Colt Connection
Sunday, August 2, 2020
Mrs. Hladun's Tidings
Please be watching for this weekly communication - it will have a lot of information in it that we need families to be aware of. You can expect to see a Colt Connection every Sunday at 7pm!
I know this is a LOT (for everyone!), so feel free to call/email us with any questions. We will answer the phones in the office this week whenever we can (916 434 5292) and our office will formally open to the public on Monday, 8/10.
If you attended LCES in 2019-20, and you pre-purchased a yearbook, we would love to get it to you. We also have some extras available for purchase ($15). Just call the office before you come by we can pull your child's book and you can be in and out in a masked flash!
The MOST Important Thing...
The most important thing you might need to do BY MONDAY (8/3) is to complete the 100% digital learning (also known as interCONNECT) opt-in form, if your family prefers digital learning even after the school is able to physically open. If your family's preference is for in-person instruction when we can reopen, you do not need to do anything.
Superintendent Leaman's emails from 7/24 and 7/28 outlines online (interCONNECT) vs. in person instruction and can be viewed here (7/24 email) and here (7/28 email). If your family would like to opt-in to our 100% digital learning program (interCONNECT), you must complete this form (click here) by Monday, August 3 (the district extended the timeline!).
Technology Needs starting on 8/20 - please complete this survey!
The district has about 3000 new chromebooks on their way to Lincoln, and we have about 4000 on hand across the district. Our site has about 125 chromebooks ready to check out and we need to prioritize who we distribute them to while we wait for the new ones to arrive.
Please take a minute to complete this survey this week. If you do not complete the survey, we will assume you have what you need for technology and internet access at home.
Medications & Immunization Requirements
School Supplies
You can find information about our supply list here. When school starts, your students will need some basic items (pencils, crayons, markers, paper, etc...) from these lists. It is up to you if you want to purchase all of the items now, or wait until school starts to confirm supply needs with your child's teacher.
For my own child (5th grader), I decided to buy it all now - I figured we'll use it all eventually! :)
If you ordered a Box of Supplies this spring, we will be in touch with pick up options when the boxes arrive. We expect that will be sometime in the week of 8/10.
School Board Meeting - Tuesday, 8/4
Top Ten Frequently Asked Questions
items with a * have updated information
1. What is interCONNECT?
InterCONNECT refers to the program parents sign up for in order to access 100% distance/online learning, even after our school is able to physically reopen. You must sign up for this program by July 31st, and more information is in paragraph 5 above. InterCONNECT is not a new curriculum or a special type of book, it's just what we'll call students who are learning online. Students enrolled through interCONNECT will be taught by WPUSD teachers and can move between in person and interCONNECT instruction models at intervals during the year based on your family's needs and what is happening in the community. We have to classify students who are learning online something different so we can track progress and attendance per the state's mandate...hence the name interCONNECT.
Per Mr. Leaman's 7/28 email, interCONNECT students will be working on assignments during the day at home and check in daily with their teacher in the afternoon (because their same teacher is teaching in the morning). The student will be assigned at least 240 minutes of instruction a day that needs to be captured in a learning log. Essential standards will be delivered, assessed and graded. Lunch will be distributed weekly to students enrolled in interCONNECT.
2. What does a day in interCONNECT look like v. in-person instruction?
It depends. If 100% of our school is distance learning, students will be engaging with their teachers between at least once a day, and sometimes multiple times a day between the hours of 8-2:40 pm (ish). The exact times of those meetings will be staggered, and we are working to find ways to have different grade levels meet at different times to make it a little easier for everyone! Students will be required to connect with their teacher daily, and complete the instructional activities in order to receive credit for attendance.
Whether we are involved in 100% online or an in person/interCONNECT model, we will be taking attendance and monitoring progress towards work completion. A reminder that attendance is required for students ages 6 and above (like in a typical school year). This is different from the spring instructional model we used.
If we are able to reopen school physically, students who are participating in in-person instruction will attend school from 8-12:30 ish daily. Students on interCONNECT will participate in lessons online at their own pace each day (generally speaking), and will check in with their teacher online each afternoon in small groups or 1:1 sessions. While the work may be completed at your child's own pace, your child will be required to complete work daily and meet with his/her teacher daily in order to receive attendance credit. Students will have a certain number of minutes of instructional activities to complete each day (examples might include online tasks like watching a video clip, completing and submitting work online, watching your teacher teach live, participating in Google Meet meetings and offline tasks like work completed in their math or language arts book, reading, practicing skills like writing, etc...).
You can see some of the other similarities and differences between in-person and interCONNECT instruction in this link (scroll to the chart on the top of pg. 3)
3. What will school hours be next year?
If we are 100% distance learning, school will run from 8-2:40 ish, but your child won't be online that whole time (see the instructional minutes listed below). Your child will have to be online a few specific times a day to engage with his/her teacher. Once we can reopen school, we expect that in person instruction will happen from 8-12:30ish, and interCONNECT teacher meetings will happen between 12:30-3ish. The ish is because we are still working on those details.
Many families have expressed concern about instruction and screen time. Per the state's guidelines,
Students in TK and K can expect to spend about 180 minutes/day engaging in class work (with a combination on online and offline activities),
Students in grades 1-3 can expect to spend about 230 minutes/day engaging in class work (with a combination on online and offline activities),
Students in grades 4-5 (and actually through 12th grade) can expect to spend about 240 minutes/day engaging in class work (with a combination on online and offline activities)
Our teachers are very concerned and aware of the impact of screen time on children (especially our younger Colts), and will build their instructional programs to provide balance and options for families. We do, however, expect that all students (whether in person or in interCONNECT) will spend time on digital platforms daily - so please count on that.
*4. What about technology?
Our district has secured thousands of new chromebooks and has thousands currently on hand. It is our hope that we will be 1:1 by mid-September - every child will have a chromebook to use at home and/or in the classroom. Chromebooks will be checked out like a textbook and will be the child's/family's responsibility to keep in good repair. This is a silver lining of this situation - I for one am THRILLED that we will be able to offer this digital tool to all families! Our district has also put together a 'spec list' in case you want to purchase your own device to have at home so your child can leave their school issued device at home. Click here to access the spec list.
We learned a lot about online access in the spring. If your family does not have adequate internet capacity, stay tuned for options to increase your online bandwidth. We will also be working to spread out online meetings in order to make them easier for students to engage in.
Please take a minute to complete our survey about tech needs - click here to access it.
5. Will my child's teacher be from LCES?
In short, YES, your child's teacher will be from LCES if they are receiving instruction in person or through interCONNECT. If your child moves between in person and online instruction (for example in October if you change instructional strategies, or if he/she is home sick for a period of time), his/her teacher will not change. We think this will be a positive feature of our model - we expect teacher continuity throughout the year.
6. Will my child come home and have to continue more school work online after the 12:30pm release if we chose in person instruction?
I don't think this would likely be the case. Perhaps your child would finish work that was incomplete at school, or do silent reading at home, but at this point, I'm not expecting lots of homework. We are going to focus on using the 4ish hours of in person instructional time to the max...focusing on essential standards. We won't have lots of interruptions during the day (for better or worse), so it's our hope that we can get it all done during the school day. If you are finding that your child has a lot of homework after the 12:30 release, I encourage you to talk with your child's teacher. There might be exceptions to this guideline, so please be patient as we finalize our plans. There may also be additional engagement opportunities for students after 12:30, and we’ll share more information about that as we work out the details.
7. Will there be overlap between in person and interCONNECT instruction?
The short answer is maybe. As much as you and your child are learning a new way to learn, our teachers are learning a new way to instruct, teach, guide and support students. Our teachers will be working collaboratively to find ways to work smarter and efficiently - their plate is already incredibly full.
It is possible that some teachers will feel comfortable with recording videos or live streaming from their classroom. Other teachers may choose to provide instruction in a different way. We commit to you that your child will have the opportunity to learn and grow in their grade level in a rigorous classroom setting. Please be patient with each teacher as we build our capacity for genuine and meaningful distance learning and learn how to best meet the needs of our students.
8. How does recess work? PE?
This is something my team is working out. At this point, I expect we'll offer a snack recess (maybe two for our younger students) outside of the classroom, and we will likely offer some structured play if we can. But I think it'll look more like organized PE games than it will free play. This will allow us to get the kids outside and moving, but will hopefully minimize close proximity on the playground. This is an area where we will tread carefully to ensure we are making smart choices that support student and staff safety.
9. How many students will be in the classroom?
It depends on the grade level and how many students participate in interCONNECT. Currently at LCES, our TK and K classes are very full (25-28 students in each class), our grade 1-3 classes are relatively small (low to mid 20 students in each class) and our 4th and 5th grade classes are very full (29-31 students in each class). We expect to balance our interCONNECT students between classes in order to reduce the class size for every teacher as much as possible.
It is our plan to publish your child's teacher on Friday, 8/14 at 4 pm. We'll likely do this digitally.
10. Where do I get more information?
View the District's Roadmap to Reopening here...there is LOTS of good information in here related to protocols and safety measures!
View the 7/24 email from Mr. Leaman (outlining in person v. interCONNECT instruction) here
View older and future emails from Mr. Leaman here
Complete the opt in form if interCONNECT is the best option for you - do this by 7/31 using this link; if you prefer in person instruction, you don't have to do anything
Stay in Touch!
- Check our our website and our community calendar of activities; access PeachJar (our flier hub) directly here!
- Download our free app and get notifications on your phone
- Follow us on Social Media (links above), including Instagram at @lcescolts
Email: lces@wpusd.org
Website: lces.wpusd.org
Location: 635 Groveland Lane, Lincoln, CA, USA
Phone: 916 434-5292
Facebook: facebook.com/LincolnCrossingElementary/
Twitter: @lcescolts