Jordan/Jackson News You Can Use
April 10, 2020
Contacting J/J During the School Interruption
Principal's Message - Remote Learning Update
Dear Families,
I'm happy to let you know that the Remote Learning for April 13th to April 17th is now live on our Remote Learning Site. If your student clicks on their respective grade level, they will see next week's assignments. This week's will remain posted on the site, as well. We hope that this helps families with their planning.
As we move forward, we expect that students are engaging with the remote learning and submitting their work in a format appropriate for the assignment, to their teacher(s). Our staff have done a tremendous job collaborating and helping to ensure we are providing a consistent format and experience for our students. We will continue to evolve from week to week.
If internet access or lack of a device is preventing a student from accessing their learning, please email me at john.nieratko@mansfieldschools.com. In the upcoming week, administration will be working with teachers to assess student engagement and we will be reaching out to families whose children have not yet engaged to offer assistance.
One tool we are moving forward with as an option for staff is the ability to conduct a Google Meet with students, starting April 13th.
Please understand that the use of Google Meet is not a mandate for staff - it is one of several technology tools that some teachers may elect to use with students, when and if they feel it is beneficial to learning. You may have seen on the news and through social media that some school districts have had challenging experiences launching video-conferencing applications, and with setting clear expectations for use. We have and will continue to offer training and best practice guidelines to our staff to reduce risk. We are also very excited about other tools our staff are learning to utilize as effective ways to engage and excite our students.
Please find below the District’s expectations for students and families for appropriate use of these technologies- please read the information carefully. If you have any questions, email me directly.
Mansfield Public Schools Tech Use Expectations
Lastly, I just want to thank all our staff for working together to put out a video (see below) for our students. Shoutout to everyone involved in getting the idea off the ground and thanks to Mrs. Norige for putting it all together!
Take care and stay healthy.
John Nieratko
VIDEO MESSAGE TO STUDENTS FROM OUR STAFF!
April is National Poetry Month
Maybe there's a budding poet in your home? National Poetry Month, a celebration of poetry which takes place each April, was introduced in 1996 and is organized by the Academy of American Poets as a way to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States.
Poem in Your Pocket Day takes place every year on a day during National Poetry Month. On this day, select a poem, carry it with you, and share it with others on social media using the hashtag #pocketpoem or maybe send a poem to a far-away friend or relative so they receive it on Poem in Your Pocket Day, which is Thursday, April 30.
Choose your favorite poem or create your own and send to your teacher by April 28. We will share them with everyone on April 30, Poem in Your Pocket Day. #JJPride #pocketpoem
Predict Old Faithful's Next Eruption
Birds Are in the Air - It's Spring!
Bird watching is something you can do from inside your home when it's raining or outside on your deck. Bird watching is something the whole family can enjoy together. If you'd like to attract birds to your home and have a hobby you can enjoy year round, try piquing your families' interest by listening and watching some of these feathered friends. There's also some easy projects to make bird houses, bird feeders and bird water feeders from recyclable items you may already have in your home.
Great Horned Owl with 3 Owlets in Charlo, Montana Live Cam
West End Bald Eagle on Catalina Island, California Live Cam
Eagles in Decorah, Iowa Live Cam
Spoonbills in St. Augustine, Florida Live Cam
Osprey in Stone Harbor, New Jersey Live Cam
If you'd like to identify the birds that are visiting your yard, check these links:
Bird Feeder
Bird Water Feeder
Bird House
BOKS
BOKS created an indoor obstacle course which can easily be modified for outdoor use to get the kids up and moving. Reminder that the BOKS team is offering Facebook LIVE BOKS classes each week day at 12PM. You can also sign up for their weekly BOKS bursts which are short 1 to 10 minute physical activities created to help when kids need a 'burst' of energy. Fun for the whole family!
Battleship Solitaire
The Battleship puzzle (also called Bimaru, Solitaire Battleships or Battleship Solitaire) is a logic puzzle based on the Battleship guessing game. It is a single player version of the Battleship game. These addictive, no math puzzles offer endless fun and intellectual entertainment to puzzle fans of all skills and ages. Directions on how to play are below as well as some printable game sheets from Krazydad.com (no peeking, the answers are included too!).
Battleship Directions (After reading directions, video below might be helpful too)
Need Something to Smile About?
You still need to WASH THOSE HANDS!!
Corny Joke Challenge
Developing Schedules While We're Home
Kids need structure. Schedules achieve this. Your little learners may resist at first, but they will thrive with order, and so will you. For older kids (five and up), co-create the schedule. Think: orange post-its are required learning (maths, reading, science) and yellow posts-it are fun (TV, iPad). Parent picks two, kid picks two. Exercise, some mindfulness, art, drama, and music can all get time slots too. Where possible, make following a schedule fun—ideally, switching tasks shouldn’t feel like a drill but like an opportunity. Create your own template or feel free to edit this schedule: Daily Schedule Template
Jordan/Jackson News You Can Use
You can also access these newsletters through our website. Click on these links:
Mansfield Public Schools
MPS' latest updates, information and news about the District’s schools, students, faculty, events and accomplishments. Link: Mansfield Public Schools News Blog
Email: first.lastname@mansfieldschools.com
Website: http://mansfieldps.ss8.sharpschool.com
Location: 2 Park Row, Mansfield, MA, USA
Phone: 508-261-7500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mansfield-Public-Schools-508839202499633/
Twitter: @TmmMPS