Wilson Creek News
Manhattan School District 114
August 2020
I hope this message finds you safe and well. It has certainly been a difficult month but we are working hard on plans to make the very best of this situation. We look forward to welcoming your child to the 2020-2021 school year at Wilson Creek over the next few weeks.
We are grateful for your support and understanding as we continuously work out details and plans for district-wide remote learning. Please know that we will provide information as it becomes available. We are committed to working together to support you and your family through this. Our mutual flexibility and patience will help us find success in the challenge before us. We can do it!
In this newsletter, I've included information to help you prepare for the coming weeks. If you have no had the opportunity, please also take time to read our MSD114 Remote Learning Plan that can be accessed using the button below.
- If a child is unable to attend the live math and English language arts lessons throughout the day, a recording of the lesson will be available by 4:30 each day to access at your convenience.
- Any pre-recorded lessons and work can be completed on a timeline that works best for you.
- While attendance will be taken each morning, parents will have the opportunity to communicate with the school to confirm that the child will not be participating remote learning that day. The child can and will still be marked present as long as work is eventually submitted.
- Preschool - 2nd grade assignments will have submission flexibility in order to allow for evenings and weekends to be used for families to engage in activities.
- We will work slowly and together to establish routines, understand devices and learning platforms, as well as build stamina for online instruction with our young learners.
Preschool - 2nd Grade Device Needs
In July, an order was placed with Apple in order to provide a device to all Manhattan School District 114 students. While we anticipate the shipping and arrival of additional iPads for Wilson Creek students in the coming weeks, we are asking that parents consider their immediate need for a device in order to have their Preschool to 2nd grade student participate in remote learning that begins on August 31st. (3rd - 8th grade students will all be provided with devices before the year begins.)
If you have an iPad, laptop, or desktop computer available for your child to start the year, please know that as they become available, we will make arrangements for you to pick up an iPad for your Preschool - 2nd grade student's use.
If you are in need of an iPad in order for your child to participate in remote learning, please answer the questions in the form. (Please submit a form for each of your WC students, if needed.)
Scheduled School Visit - Thursday, August 27th
PowerSchool information regarding your child's teacher will be available early next week. Following that, you will receive an email with access to a SignUpGenius for your child's teacher. 5-10 minute time slots will be available for families to visit the schools between 8AM-12PM as well as 5-8PM. There will also be some outdoor opportunities to learn more about Wilson Creek and celebrate the start of this new, unusual year.
Preparing to Learn from Home
In terms of our learning platforms such as Seesaw, please know that tutorial videos will be shared to help you familiarize yourself and your child with them. We will work to build systems that allow for your child to engage independently over time but these tutorials will certainly help as we all get started together.
Please know that our staff use Zoom Educator accounts. Any Zoom meetings will take place in staff's meeting rooms and links to them will NEVER be published in places that could compromise the safety and security of the meetings your child is in. Meetings are shared directly and Room IDs and passwords will only be used when necessary and again, will never be published in places that can be accessed by users outside of the classroom.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if we can help clarify anything, provide direction, or do our best to answer questions that you have. We are here for you.
Sincerely,
Kim Maher, Principal
Wilson Creek Elementary School
Email: kmaher@manhattan114.org
Website: www.manhattan114.org
Location: 25440 South Gougar Road, Manhattan, IL, USA
Phone: (815)478-4527
Facebook: facebook.com/manhattanschooldistrict114
Twitter: @manhattansd114