March 31 Update
March 31 Update
Good afternoon parents,
I wanted to provide you with another update, at this stage of 'Learning At Home'. We want to thank you for your support and patience as we adjust to this new way of learning.
We know that many of you have had to make a lot of personal adjustments at this uncertain time and we thank you for continuing to support our students and the community at this challenging time.
Right now the focus is on establishing routines, and getting students into a new routine of learning from home through learning activities. Teachers have reached out to students and families to see if technology is a barrier for their learning, through surveys. If you have not received messages, please contact the office to help troubleshoot the issue. If there is an issue, we can arrange for paper copies to get sent home. Please let us know.
Google Classroom:
Teachers have provided students with work through Google Classroom, and this will continue on a weekly basis. Teachers will release information every Friday at 1:00pm. The learning activities surrounding the core subject includes material related to the overarching objectives. This will give students and parents time over the weekend to review and reflect on the material and gather questions that may arise related to the work. It is not our goal to have students working more than 3 hours per week on the core classes. We recommend reserving the weekends for families to spend time together and enjoy family time. Establishing weekly work routines as students is important to maintain and we encourage that to continue from home as well as much as possible.
Teachers are available through various means (Google classroom, email, etc...) during regular school hours (M-F between 8:00 - 3:00). Email is the best option to reach out for questions and support. Google Meet (aka: Hangouts) is an interactive tool that teachers have asked to have available to them so they can connect with students. We will be starting Hangouts this week for grade 10-12 students. There will be an option to record the Google Meet, so students can watch it at a later time if the originally scheduled time is not an option for them. It will be a feature that will be rolled out for grades 7-9 at a later date.
Link for Parents on the FMPSD Website:
All of our teachers are working hard at contributing to the learning plan for our students. Teachers from several option streamed courses have put together "wellness activities" for Physical Education, Music, and Art for those who wish to have a resource to reference on the parent section of the website. Here is a link to the website: https://fmpsdschools.
I know that Mrs. Giraudier has also been posting recipes for students to try out if they are so inclined. There might be some great chefs or bakers that come out of this experience :-)
The Minister of Education delivered a message to focus on core courses as we move forward. Option classes are not mandatory to be continued. However, if there is interest from families, there are additional ideas to help with activities that can be done at home.
Assessment:
There are a lot of questions related to Assessment. Assessment is going to look different than what students are used to, as we navigate through the new normal of learning at home.
There will be feedback provided to students. Students will need to submit assignments (through Google Assignments) in order to show teachers the work that has been done. Teachers will provide feedback to help students understand if they are on track with their learning activities. Tests and quizzes are not a part of this learning at home plan at this early stage. There is only feedback provided at this time. There will be more information provided about that as the weeks continue.
Fees:
There have been some questions surrounding fees as well. For the families that still have balances owing, we are still accepting funds online. The division is working on compiling the outstanding fees. Annual fees (eg: busing) are being reviewed for a refund for April, May and June. Refund checks will be issued in the weeks ahead. If a fee was paid for an event that was canceled, and no costs were incurred, then the fees will be refunded.
Contact Miss Shelley if you have any further questions.
Technology Issues:
If students are having difficulties accessing online learning, please contact Mr. Upper at craig.upper@fmpsd.ab.ca.
If students need assistance to access their school gmail accounts, please contact joanne.lorentz@fmpsd.
Please follow the website and our social media accounts for updated information.
Superintendent Tuner has sent home several emails to parents and will continue to do so weekly or as needed. Please check your SPAM folders in your email folder if you have not received any messages from her to date. You can always find the most up to date information on the Division website as well.
I hope that you are doing well and taking care of one another.
Thanks,
Cynthia Shelley