Dear NHS Community--April 2, 2020
As we complete the 3rd week of ‘Remote Learning’ in this new reality, I’d like to communicate what the new SAU 21 Remote Learning Schedule update means for us at North Hampton School. We’d like to thank all families for their support and understanding as we have continued to work to provide instruction and educational opportunities in this unexpected format.
How is the updated schedule different?
Remote Learning instruction will be delivered Monday-Thursday (four days per week) from March 30- May 4th.
If the remote learning period is extended beyond May 4th, the Monday-Thursday schedule will continue through the remainder of the closure.
Teachers will utilize Fridays through May 15, 2020 to work on outreach, planning, preparation, learning or to attend to other needs as they arise in a remote instruction and learning environment.
This schedule will continue through what would have been the traditional April vacation.
Remote instruction for students would end on Thursday, June 4, 2020.
What should my child do on Fridays?
Students will have no new assignments on Fridays. They will be considered non-instructional days.
Teachers at different grade levels may suggest enrichment ideas for Fridays.
If families wish to, they may elect to use Fridays to catch up on work, participate in Unified Arts (ie, Art, Music, PE, Library, Spanish) opportunities they didn’t have time for Monday through Friday, or any other ‘at home learning’ of their choosing. Check out this link for some fun ideas: https://indyschild.com/70-things-to-do-with-kids-now-that-were-all-stuck-at-home/
What should we expect in terms of workload?
Teachers will provide 20-30 minutes per day of learning opportunities per core subject area
UA (Unified Arts) teachers will offer one activity per week. Students may complete them on any day of the week. We hope these activities provide a balance with academics and offer opportunity for exercise, creativity, and joy.
Teachers will use online resources to communicate and provide instruction, including opportunities for face to face connection.
What do some of these online programs and resources actually provide?
Google Classroom provides a vehicle to organize instruction, give assignments, turn in student assignments (upper grades), post instructional videos, and communicate via messages.
SeeSaw is a platform that allows teachers in PK, K, and Grade 2 post instructional videos and assignments and also allows families to post student work and photos.
Epic is a resource that allows students to access books online. Some grade levels are using this.
Raz Kids is another resource that allows students to access books and online reading instruction. This is used in some early grades.
Lexia is a program that allows students to practice phonics and phonemic awareness skills online. It is self-paced and auto assesses students so it is important that students complete games independently. This is used in the early grades.
ABCYA is for our youngest students and provides practice in early childhood skills. You may have heard of it before as ABC Mouse.
Freckle is a software program that provides practice in Math skills as well as some word study. Currently, 4th grade is using Freckle.
Many teachers use links to web based resources like Scholastic online (reading resources and games), Mystery Doug (science based videos), GoNoodle (dance/exercises to music), BrainPop and BrainPop Jr. (fun,informational videos), and Bookflix (reads stories aloud).
Some teachers use other resources as well. The NHS Library website has detailed information about ways to access books that students may choose. The resources and links and instructions are listed on the Library site and the Library google classrooms. Sora is a new resource for books online.
See directions from Mrs. McCombs for new access to books online through SORA: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IRwkDjaSzuuC-_NSQ9BAo5AEwNT4LYWVol1iiwHAvCk/edit?usp=sharing
How can I keep track of all the Google Classrooms, especially for UA classes?
Here is a list of all UA Google Classrooms and their respective codes:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SVr5575IRMZLiNzLt9XrQv6Van-xo_ebsDp4UYZ7fEk/edit?usp=sharing
Here is the link to NHS Distance Learning Webpage:
https://www.northhamptonschool.org/distance-learning-resources
We know that some students will complete work in the evening or late afternoon. This is fine. Teachers will respond to any inquiries during their office hours. We encourage Middle School students to take advantage of ‘as needed’ class meeting offerings if they have questions or need some advice about assignments.
We hope this information is helpful to you and your family. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have concerns. If you need additional support, Ms. Vas, Nurse Mara, Ms. Griffenhagen, Ms. Carlson, Ms. Snyder, and all of our support staff are here to help as well.
Stay well.