be contacted on an individual basis to discuss next steps within the next 3-weeks.
6. If my child has completed their packet how do we submit it to the teacher?
We are asking you at this time to store completed packets in a safe area and when we have further information on a safe way to submit the completed assignments we will inform you.
7. Will there be any closing exercise activities for 8th grade scholars?
We are currently discussing what closing exercises will look like for our 8th grade Rites of Passage. We will not have an in-person ceremony this year but we are working to ensure our 8th grade scholars are celebrated for this milestone.
Resources
PBS KIDS ALERT
Join us for “Mondays with Michelle Obama!” As part of the PBS KIDS Read-Along series, Michelle Obama will read four of her favorite children’s books (one book every Monday through 5/11!) The first book is “The Gruffalo.” Watch on Monday 4/20 at 12 pm ET here, the PBS KIDS YouTube channel & Penguin Random House! #ReadTogetherBeTogether #pbskidsread.
Follow Us On Our School-wide Instagram page. Follow Us!
Global Leadership Academy Charter School - WEST
Email: styler@glacharter.org
Website: www.glacharter.org
Location: 4601 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Phone: (215) 295-5700
Facebook: facebook.com/glacharter