Dear GCA Elementary Families,
As you are aware, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of health has instructed 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 for sure 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.
Over the past few days we have worked with our staff to prepare for our new normal. We have learned new software to serve our students in the best ways we can. As a school, we have chosen to use Google Classroom as our platform to deliver education until we can teach your children face-to-face once again.
While many of our students are familiar with Google Classroom, it will be new to most of our younger students. You will receive an email from your child’s homeroom teacher shortly with instructions to access your child’s new digital classroom(s).
Please note that you may see a few new faces cross your computer screen as your child watches their video lessons. We have encouraged our staff to work together in their grade teams to ensure consistency across classes and to allow for a little more variety in the videos. Your child’s homeroom teacher will continue to be your first point of contact.
Our staff will continue to be available by email to answer any questions or concerns you may have. We will also make ourselves available daily from 1:00-2:40 pm for video conferences. If you or your child would like to connect via video conference, please
sign up for a time here
(link will be ready after 4:00 pm today) Then, your child’s teacher will send an email inviting you to a Zoom conference for the time that you have selected. These conferences will be available beginning Monday March 23, 2020.
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,
Sean Gonsalvez
GCA Elementary Principal
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the schedule look like?
Each teacher will share with parents a suggested schedule. We know that some parents are working from home and others are working outside of the home, so it may be a challenge to juggle both work and supervising your child’s studies. We do not expect students to stick firmly to a schedule. Figure out what works for you, using this as a guideline for how a day might look. Every lesson is delivered as a recorded video lesson so it can be viewed at any time.
How will my students be taught?
- Each school day, there is a morning message from your child’s homeroom teacher. Then, there are recorded video lessons to be viewed for the various subjects.
- Activities related to the lesson are provided for students to complete.
If my child or I can’t connect during the assigned video conference times, are they out of luck?
Not at all! Students and parents can email teachers anytime with questions. If you want to schedule a time for a video conference conversation, those will happen 1:00-2:40pm daily.
My student has an IPP. Will they receive the same support that they did in the classroom?
Yes, we will do all we can to continue to support students and continue accommodating their learning needs. The homeroom teacher will contact you to discuss.
So there are assignments? And tests?
Yes! Just as we have in prior terms, teachers will continue to assess students’ learning through various means including tests and assignments. It just might look different. And yes, they will count for marks.
Will there be a Term 3 Report Card?
Yes, we will continue to assess students’ work and issue Term 3 report cards in June.
Do students wear uniforms?
Yes. Just kidding - I wanted to see if you were reading until the end :)
