{"id":16283,"date":"2020-03-30T09:28:06","date_gmt":"2020-03-30T13:28:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/?p=16283"},"modified":"2020-03-30T15:09:00","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T19:09:00","slug":"covid-closure-daily-update-for-monday-march-30","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/?p=16283","title":{"rendered":"COVID Closure Daily Update for Monday, March 30"},"content":{"rendered":"
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en espa\u00f1ol (PDF)<\/a> | \u12a0\u121b\u122d\u129b (PDF)<\/a> | \u0628\u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0628\u064a\u0629 (PDF)<\/a><\/p>\n

Day 11 – Learning from Home Experience\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

As we begin our third week at home, we can look forward to a little more normalcy in our daily routines going forward. Yes, our school buildings may be closed but school and learning is very much thriving and innovative. With that in mind, I wanted to let you know that our curriculum and instructional team has been working hard to make sure each of our students can expect to receive clear guidance in the coming week about how the rest of our academic year will continue. When we return from Spring Break, we know that students, teachers and their support staff will be ready to continue our educational efforts and support.<\/span><\/p>\n

An overview of our extended plan to ensure continuity of learning beyond April 13 and throughout the remainder of the academic year was discussed at the <\/span>virtual School Board meeting on Friday, March 27<\/span><\/a>. This included a discussion about how we intend to continue to support our Students With Disabilities going forward. You can tune in to School Board meetings each Friday at noon via the video link on the <\/span>School Board meeting web page<\/span><\/a>. An outline of our continuity of learning plan for beyond April 13 will be shared with the community on April 3, 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do make sure you check out the wonderful new <\/span>Story Hour<\/span><\/a> resource we have added to our\u00a0 ACPS-at-Home website for our younger students. It\u2019s such fun to see all these famous faces reading for America\u2019s children in this time of need and we are grateful that some publishers are allowing us to publish read-alouds on the website at this time.<\/span><\/p>\n

And finally, for those of you with high schoolers, Rhea Butler, AVID coordinator at T.C.Williams High School, has provided some exceptional teaching tips to help you keep your middle and high school students on track.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stay safe, stay healthy and stay informed!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sincerely,<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Superintendent of Schools<\/span><\/p>\n

ACPS Story Hour Now Online\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

If there\u2019s one thing that remains unaffected by the closure of our school buildings, it is the ability to enjoy a great story.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reading, or being read to, is a joy we can all still indulge and escape in no matter what is going on in the outside world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next week, our librarians at T.C. Williams High School will be coming up with some book recommendations they think may help our teenagers through these coming weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

And today we are excited to launch ACPS Story Hour for our younger readers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Familiar faces, including Oprah Winfrey, Betty White and Elijah Wood have read and recorded a collection of stories aimed to delight and entertain students between pre-K and fifth grade.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Books include \u201cMe and My Cat\u201d by Satoshi Kitamura and \u201cA Bad Case of Stripes\u201d by David Shannon.<\/span><\/p>\n

We suggest you set aside an hour a day when your child can curl up on the sofa and enjoy a great book or two.<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out the wonderful selection<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Top Tips From Our Top Teachers<\/span><\/h2>\n

Rhea Butler is the AVID coordinator at T.C.Williams High School and knows a thing or two about motivating and supporting our teenage students academically. Below she gives her top advice for families unexpectedly now stepping into the role of both teacher and parent\/guardian of a high schooler.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I had to give five tips about teaching high school students, I would say that communication, support, interaction, transparency and education are five things that are key,\u201d she said.<\/b><\/p>\n

Communication<\/b>: Oftentimes parents state that high school students do not \u201ctalk\u201d to them anymore. Technology has replaced our main way of communicating. However, owning a cell phone does not mean that verbal communication is dead. It is crucial to have a quick, yet relevant conversation with your child about what is happening in their day. Even if it is a \u201cshort convo\u201d make sure they happen often and are focused on what their day was like, what they did or didn\u2019t do, or maybe about what is happening around them. Find a common thread; even if you may not always agree or understand, go with the flow. Try not to outdate yourself! Sometimes you can\u2019t relate and that is okay. Communication builds relationships and that is an important part of understanding one another.<\/span><\/p>\n

Support:<\/b> Support even in the worst situation is important. If your child is dead wrong, you can STILL be supportive. Explain why they are wrong, how they got there, and how to move forward! Applying this to our current online learning situation, ask your child, \u201cWhat is required?\u201d They may not need help, they may just want to show you what they know or don\u2019t know. Teachers are doing some amazing things with students during this crisis. Be a spectator if you can\u2019t participate. Have them teach you how to do this \u201conline\u201d thing. For once, they are the expert and not you. If you can help, be honest about what you can do, and if they are frustrated, lend a hand as best you can. Instead of reading it to yourself, read it to them. Have them present information rather than you just looking at it. Applaud them for their efforts for the attempt and the process. Be a part of the Zoom meeting or conference. Be that cool or uncool parent. Maybe you haven\u2019t been anything and now this is your chance. Lastly, this is NEW to all of us, so remind your child of this and remember we are all in this together.<\/span><\/p>\n

Interaction<\/b>: Interact with your child; there are so many ways to do so. This situation gives you a perfect opportunity to stay in the loop with the most recent technology and the newest trend. This is your chance to learn also! Take the time to read and research what is happening with teenagers all over the globe, remember they have access to it all. You do not have to be an expert, but knowing a little puts you in the know. So interact digitally and\/or in person. Set some time aside in the day, even if it is not for a long time, do it anyway. Your child may not always be excited about it, but it is necessary and goes a long way. If you have a full house and time is thin, interact as a family. Create an event; movie night, homework time, dinner time, etc… Create little moments as opposed to none at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Transparent<\/b>: A child will hide their feelings and will not share if you are not transparent. The word PARENT is in the word for a reason. It is up to you to set the stage. Once you are the example, you give your child the opportunity to follow suit!<\/span><\/p>\n

Educate<\/b>: While your child is not being educated at school, we are educating at home. Teach them how to navigate through the world in which they live. Your child may be a different person when they are not in front of you. The environment you provide has a profound effect on how they exist without you. Remember, they are the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

Learning Together: At-Home Learning Tips from One ACPS Family to Another<\/span><\/h2>\n

James K. Polk kindergarten teacher Maggie Posey shares a video of her talking with her son, Zavier Silva. She suggests giving as many choices as possible, such as choosing a marker or a pen, choosing which chair to sit in, or choosing what activity to do first!<\/span><\/p>\n

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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED<\/span><\/h2>\n

In the last video Q&A, Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. answered some of your questions on:<\/span><\/p>\n