Monday, 4/6, Weekly Message

A note from a fellow parent (me): 

In this unusual time, I have found some beauty in having more time at home. Yes, supporting home learning while working is challenging (even for a seasoned educator). Stressors have risen for so many families who have lost jobs. In light of all this, please be graceful with yourself as you adjust and guide your young ones through this time. Allow yourself not to be the perfect homeschool parent/guardian. When needed, turn off the screens and assignments and stress and find joy in time with your kids, everyday. It may not be every minute of every day, but find the moments of joy everyday, they are there for the taking. We will be ok at the end of this and ‘time in’ with each other will go a long way to shortening our journey to normalcy. Best to you all on this sunny day. 

Zoom SafeGuards:

Zoombombing is a thing and we are taking steps to ensure all Zoom meetings are ‘private’. We know many students are using Zoom to host ZoomPlayDates. All Zoom users should follow the following steps to ensure secure meetings:

  • In Zoom, when scheduling a meeting there are two options to make a meeting private:

    • Require a meeting password and/or 

    • Use the waiting room feature and control the admittance of guests. Once a participant ‘appears’ in the waiting room, the host has to click them into the meeting.

  • All our staff are now using these safeguards. 

At Home Technology Help:

Here is a link to our library webpage which provides information relevant to our learning applications and username/password information that you may find helpful. 

Spring Conferences:

Riverview runs conferences in the spring as a way to communicate with parents as to their child’s learning growth. We will continue to do so and homeroom teachers should be reaching out to let you know how this will look. Some of you may have already had a conference. Of course, you do not need to wait for a conference to talk with a teacher about your child’s progress. This is always available with a simple request to a teacher; just let them know you would like an update or to talk. Report Cards will go out as always at the end of the year. 

Initial Survey Results:

Thank you to those who completed last week's initial survey. It was a helpful window into your experience so that we can adjust how we are delivering learning. Should you be interested, I attached a PDF of the results. 

At Home Workloads:

We are aware the learning activities we are providing will play out differently in your homes. A general rule of thumb is that students should be putting in about 3 hours of academics per day. Teachers will guide students on how they can make their thinking visible so that teachers can provide feedback and monitor learning growth. We are counting on you to help us know what is working and not working for your child. Please be in contact with your child’s teachers to ensure we are hitting the mark. Above all, please make learning decisions that are best for your child and family.
 
Doug
 
P.S. Attached is the agenda for the Zoom School District 9R Board Meeting to be held 4/14/20

Attached Files