Warhawk Wise
April 27-May 1
A Parents' Survival Guide for Distance Learning
- Keep it low key: Remember we are all in the same boat. It is better to stay up beat and not crank up the pressure. Everyone is already under a great deal of stress. Keep the focus on engagement and doing the best they can on any given day. We would much rather have kids continuing to engage in the opportunities their teachers are putting out there rather than worrying about having everything done perfectly.
- Just Start Today: Take away the pressure and overwhelming feeling. Some kids may have many assignments piling up and they don't know where to even begin. Tell them to just Start Today! Start with the lessons that are posted for today. Don't worry about the lessons from the past days or even weeks.
- Take care of yourselves: Schedule some "me time" into your day, even if it's just 15 minutes. It's important to take care of your own mental, physical, and emotional needs. Doing so will increase your energy and patience to be there to help support your child(ren).
- Give your child positive feedback: Giving your child specific, positive feedback can be incredibly motivating. For example, "I really like how you persevered even when you didn't know how to do that problem right away." or "Wow, I can tell you worked really hard on this writing assignment. I like how you . . . "
- Help your child create a routine: Let them be part of creating the schedule. Be sure to include morning routines (i.e. getting ready, eating breakfast), work time (devoted to each subject), and breaks. Maybe make a simple checklist.
- Stumped? Turn it over to the teachers: You are not expected to have all the answers. When you get stumped, have your child email the teacher letting the teacher know that he/she needs help with the assignment.
- Check in With Teachers: Periodically, check in with teachers if your child is struggling. Our teachers are here to support you and your child. They are ready and willing to help students work through issues they are having.
- Encourage physical activity: It is important to get our kids up and moving. Encourage them to get up and stretch, take the dog for a walk, anything to get them moving and taking breaks.
We Appreciate You!
Your feedback last week showed these common themes:
You appreciate the communication and want it to continue.
Classroom Google Meets- Teachers are continuing to schedule these ahead of time. Please find the Google Meet Schedule linked here.
Instructional videos are appreciated and helpful. We shared your appreciation and teachers are going to continue to try to incorporate videos into their classrooms.
You appreciate short, clear directions. We recognize the importance to make directions clear and concise, to ensure students can follow them easily.
Thank you again for providing feedback each week. Your constructive feedback allows us to make adjustments to improve our distance learning model. Your words of encouragement are always uplifting for our staff to hear. They are working incredibly hard to make learning and engagement a priority. They want more than anything to connect with your children.
Feedback vs. Grades
Why Not Grades?
When our State closed our school buildings, districts needed to think about providing equitable opportunities to all students, while not penalizing students who struggle to engage. This is an unprecedented time and everyone is doing the best they can given the situation they are in. Knowing that, MPSD decided to focus on providing constructive feedback to students with a focus on learning rather than focusing on a grade.What Does This Look Like?
Teachers are working hard to offer engaging learning opportunities to all of their students. When students return their work, rather than assigning a grade, the teacher will offer feedback. They will let students know what they are doing well and what they can do to improve their work. This is a growth model for learning. It gives students opportunities to take their teachers feedback and apply it to their work.
How Do I Know How My Child is Doing?
Many of you have asked why we are not using IC. We are trying to streamline the process so students and parents only have to look at one platform, especially given our focus on feedback. The Guardian Summaries that are provided are a great tool to see what your child has been assigned and if their is missing work. Some of you are concerned that the report comes out later in the day. We want you to know, it is alright if you find out later in the day that your child missed something. If that happens, have him or her start with that the next morning to get caught up. We have even experienced this with our own children. In addition, we would recommend sitting down with your student 1-2 times a week to go over the work the teachers have returned. This will allow you to see the individual feedback teachers have given. It also allows you to see videos or emails teachers may have sent with feedback. By doing this with your child, you will have a clear picture of how he/she is doing and what they can do to continue to make progress.
Contacting the Teachers
Counselor Corner
Mrs. Augustine and Mr. Zupek have added some lessons to each of the grade-level “Counseling Corner Google Classroom” Sites. The students are encouraged to take advantage of their opportunities to learn some skills and learn more about themselves.
6th Grade:
- Internet Safety Rules
- XELLO lesson: Decision Making
7th Grade:
- Internet Safety for Middle School
- XELLO: “Discovering Learning Pathways”
8th Grade:
- Internet Do’s and Don’ts
- XELLO: Skills
Technology Resources
- Is your computer running slow? Try clearing the browsing history/cache on your computer; it can help applications run better. Here's a video to show you how. Clearing Browsing History Video
- Are you having trouble with too many pop-ups and ads? Here a video on how to add an extension to your child's Chromebook to get rid of them. Pop-up/Ad Extension Video
- Manitowoc Public School District Launch Pad: This area is frequently updated with helpful resources.
- Are you having computer trouble? Let us know. MPSD Technology Help Desk
- Google Classroom guardian summaries are available. If you would like to get a summary report for your child's Classrooms, touch base with your child's teacher, and they can invite you. Once you receive the invite, here's a video to help you get set up. Guardian Summary Video
- Do you want to know more about the ins and outs of Google Classroom? This video will show you the basics and some tips and tricks to make the most of your classroom's features. Google Classroom Tutorial
Opportunities for Your Children
Battle of the Books Preview (7th-12thGrade)
Learn about the Battle of the Books and what books were picked for this years competition! Find out more about Battle of the Books and sign up for the MPL team.
Teen Locked-In Lock-In: Friday, May 1 at 8 PM
All the fun of Teen Lock-Ins without leaving your home! Meet-up with fellow library teens virtually and enjoy fun activities. No webcam or microphone required! For ages 11-18 only. Pre-registration is required. Visit our new teen Instagram @mpl.teen for details and news!
WEB Leaders for 2020-21
Our WEB advisers have created a Google Form and sent it out on the 7th grade Counseling Corner page to all 7th graders. The form is for any student wishing to request an application to become a WEB Leader. The students need to complete this request by May 1st and an application will be sent to their email. All completed applications are due by May 15th.
Interpreter Hotlines
If you are in need of an interpreter, please see the contact information below.
- Spanish Hotline (Claudia Klein/Jesus Cervantes): (920) 663-9372
- Hmong Hotline (Mai Chang/Fong Hang): (920) 663-9373
- Yog koj xav kom muab cov ntaubntawv no txhais ua lus Hmoob, thov hu Hmoob Tus Xovtooj ntawm 663-9373.
Administrators' Contact Information
Principal
erlandsonc@manitowocpublicschools.org
920-663-9582
Anna Beatty
Associate Principal
beattya@manitowocpublicschools.org
920-663-9585