Dear GCA Junior High Families,
As you know, the Chief Medical Officer of Health has instructed Alberta schools to cancel in person classes, and to continue to explore alternate methods of curriculum delivery indefinitely. That doesn’t mean forever, but we don’t know when regular classes will resume.
Our teachers and staff have been working diligently to make adjustments to support our students in response to this global event.
Tomorrow, Thursday, March 19, we will launch the GCA Distance Learning program to deliver the educational outcomes for Term 3. We are excited and look forward to delivering the high quality of education you know from GCA in a new format.
Junior High classes already use Google Classroom and our students are familiar with many of the tools available. Over the past few days, our teachers have been honing their Google skills and getting familiar with Google Form Assessment. They’re revamping lessons and using a video learning tool, ‘Zoom for Education’, to create an excellent and flexible learning plan for our students:
- They will set out weekly objectives in each of their subjects.
- They will provide weekly assessments to provide feedback.
- They will provide multiple methods for verbal contact - recorded videos, emails, group Zoom meetings and one-to-one Zoom meetings.
- They will continue to record assessments on ConnectEd.
This is a learning curve for all of us, including your students, and there will be bumps along the way. Please know that we are here to support you and your family as we learn to teach in a way that is new to us. We’ll work together to create a new normal for learning in the coming days and weeks!
Blessings,
Colleen Allan
GCA Junior High Principal
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the schedule look like?
How will my students be taught?
- Various Google Classrooms will contain weekly lessons
- There will be recorded video instruction and lectures
- Students will receive assignments
- Quizzes will be administered
- Office hours will be offered, for the opportunity to have face to face conversation with teachers through Zoom
What are the office hours for teachers?
Teachers are working full days, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, in the school building or from home. They will be designing and recording lessons, assessing students, and responding to emails during their work day.
Each afternoon, teachers will be available through a Zoom Meeting for ‘office hours’ to answer questions from students about their assignments, or to just check in and say hi to another adult who cares :)
See the
schedule for times
.
To align with healthy online practices, please ensure that students are in a public space in your home for any live video conferencing.
If my child can’t connect or get their question answered are they out of luck?
Not at all! Students can always email teachers to get questions answered or to set up personal Zoom meetings.
Are these new Google Classrooms or the same ones students have been using all year?
Most of the teachers will continue using the same Google Classrooms. They have just been ‘beefed up’. Physical Education will have its own Google Classroom managed by Mr. Ness.
What are Homeroom Check-ins?
Homeroom teachers will share a schedule for your student to sign up on. This time is to have a personal Zoom chat with their homeroom teachers once every two weeks so we can continue to support and encourage your children.
Will the school be planning anything for Bible and Chapels and my child’s spiritual formation?
Along with bi-weekly emails to every student and scheduled Zoom meetings, Pastor Dave and/or Pastor Brooklyn will be available through the
GCA Instagram account
@glenmorechristianacademy. They will be live from 1:45-2:45 p.m. every day to chat and connect with students!
For Grade 9's who are interested in continuing our discipleship journey, Pastor Dave will be live on Instagram on Thursday mornings from 8:30-9:00 a.m. to walk through some scripture and prayer! He'd love to see you there!
Check out GCA's Instagram story for updates and reminders.
My student has an IPP. Do they get any support?
We will continue to do everything we can to support students and continue accommodating their learning needs. Our EAs will be in touch to set up a schedule to check in with each student on a regular basis, using Zoom extensively to walk IPP students through Term 3.
So there are assignments? And tests?
Yes, just as in other terms, teachers will continue to assess students’ learning through various means such as tests or assignments. It might look different but is important to help students through the curriculum for their grade and be prepared for next fall. And yes, it will count for marks. And if a student misses an assignment, they will need to catch up.
Will there be a Term 3 report card?
Yes - we will continue to assess students’ work and issue Term 3 report cards. We will have an Honour Roll too!
Will all classes continue?
Almost all classes will continue. We will offer Phys. Ed. for all students. Health and Personal Living Skills (HPLS) will take a break for the remainder of the year. Options will continue in a scaled-back way. There are Google Classrooms for all subjects.
What will Phys Ed look like?
Physical Education will still be taking place during this time. A link to a new PE Google Classroom will be sent out to each student’s school email. Here there will be weekly home workouts for the students to complete along with a log book to fill out. Each parent will be asked to ‘sign’ the log each week. A video explaining how to fill out the log correctly will also be posted. There is a rubric with each assignment so the students know how they will be assessed.
Do students wear uniforms?
Yes! Just kidding - I wanted to see if you were reading until the end :)
