K-2 Team Newsletter
March 30, 2020
Principal's Message
“Our goal is to provide parents with resources and support to help with at home learning amid the COVID-19 school closures. We are committed to creating ways that are equitable for all scholars. The Executive Team will be allowing families without technology the ability to check out ChromeBooks to ensure they gain access to our online resources. Additionally, we will also be supporting families with gaining access to the free internet services that companies are temporarily providing. Lastly, we are committed to partnering with the SPED department to ensure we are supporting scholars with IEPs as defined therein."
~From the K-8 Principals :)
School Wide Focus
Distance Learning Plan
Our families will engage in distance learning starting tomorrow. Woo Hoo! THANK YOU for all the hard work you have put into making this first week a success. Aligned to our guiding principles….will it be perfect..NO...but it’s going to be amazing for our scholars to continue their education during this crazy time. You can see your teaching responsibilities laid out here as well as a sample teacher schedule. Below are some updates to questions that have been asked thus far!
Updates/Questions:
What is the plan for 3rd quarter report cards?
Parents will be receiving 3rd quarter report cards soon. Teachers should begin finalizing 3rd quarter grades. If scholars did not take the interim, leave that section blank for now. As of today, there is no deadline to have this completed; however, teachers should put this on the radar to complete within the upcoming week.
Where can I refer parents who are experiencing some type of hardship due to the COVID-19 safer-at-home parameters?
Teachers can refer to Jim's most recent message to families regarding available resources for families. Family Resources
What should I do if my scholar cannot remember his/her password to their google accounts?
Teachers can refer to the link in the "Quick Find Docs" titled Scholar Email Addresses. If this does not work, teachers should flag the scholar's name on the Scholar Communication Log by tagging Eva in a comment.
What should I do if my scholar’s family needs translation support?
Teachers can refer to the link in the "Quick Find Docs" titled Translation Services Needed. This a form you can fill out to get support!
Can we limit the assignments scholars/families see in our google classrooms to just what is needed the day of?
This is okay but we were just trying to be thoughtful of parents with multiple kids or have to work from home. It would be helpful to see everything due for the week to knock out multiple assignments and not have to wait daily. I know this is true for me with homeschooling Renee and Pierre.
What’s up with families who need tech or internet support?
Mr. Welch is working through the communication log and contacting families to get them the support they need!
Meetings & Norms
Grade Level Team Meetings
We are excited to hold our first GLMs this week. See below for our updated meeting times as well as your grade level exceptional ed person who will also be in attendance.
Tuesdays 1:30-2:30 → 1st grade w. Liz G
Wednesdays 1:30-2:30 → Kinder w. Kristin
Thursdays 1:30-2:30 → 2nd Grade w. Lindsey & Caroline M.
Virtual Meeting Norms
As we are moving into new territory with virtual meetings and distance learning, we wanted to set some norms moving forward. I must admit that working from home is very new to us and I truly understand now how challenging it is to balance working from home and having a family. I also acknowledge that each of you have different things that you are balancing in order to make this new form of teaching and learning successful for our scholars; so I want to make sure we are able to support you as well. With that, please know that communication is key and that we are here to support you in any way possible. Please review these norms and reach out if you have any questions!
All staff are expected to join virtual meetings on time and remain on the call for the duration of the meeting.
In an emergency, staff should make arrangements for "Office Hour" coverage and notify the admin of any changes.
Reach out immediately if you have questions or concerns about an expectation PRIOR to any deadline.
If you become ill and you are unable to meet work expectations, be sure to notify Dr. P and Caroline Rhodes as you normally would.
Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!
Deans of Academics
Distance Learning starts tomorrow - yay! Thank you everyone for your immediate action this week as we pivot to a new normal for at least the next month. All videos were due EOD Friday in each of the classrooms on your grade level. Thank you to those who reached out for support...we were glad to help!! This week, you will have office hours, a grade team meeting, and check in calls with your scholars. You will also plan, record, and upload the videos and assignments for the content for which you are responsible for the week of April 6th to all classrooms in your grade level.
Recap...What’s Due this Week???
Office Hours (posted to your classroom)
Grade Team Meeting
Check in calls with your scholars (update on communication log)
Plan, record, and upload the videos and assignments for the content for which you are responsible for
K-8/K-2 Team Meeting
April 3rd
DUE: All Teacher Videos and Student Assignments for the week of April 6th uploaded and assigned in Google Classrooms
DUE: Phone calls to all scholars and special comments logged if needed --> Week 2 Log
Dean of Culture
Hey Team! I am so excited about us working to keep our EEP community alive and the great culture we worked so hard to build. In the midst of us transiting to a distance learning online curriculum it is vital that we continue to foster a warm demanding culture. Just to recap our Culture Plan and Roll Out we discussed on Friday. Going forward, as a K-8 school EEP staff members will record videos that will be picked and posted online to engage with scholars, families, and our community.
The Culture Team (K-8) will use our Facebook page: Eastend Prep Staff, and our Instagram page @EEPStaff to post the video (no longer than two minutes) that you create.
Below is a list of ways we plan to utilize these accounts. If you have any additional ways that you are personally interested in engaging with our community, please reach out to me (my office hours are Monday-Friday 1:30 P.M. -4 P. M.)
Motivational videos
Inspirational messages
Special events and/or activities
Live stream - Chat directly with scholars/families
Possibly other events and communications.
Procedure on how to submit your videos:
Staff members interested in providing content for daily videos should upload their videos to Student Family Engagement Video Folder.
Please Save your video as <FirstName.LastName.Grade.HR> you may include a tagline if you like.
Example: Crystalline.Jones.1st.Bama.MotivationVid
Each week I will pick two videos to post.
Others things to remember:
School Pantry Bags available upon request
Please tag any needs in the Call log with my name if a family needs food
I have been delivering school pantry bags of food to families
100% Online Classroom culture
Find a way to continue your 100% classroom culture online. During our Grade Team Meetings this week I will ask everyone to whip around and share out how you are doing this so we can collaborate!
Friday Morning Motivation
Our first Friday Motivation will be On Friday, April 10th more details to come
Create a Welcome Video (Most of you have already...only if you have not)
K-2 Eagle Incentives will begin the week of April 13th. We don’t want to overwhelm scholars and let them get used to completing assignments online.
Masked Singer Virtual Incentive Event will be in May
Scholar of the Week
Teachers you will choose the scholar of the week if it is your will to choose like we do leadership tee. You will have them send you a picture by Friday and email the picture and brief description of why they are the Scholar of the week.
- For the week of 03/30/2020:
- Kinder- Melanie Lipscomb
- 1st- Macie Garrett
- 2nd- Olive P.
Dean of SEL
As you all are preparing for your classrooms to get ready for distance learning below is a resource you can use to find SEL connectedness activities. These could be great to use for your morning meetings if you are going to continue those or post to your google classrooms.
Great Good in Education
Habit of the Week: This is still important for us to focus on as adults as well!
- Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood: Listen with compassion as others talk. Do not spend time waiting to say something, but rather, hearing what others say.
Tori Meal Train-
Upcoming Events
March 31st
- 1st GLM 1:30-2:30
April 1st
- Kinder GLM 1:30-2:30
April 2nd
- 2nd GLM 1:30-2:30
April 3rd
- K-8 Meeting 2:00-2:30
- K-2 Team Meeting 2:30-3:00
SHOUT OUTS
Shout Out to Molly and Ayana for all their support with getting the K-2 Distance Learning Plan off the ground and ready for teachers/scholars
Shout Out to Lindsey for spearheading an awesome IEP meeting using DocuSign and Dr. P learned a new word “staircase learning” LOL
Shout Out to Crystalline for creating the awesome phone call script used for our initial communication with families
Shout Out to Danielle, Stacey, Lisa, Anya, Melanie, Jaquandria, Macie, Kristin, Allie, Yolanda, and Jessica for emailing some great questions to push our thinking as we planned for our grade level breakouts and follow up questions afterwards
Shout Out to Kristin, Liz, Lindsey, and Caroline for all their prep work in planning to support our SPED and ELL scholars get ready for distance learning
Shout Out to Tori for staying strong and checking in on scholars during this difficult time (also CHRIS IS HOME..YAY)
Shout Out to Danielle and Olivia for sharing some awesome tools for distance learning
Reminders
- Accept all Google calendar meeting invites and communicate with your coach and Dr. P if you are not going to make it
- Review the quick find docs below for any documents/resources you may need
- Remember to smile...WE GOT THIS
Quick Find Docs
Scholar Communication Log click here
Family Call Script click here
Translation Services Needed click here
EEP Distance Learning FAQs click here
K-2 Distance Learning PPT click here
K-2 Week 1 Wrap Up PPT click here
Staff Office Hours click here
Scholar Email Addresses click here
Parent Email and Contact Info click here
Daily Expectations for Teachers click here
Weekly Scope and Sequence click here
Good Idea Spotlight click here