Weekly Update 9/10/20 Facebook Live with Mr. Squires
Facebook Live Transcript from Mr. Squires 9.10.20
Facebook Live Notes 9-9-2020
Good evening everyone. Thank you so much for joining us on our weekly Facebook Live. It is always a pleasure for us to reach out to you to communicate what’s happening at the Square. As always, you can meet us here each Thursday afternoon at 5pm for updates. Be sure to spread the word throughout our Moore Square Community. Hopefully families are beginning to find a rhythm for online learning. Our hope is that you and your student are familiar with the daily schedule, you have the meeting codes for each class, and you can access the learning platforms. Please reach out to us if you are having difficulties in any of these areas.
Now to our upcoming events.
- Open House, Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 5:30 PM - Moore Square is planning a Virtual Open House for our families. Similar to the original open house that we would have hosted in the building, this is an opportunity for families to meet teachers and to hear information about the classroom...classroom procedures, needed supplies, structure of the class, how to turn in assignments, etc. This is an informational session and not a time for parent-teacher conferences. There will be a format provided to take individual questions, which we will respond to in a published FAQ.
- Date: Thursday, September 24 at 5:30 PM
- We will kick off the event during our regularly scheduled FaceBook Live at 5:00.
- Parents will rotate through their child's schedule beginning at 5:30 through Google Meet.
- Each meet will be 8 minutes with a 2 minute transition to the next class.
- There will be an optional AIG meeting at the end for interested parents.
- The format will include each teacher sharing information about their class/content with parents, as opposed to Q & A sessions.
- Important Dates - Here are some important dates to place on your refrigerators and your digital calendars.
- Interims - Interims will be updated in PowerSchool the week of September 14th. Teachers will communicate with families about which day they should expect the grade in PowerSchool to reflect the interim grade. Ultimately, all interim reports should be reported by the end of the school day on Friday, September 18th. If you do not have access to PowerSchool, please email Mrs. Harrington at gtolson-harrington@wcpss.net.
- Track Out - Moore Square will experience it’s first track out Monday, October 5 - Friday, October 9. This is a one-week track out. Please mark your calendars. Make certain you note this is a one-week track out.
- Quarter Ends - Our first quarter will end on Friday October 23rd
- Teacher Workday - Monday, October 26
- Second Quarter Materials Pick Up - the date has not been determined, but it will be in October. This will include new workbooks for ELA and Math as well as Art supplies for students in Art second quarter. The district vendors deliver the materials to us each quarter, so we are unable to provide these materials all at once. Stay tuned for more information.
- Library book pick-up and return every Tuesday & Thursday until 4 pm.
- Annual Fund - PTSA - You've heard us talk about it many times over the years - and especially now during this time of adaptation during virtual learning - we are a wonderful, committed community here at the Square. The PTSA is holding the Annual Fund from September 14-25th and this is a simple, but impactful, way to make a difference for our school and students. Donations to the Annual Fund will support as many identified needs as possible during this school year. You can donate online at https://www.mooresquareptsa.com/give Supporting our school in this manner helps us #DoMoore for your students. Thank you for your support.
Tips for Online Learning
Now that we are 4 weeks into our school year with virtual learning, we would like to share some recommendations to support an effective school day in this new setting. We are well aware that every home has its own dynamics and challenges with online learning so we understand that not all of these recommendations will be appropriate for every home. But there are a few that are directly related to student success.
- Attendance - make sure your student is attending class daily and on time. We are experiencing several students who join the Google Meets several minutes after they have begun. With only 25 minutes of Live or Synchronous Instruction, those few minutes can mean the loss of valuable information. You may find it helpful to use apps like “School Chimes” or alarms to remind you when class begins so you are logged into the class and ready to go.
- Attention to the full class - Some students are signing out of class early. Once again, those few minutes are precious in a 25 minute Live Instructional period. Students are expected to remain active in Meet until the teacher dismisses them. Please encourage your child to wait until he/she is released from the teacher before signing out.
- Keeping Up with work - Students and parents should check their assigned learning platforms regularly for assignments and missing work. You should email the teacher if there are questions or discrepancies. Do not wait until interim reports if you have questions. Google Classroom and Canvas will let you know if your student has submitted an assignment. Check them often.
Other Tips for a successful online day
- Get started daily - Re-instate the morning routines that were so valuable when students came to the school building. These are still very helpful now. Breakfast (still the most important meal of the day), showers, getting dressed. If possible, create a space that is not in bed where students can sit up to read, write, and speak. These routines set the tone for engaging and participating in class, not just being online.
- Set goals for the independent work time - The independent time is purposeful and is a part of the learning process. It requires that each family structure that time.
- Ask Questions - Parents, ask questions about your student’s day, just like you did in Face to Face Learning. Ask specific questions…”What topics were covered, what questions or comments did you add to the class, explain the learning objective, take me to google classroom and show me what was covered today” . Questions like these help hold students accountable to both attending and engaging in the class.
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me on this week’s Facebook Live. Meet us right back here next Thursday for more updates and information.