Dear NHS Community--March 27, 2020
I hope this note finds you well during the school closure. I’d like to start by telling you how much the NHS staff and I miss your children. We miss seeing their smiling faces each day. We miss hearing their laughter. We miss TEACHING them in person. Our teachers and staff miss seeing each other just the way your children miss seeing their friends every day. There is no question...this is a very difficult time for children, families, health care workers, first responders, and really ALL OF US. Thank you for your support of our efforts. Special thanks to those of you who work in health care, as a first responder, or as an essential employee who is going to work everyday for the benefit of the rest of us. My children are grown, but I have a great deal of empathy for those of you who are trying to work from home and support your childrens’ learning at the same time.
Please see this article about that very topic.
I didn't sign up to be my child's teacher-article
When schools closed, we originally anticipated being out for about 3 weeks. Now we know that the time will be extended until at least May 4th. We made our Distance Learning Plans with the original timetable in mind. Our goals at the time were:
Provide 20-30 minutes of instruction/school work per core subject area
Provide Unified Arts opportunities once per week (ie. Art, Music, PE, Library, Spanish)
Provide resources for online learning
Maintain connections with students and teachers
Since we have such dedicated teachers, they were up and running very quickly. We are now in the process of discussing how this is all going and assessing whether we will make adjustments to our instructional plans. That said, please do what makes sense for your family. If it is too much, just let the teacher know. We are also examining ways we can provide ‘extras’ for students who wish to do them. We thank you for your patience as we navigate this new path.
Here is a link to NHS’ Distance Learning Resource page:
https://www.northhamptonschool.org/distance-learning-resources
You will find information about school meals, technology support, and online resources there.
Classrooms in grades 1, 3-8 have Google Classrooms, as do teachers for Art, Music, LIbrary, Spanish, PE, and Technology. Grades K and 2 are using the SeeSaw platform and email. Special Education case managers and staff are providing services and contacting parents on their caseloads.
It is our hope that you have found a schedule that works for your family during the closure. Some teachers have suggested a schedule and some have scheduled class meetings that provide a structure for you. Please know you have the flexibility to make a schedule that works for your family. That said, children do well with routine. We recommend that your schedule includes some outdoor time and creative time every day. We also recognize that our Distance Learning Plan involves screen time. We aim to balance that with other experiences. We hope your child can read every day. Our library has resources available online. Unfortunately, our school building is closed and we do not have access to our library books. We also hope your family time includes things like board games, cooking, walks outdoors, and more. This is a challenging and unsettling time, but enjoy the gift that came with it: time with your children. Take care.
Dates to remember:
March 28: Dr. Lupini’s Community Forum online @ 10:00 AM
April 1: April Fools Day--Play a trick on your child!
Community Update from the Superintendent
Saturday, March 28th at 10:00 a.m.
Please click this URL to join. https://zoom.us/j/626487230?pwd=QjJqbXVxeU1nS2ZiTnRralRFMHp3Zz09 Password: 511013
Or join by phone: Dial (312) 626-6799 and Enter Meeting ID: 626 487 230 followed by the # key.