List Detail
Lower School
Community Expectations
Virtual School Schedule
Back
The Community Norms, established in the winter of 2020, remain the same in the virtual environment. These norms will be more important than ever as we engage with one another in new ways and seek to expand our sense of community beyond the boundaries of our campus.
We welcome all.
We have fun learning together.
We take care of ourselves and others.
We respect our space.
We give everyone what they need with flexibility.
We grow from our mistakes.
We welcome all.
We have fun learning together.
We take care of ourselves and others.
We respect our space.
We give everyone what they need with flexibility.
We grow from our mistakes.
Asynchronous Work
Asynchronous work for the week will be posted to the designated learning platform by homeroom teachers every Sunday evening. Other asynchronous work will be posted to the learning platform no later than 9:00 a.m. on the following days:
Tuesdays - Science, Spanish, Art
Thursdays - Music, Dance, PE
Teachers will communicate expectations for due dates and methods of submission for each task.
Asynchronous work for the week will be posted to the designated learning platform by homeroom teachers every Sunday evening. Other asynchronous work will be posted to the learning platform no later than 9:00 a.m. on the following days:
Tuesdays - Science, Spanish, Art
Thursdays - Music, Dance, PE
Teachers will communicate expectations for due dates and methods of submission for each task.
Virtual School Schedule
Virtual School in the Lower School will follow a five-day (Monday-Friday) schedule for synchronous class meetings.
The schedule will allow for three days of homeroom instruction (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday), one day of specials (Friday), and one Flex Day (Wednesday) set aside for small-group and/or 1-to-1 work by sign-up.
Schedule Components
Morning Meeting
Each homeroom instruction day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday) will begin with a Morning Meeting. The Morning Meeting framework is a way to support the social and emotional learning of our students, as well as to strengthen and further develop our community. While we cannot and should not attempt to replace the amount of time they would typically spend together, we provide students with a quality experience that is reflective of what we offer in the classroom.
Connected Learning
Connected Learning times will be the synchronous learning opportunities that meet each homeroom instruction day. These blocks can be used for instruction and collaborative student work in reading, writing, science, social studies, and/or a session with a specials teacher. These sessions are not necessarily one long, continuous Zoom meeting and are not necessarily with the whole class at once. The purpose of Connected Learning is to reserve blocks of time in which students can receive instruction and learn together in the Virtual School model. Every Sunday evening, the homeroom teacher will provide details on the planned use of this Connected Learning time for the upcoming week.
Math will be separated out in Grades 1-5 as a standalone synchronous session, meeting each homeroom instruction day, in an effort to sustain progress in the curriculum, and to provide ample opportunity for students to ask in-the-moment questions of the teacher as they engage in collaborative problem-solving.
The schedule will allow for three days of homeroom instruction (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday), one day of specials (Friday), and one Flex Day (Wednesday) set aside for small-group and/or 1-to-1 work by sign-up.
Schedule Components
Morning Meeting
Each homeroom instruction day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday) will begin with a Morning Meeting. The Morning Meeting framework is a way to support the social and emotional learning of our students, as well as to strengthen and further develop our community. While we cannot and should not attempt to replace the amount of time they would typically spend together, we provide students with a quality experience that is reflective of what we offer in the classroom.
Connected Learning
Connected Learning times will be the synchronous learning opportunities that meet each homeroom instruction day. These blocks can be used for instruction and collaborative student work in reading, writing, science, social studies, and/or a session with a specials teacher. These sessions are not necessarily one long, continuous Zoom meeting and are not necessarily with the whole class at once. The purpose of Connected Learning is to reserve blocks of time in which students can receive instruction and learn together in the Virtual School model. Every Sunday evening, the homeroom teacher will provide details on the planned use of this Connected Learning time for the upcoming week.
Math will be separated out in Grades 1-5 as a standalone synchronous session, meeting each homeroom instruction day, in an effort to sustain progress in the curriculum, and to provide ample opportunity for students to ask in-the-moment questions of the teacher as they engage in collaborative problem-solving.
In the Early Childhood program, these Connected Learning times will be used to engage students in a Reggio Emilia inspired provocation/open-ended activity (which may be an extension of an asynchronous offering), a read-aloud, or a collaborative activity designed to inspire inquiry and creativity.
Flex Day
Wednesdays are set aside as a Flex Day, providing ample time for students and teachers to reach out to each other and engage in 1-to-1 and small group meetings. During Flex Day, students may meet with their homeroom or specialist teachers. While the amount of time spent in synchronous learning will be decreased on this day, Flex Day also ensures that students will have ample time to engage in asynchronous learning. Teachers will schedule students for times on Flex Day, and students can also request meetings with their teachers.
Special Day
Fridays are a Special Day, during which students can engage in synchronous learning in their specials classes. The special classes for each grade will rotate each week. Pre-Kindergarten will be split into two sections on the Special Day into groupings communicated by the homeroom teachers ahead of time. To ensure preparedness for Middle School, Grade 5 will have Spanish every week. Also on Friday, homeroom teachers will hold an “Office Hour,” during which families can sign up for a brief check-in with the teacher. Families can, of course, request to meet with teachers on other days and times as well.
Flex Day
Wednesdays are set aside as a Flex Day, providing ample time for students and teachers to reach out to each other and engage in 1-to-1 and small group meetings. During Flex Day, students may meet with their homeroom or specialist teachers. While the amount of time spent in synchronous learning will be decreased on this day, Flex Day also ensures that students will have ample time to engage in asynchronous learning. Teachers will schedule students for times on Flex Day, and students can also request meetings with their teachers.
Special Day
Fridays are a Special Day, during which students can engage in synchronous learning in their specials classes. The special classes for each grade will rotate each week. Pre-Kindergarten will be split into two sections on the Special Day into groupings communicated by the homeroom teachers ahead of time. To ensure preparedness for Middle School, Grade 5 will have Spanish every week. Also on Friday, homeroom teachers will hold an “Office Hour,” during which families can sign up for a brief check-in with the teacher. Families can, of course, request to meet with teachers on other days and times as well.
Assessment Practices
We continue to focus on formative, ungraded assessment at this time. With our virtual tools, however, we now have unprecedented opportunities to provide personalized, 1-to-1 or small-group feedback to students.
Progress Reports will reflect learning both done on campus and in Virtual School. All students will continue to receive specific assessment results in various content and skills through the “N/A, Emerging, Developing, Secure, and Extending” learning continuum as implemented on past Progress Reports.
The Role of Family Members
We encourage families to spend time together in learning that often feels like play. For example, play a game that requires math/strategy/critical thinking. Card games and board games can create wonderful family moments while providing the opportunity to create graphs of wins and
losses to develop the mathematical thinking of the student.
The family members of Lower School students are not expected to take the place of their children’s teachers. Families can assist, however, by ensuring that their children are engaging with their virtual classes and materials each school day. Getting students settled into synchronous lessons may require your assistance. Our earliest readers, in particular, will require increased support at home to understand and follow teacher guidance.
We continue to focus on formative, ungraded assessment at this time. With our virtual tools, however, we now have unprecedented opportunities to provide personalized, 1-to-1 or small-group feedback to students.
Progress Reports will reflect learning both done on campus and in Virtual School. All students will continue to receive specific assessment results in various content and skills through the “N/A, Emerging, Developing, Secure, and Extending” learning continuum as implemented on past Progress Reports.
The Role of Family Members
We encourage families to spend time together in learning that often feels like play. For example, play a game that requires math/strategy/critical thinking. Card games and board games can create wonderful family moments while providing the opportunity to create graphs of wins and
losses to develop the mathematical thinking of the student.
The family members of Lower School students are not expected to take the place of their children’s teachers. Families can assist, however, by ensuring that their children are engaging with their virtual classes and materials each school day. Getting students settled into synchronous lessons may require your assistance. Our earliest readers, in particular, will require increased support at home to understand and follow teacher guidance.
