Geneva Family Gnome News
Late August Updates, The First of a Few!
A note from the principal...
Hello Geneva Families!
As the days get a bit shorter and the trees have the beginning tinge of orange, we all begin to think about the first day of school. Uh...let's be honest, we have all been thinking about the start of school since before we left school in June!
I have spoken to many of you over the last few months who have had important questions about timing, logistics, equity, and access to learning opportunities. The level of care, advocacy, and creativity from our Geneva community inspires hope, and pride. We are a resilient and compassionate group of people, with just enough fight in us to make sure we aren't leaving anyone behind!
Over the next two weeks, you will be hearing from us far more frequently. You might not have time to listen to the recorded message, or read the email when it arrives, but key information will be shared, so if you are looking for answers, check these resources. Ms. Hudson, our incredible librarian links all of the Geneva Family Gnome News publications on our website, so you can also search there.
Here is what to expect over the next twelve days:
I will be hosting a one hour informal and optional session tonight through Zoom for anyone hoping to hear more specific details about the daily schedule, or the first two weeks of remote learning. This link will be live between 6:30 and 7:30 tonight, 8/27. If this time doesn't work and you have specific questions, I welcome your email or call.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://bellinghamschools.zoom.us/j/98936190327?pwd=Vi9IQ1pPNU9KZVY0YlR2bUUxenorQT09
By the end of the business day Friday, August 28th, you will receive a prerecorded message from me that will share the name of your child's teacher. If you have more than one child, you will receive more than one call. If you have received this email, you will hear from me on Friday without needing to do a thing. If you hear from a friend or neighbor that they did not receive this message, they can email Teresa.Babcock@bellinghamschools.org and we will help get them all set up!
Next week between August 31 and September 4th, you will be contacted by your child's teacher to make a brief introduction, and to schedule a time for more in depth conversation. You can plan on the introduction phone call to be less than 10 minutes.
On Wednesday, September 2nd, you will hear from me again through an email and call outlining our plans for handing out student supplies and a device for each child in 2nd-5th grades. As part of Project Free Education, we are able to provide all essential learning supplies for every child. Our youngest learners will also be receiving devices, I will communicate these details in a few weeks. For our families with a child in Preschool, Teacher Tammy will coordinate with you about supplies and a learning device for your child. Families do not need to request a device, we will provide one for each child.
On Thursday, September 3rd, your child's teacher will invite you to a Virtual Classroom Meet and Greet. Your teacher will share a link to a virtual space where you and your child will be able to meet your new teacher, and see who your child will be learning with this year. Our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students will be invited to check out their virtual class from 2:00-2:20. Our Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students will be invited to join their friends from 2:20-2:40.
I typically try to communicate with our school community once a month to avoid filling your inbox. It is likely that you will hear from me a bit more this fall, but know we will once again fall into the comfortable, safe and predictable rhythms of the school year.
As always, please don’t hesitate to connect with me if you have questions or ideas, or if your family has a need that our school district may be able to help with.
Please continue to take good care of yourself and your family,
Sharece Steinkamp
How Will This Fall Be Different Than Last Spring?
As you can imagine, this summer has been a very busy, intense period of time. Some of the smartest, most dedicated people I know, (about 400 of them) volunteered to collaborate and redesign what learning can look like during a pandemic. Teams identified the most essential of the essential learning standards. For those of you who cleaned out your house after reading Marie Kondo's book, you can imagine a similar process as teams of experts identified the most essential grade level standards while also questioning if these learning opportunities will engage and inspire our students. We believe learning should be rigorous and joyful, these identified essential standards represent both!
The daily and weekly calendars included below, have gone through multiple work teams, clearinghouses and revisions. Attached, you will find the daily schedule samples for PK-12th grade. If I have spoken to you this summer, our conversation was based on the most current version of the schedules. You might notice some minor shifts that are different. If you want to follow up on our conversation, I am happy to reconnect.
These schedules are the product of our collective steep learning curve last spring. Some important themes we learned or were reinforced after listening to you:
1. Distance learning is hard.
2. We are concerned about children falling behind grade level
3. Teaching our own children is challenging and is compounded while families are also working and caring for others.
4. We are concerned for the children and families who have been most impacted by the pandemic and economic downturn.
5. Remote learning using menu options is far less engaging than seeing and interacting with a teacher and peers.
6. High quality instruction that is individualized through teacher interaction is better for all learners.
Some important themes we have heard from students and teachers:
1. Students and teachers need to see one another. Students need to see class friends and have a chance to engage.
2. Every single student needs a device. A device has the same importance as a pair of shoes, it's what gets you to school. Sharing something this essential is possible, but not sustainable.
3. The best instruction is that which is designed with individual students in mind. Teachers are masterful in their ability to support some students, challenge others, and inspire all with high quality instruction and person to person interactions. Learning Menus cannot replicate what happens in a powerful learning environment.
As you look at the daily schedule, you will see that there are consistent times for synchronous or real time learning. There are also times where students will be working on the practice tasks or demonstration tasks assigned by the teacher. Our teachers will be able to connect with students, deliver instruction, provide work time, conference with students in small groups, provide feedback and support engagement. We learned a lot last spring about how to use technology to better meet the needs of our students.
You will also see, a lot of time is devoted to teachers and families working together. You are your child's first and most influential teacher. We will need to listen and learn from you, before we can best meet the needs of your child or your family. Many of us are working parents ourselves with young children at home. Our staff are eager to talk with you, and in partnership, design what schooling will look like for your family. Each of us have a different child, a different set of circumstances, and different goals. We are eager to learn from you, and partner to support creating the best possible learning opportunities for your child. We also understand the need for flexibility, so your child's teacher will be asking about when and how you prefer communication to occur.
Each of us quite likely prefer our lives Pre Covid-19. The team at Geneva misses you, misses each other, and most importantly, misses your child. The closer we get to September 8th, and our first day of our school year, I am excited and proud of the work we have done. We are eager to see your child engage and learn with friends, to play, learn and grow as a member of our Geneva community whether that is in a brick building, or a virtual classroom.
We don't always get to choose our journey, but I feel grateful and humbled to have such competent, compassionate, resourceful and resilient travel companions!
Want to Read a Bit More About the Model?
A new distribution model will begin on Wednesdays starting Sept. 9, 2020 at all 22 schools. Stay tuned for more information about time of day. Students will use their district PIN numbers to pick it up.