Our teachers have embraced the task of remote learning with great enthusiasm. I'm sure there are some concerns and questions about the lessons and assignments that students are getting. We realize it can be very intense to work on the computer all day, as secondary students have been doing, and then have additional homework afterwards. The last thing we want is for students to have more work than if they were in school. Everyone needs a break. I'm having an online meeting today with members of the student government at the high school in order to get some direct feedback from students. We will modify lessons, and stagger assignments and assessments through the week, based on the information we are getting from staff, students and parents. As I said yesterday, we've only just begun and we know that continual modifications will be necessary.
If you're having technical support issues, write to [email protected]. However, understand that we have several hundred staff members who are relying on our support, in addition to several thousand students and parents now in daily communication on line. We are doing our best to address technical issues as quickly as we can, though the volume is heavy at times. In the meantime, we are developing video resources to cover some of the frequently asked questions about platforms that teachers are using. These will be posted online and I will let you know when they are ready for viewing.
Some advice we've found online about working at home for both children and adults:
Be consistent in your routines and schedules.
Build in breaks and meal times, and get yourself moving from time to time.
Establish a work environment that is clean, comfortable and private, to the extent possible.
Your desk area should keep your mind calm and your thoughts organized.
Dress in regular clothes. Many people find it harder to get into the right mindset for work in their pajamas.
Make lists of things to do to stay on track.
Please know that our entire administrative team is in close and regular communication as we try to stay on top of this rapidly changing situation, and that we continue to monitor announcements from health authorities as closely as ever. I am so very proud of our entire staff for stepping up to the plate in these unusual times, and so very grateful to the many expressions of support from parents. It's never been so clear to me that we are indeed a community.
