Slowing creating this blog as the story continues to change. All you will read here is based on what I know right now. I am hopeful we will have more clarification by Wed. July 28th staff meeting at 2pm (voluntary). I miss you!
Safely Forward PlanIf you haven't already reviewed the FUSD Safely Forward Plan, I encourage you to spend some time with it, especially the sections on Flexible Remote Learning, Curriculum and Instruction Expectations, and Social and Emotional supports. Our district plan for remote learning for the fall is much more comprehensive and rigorous than Q4 of last year.
Remote Learning GuidelinesThe FUSD Governing Board approved the district's request to postpone in person learning until at least October 12th. This means that all students will be enrolled in online remote learning for general education, special education (with some in person exceptions), ELL services, and special areas. There are some Marshall students enrolled in NADL at this time. I will contact those families to make sure they understand that option.
Remote learning guidelines are being established this week, and while specific details are still being ironed out, we do know it will look very different that emergency remote learning last spring. Students will be engaged in grade level, classroom, small group, and 1:1 learning through Zoom (just approved today) in ELA and math daily. Science/Social studies, specials, and social emotional times will be built into the master schedule. Intervention and extension activities will be provided and students will participate in daily homeroom circles. Staff will work a 7.5 hour contractual day or the number of hours of their contract.
Teaching and Learning Structures during Remote Learning
I really look forward to learning what each grade level team is considering during FRL.
IDEAS:
Some teams may wish to consider departmentalizing by subject areas during remote learning. Each team would determine who will take the lead in teaching ELA, math, and science or social studies for the main lesson. During the main lesson, the other teachers would be present to aide with questions in the chat, breaking students into groups, and then would support with smaller group lessons.
What we will need is consistency of content between classrooms in the grade level, specialize/focus both teacher planning and online teaching, and support staff if anyone was absent/ill. Main lessons should be recorded so families could access throughout the day/week. Special area classes should also be recorded.
We have much to talk about
Telecommuting Updates
FUSD is in the process of developing policy for telecommuting due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and the physical closure of schools to students. The policy and agreement will be reviewed by the Governing Board at the August 11th School Board Meeting and will be voted upon. If you are not requesting a medical accommodation from the district, but will be requesting to work from home you must have the necessary technology, a professional working space and be available during regular work hours. More to come on this from HR. I hope to have accurate info before our Wed. 7/29 voluntary staff meeting at 2pm.
Marshall Building Access
All staff must enter from the front doors and wear a mask. There is a well check station in front of Erin. You will use hand sanitizer, sign in/sign off, take your temperature with a touch less thermometer (reporting if over 100.4), and put your used pen in another container. If you would prefer for the front office to take your temperature, please ask. Thank you for your cooperation. Key cards are working. FACTS is over. Our school is being sanitized this week so you may have access beginning Aug. 3 as we discussed.
Student Supplies
We will be providing some schools supplies to our students for distance learning this year. Please work with your grade levels to determine the basic materials that students will need during remote learning. I know you know this, but please be conscious of cost per student as we have limited resources.... Thank you.
Registration and Verification
All returning FUSD families need to verify their child's enrollment through ParentVue this school year. All new families must register online using ParentVue as well. This is going to be a push for our front office as we've had less than 5% of Marshall families utilize ParentVue in the past. If families request assistance in this process, please direct them to the front office. We will generate an activation code for their child and help them with the process.
iPad and Resource/Supply Distribution
We're going to need a team for this one ;) We are setting up Apple IDs and downloading the apps for each individual iPad. It is estimated to take 10 minutes per iPad which translates to about 80 hours of work. My hope is that we can get a strong group of 10 people max together and knock it out in the next couple of days. Your time is time card eligible. I sent a separate email.
This week we will develop our school wide distribution plan for the week of Aug. 10th
Canvas
Certified teachers, if you have not yet enrolled in the 2 hour self paced Canvas course that is available from July 1- July 31, please consider doing so. This is the first required course in the district's 1:1 PD rollout plan and is a pre-requisite for the August 10th PD course. Canvas is the new learning management system that we will be transitioning to district wide (2021-22). The TNL course #is 35942 and it is available for 301/Salary Advancement.
Canvas Leaders
FUSD's Professional Development Office will support professional learning opportunities for teaching teams at Marshall that would like to engage in building their grade level Canvas classroom and preparing and uploading teaching content for the first week.
Family Communication
We will be engaging our families in frequent communication "blasts" though Connect Ed, our Marshall webpage, facebook and upcoming family forums.
Weeks ahead
July 27- Student Verification and Registration, iPad roll out dates, finalize class lists?
August 3- iPad and supply distribution plan finalized, requirements, ParentVUE Verification and Registration, Parent Forum Dates
August 10- iPad and material distribution plans in action, Meet the Teacher virtual events? Distribution meets?
August 17- Welcome Back Messaging
Forums
I would like to set up several Marshall forums for our families once we have more finalized guidelines from the district. I
Ideas: "New to Marshall" forum for all new families grades 1-5, a separate kindergarten forum, a special education forum, ELL forum, and a general returning families forum.
Family Engagement
As we get closer to the beginning of the year, we will figure out grade level teams to develop an engagement/connectivity plan so that we can establish and build upon our relationships and clearly communicate our teaching and learning expectations. Please start discussing various ideas with your teams.
Jabber
FUSD will provide Jabber this year to all teaching staff. This app will allow us to make phone calls to our families from our personal cell phone while keeping our personal cell phone number private.
Attendance
We are required to take daily attendance for students and staff. The logistics of this are still being determined.
Subs
FUSD is still determining what substitute teachers will look like. One idea is that our building would be assigned subs that would work with our teaching teams to help deliver remote learning content.
Coming Up
August 3 - iPad prep. Grade Level supplies ordered.
August 10- FUSDs Professional Development Day for certified and classified staff.
August 17- First Day of Remote Learning for students!
