The Lucky Horseshoe
9/7/2020
School Business
IT Update
- We learned last week that video conferencing and Schoology are too large to run at the same time on Chromebooks and that is why students keep getting kicked out of meetings. This was a big hit to the IT dept so they are recommending that you video conference, then release students to do work out of Schoology.
- We now have access to several District licensed products: Zoom, Padlet Backpack, Google Drive Assignments, Screencastify, EdPuzzle, WeVideo and PearDeck.
- IC and Schoolgy now integrate so hopefully your students that have switched classes are in the correct class now and they have dropped out if they are no longer in there.
- Please follow the guidelines set forth by the District for video conferencing.
- BACK UP SCHOOLOGY - click here and follow the steps.
Wednesday Asynchronous Attendance
- We (administration) is asking that you communicate in writing your plan for attendance on Wednesdays to all of your classes. This can be in the form of an announcement through Schoology, an email through IC or a post on your blog/website.
- We recommend that you keep it simple. You DO NOT have to create a new assignment for them to complete that day or for them to do multiple things for attendance to count. You DO NOT have to be online for your class time unless you choose to.
- Feedback from students that we have reached out to said that the discussion posts were the easiest to get done before 1 pm as most of them slept in that day. :)
- We would also like you to consider that if a student reaches out to you during the day but doesn't complete your attendance activity that you consider marking them present. We will support whatever method you use for attendance as long as it has been communicated ahead of time.
SAT - Wednesday, September 23rd
Temporary Leave Information from the District
- All email notifications to students/parents should also be sent to Troy Lohmeyer (Admin) and Reshaun Castro (office manager).
- Once you have created your attendance form, please share the Google sheet with Troy Lohmeyer so he can print the attendance list for us to enter into IC.
Social & Emotional Learning
Fun Stuff and Self-Care
Mountain Range Remote Profile
Rebecca Bollmann
Karen Polson
Jen Reed
We are all doing our best. Whether that’s keeping up with work demands while at home, educating our kids while they are out of school, caring for others ‘virtually’ or simply taking care of more responsibilities while trying to create a ‘new normal’ in a time of uncertainty. You are doing a great job.
You’ve heard the word resilience, but maybe you’ve never really thought about what it means. Chris Peterson, one of the founders of Positive Psychology, said it best when he described resilience as the ability to ‘struggle well’. We are more apt to thrive when we embrace the life lessons in our challenges, examining with curiosity, the patterns in our struggles. We can cope...with hope.
This is a time to do a few things we normally don’t prioritize:
REFLECT
Use this time to reflect on what you’re doing well. It may not feel like you’re having many successes each day. You may feel lost or hopeless at times. But, if you spend some time each day reflecting on the small victories (completing a task for work or getting a load of laundry done) you’ll find that you’re making it work.
BE GRATEFUL
Aside from celebrating the small accomplishments, recognize things for which to be grateful. Do you have food in the refrigerator? Are you healthy? Can you connect with your family and friends via phone or computer? Did you smile at least once today?
COMMIT TO SELF-CARE
Self-care doesn’t mean you should take a bubble bath or get a massage. It means you should do the things that bring you joy and give you energy. Do you like to cook? Enjoy exercising? Play an instrument? You may find there is more time for you to focus on things you’re passionate about or start something new.
BE PRODUCTIVE
Even though you may not be accomplishing all the things on your ‘to do’ list, make sure you’re getting done what you can so you can feel a sense of purpose each day. Don’t push yourself (see the second point in self-care), but try to set realistic expectations of yourself.
GIVE GRACE
The main thing to keep in mind during all of this—give yourself a break. You are doing the best you can with the situation at hand and putting pressure on yourself to ‘do better’ can make challenging times even more difficult. And, make sure to give grace to those who may be having a hard time being productive while juggling various challenges of their own. Everyone manages stress differently. None of us know what the other person is going through, so be kind.
For more ideas on how to keep being an awesome person during Covid-19, visit us at www.randomactsofkindness.org.