A Letter from Mr. Patton
A letter from Mr. Patton
April 3rd Mt. Stuart Update
Hi Everyone.
This is update #2 about what is happening at Mt. Stuart. I will regularly write to keep you informed
This past week has been an amazing one to watch the entire Mt. Stuart staff completely retool to meet student and family needs for education. Mrs. Keefer and I are extremely proud of our staff.
During this week staff have learned how to use Google Classroom and Zoom, amongst other things. Scores of meetings have occurred online. As the old saying goes, we have had to build the plane while it’s flying! This Monday we will begin in earnest to instruct online. Plans are in the works for packets to be available for those who won’t be using online resources.
There is now an active website, provided by the District, that is designed to allow ease of access to district teachers’ schedule, as well as all sorts of resources to support families. It can be reached at: https://www.esd401.org/covid-19
I have copied Michelle Bibich’s (Morgan Middle School Principal) wording below, due to her excellent description of the programs that will be used by teachers, as well as suggestion of how to support learning in your home.
Zoom- This system allows for video conferencing. Every teacher, administrator, and counselor was provided with a license to be able to set up their own Zoom meetings with students and families. The great thing is that students or families do not need their own accounts in order to participate. When you are invited to a Zoom meeting you receive a link to access the meeting. To begin with, we will host meetings without student video access. The school board will be adopting policy and procedures related to using this system that is new to us in education, this will eventually allow two-way video.
Google Classroom- This is the platform that will be used to communicate specific assignments to students. The very best way for family members to help students with what is on Google Classroom is to either have your child provide you with their login information OR sit with them while they check it so you can see what is expected of them. Many of older students are very familiar with Google Classroom and will be able to navigate it very well!
Clever- This is a new system that we have in place this year. Students can go into Clever to where they are already linked to Imagine Math, Imagine Literacy, Typing Agent, and a few other systems that are available for students. What can you do to start preparing your child for success with distance learning?
· Find a location in the house that can be set aside for schoolwork as much as possible. It is much easier to stay focused on the tasks at hand when you know that this table means schoolwork
· Celebrate the wins! I would highly encourage a daily task list for students that they can then recognize the work they are accomplishing. There will be plenty of opportunities for frustrations to build up, but taking the time to celebrate the good things will be very helpful in feeling better about the work they are doing.
· Make the live Zoom meetings with teachers a priority. This will be your child's best opportunity to get their questions answered and connect with their teacher. It is not the only way to reach staff, but it is the dedicated time for them with just that one class period.
Much more coming! Thanks for all your support!