HIS Family Bulletin – Friday August 21, 2020
Dear Beacon Hill Families,
We are excited to begin another school year with our beautiful community of learners and families. We welcome our new kindergarten students and families to our school – we are excited to partner with you.
We know you have a lot of questions and we are hoping to answer some of those in this message. Additionally, in the next 7 to 10 days we will be sending a virtual Welcome Back presentation that will include more information. We will also be hosting two virtual question & answer (Q&A) sessions, in three different languages, the week of August 31st.
| First day of school |
| All classes will be on the computer until further notice – student learning will not take place at school, all learning will happen remotely. Grades 1-12: Friday Sept 4th Kindergarten: Tuesday Sept 8th The beginning of school will be focused on relationships, community building, and establishing expectations and routines. |
| Q&A sessions |
| We will be hosting virtual Q&A sessions in English, Spanish, and Chinese to help answer any remaining questions. These will be on August 31st and September 1st. |
| Supplies |
| The school will be providing supplies for students to use at home. Teachers will coordinate with you about a date to either pick-up supplies for your child or arrange to have them dropped off. |
| Technology |
| SPS has also ordered a device for every student, moving our district to a “one-to-one” device model. Grades K-2 students will receive ipads and Grades 3-5 will receive a laptop. In addition, the SPS technology team is offering a “bring your own device” program for students who would like to use their personal device for remote learning. As devices arrive, the Department of Technology (DoTS) will work with school leaders to deliver technology supports to staff and families. Training for families, students, and staff will be provided on common platforms and translated “how to” videos will be produced to support students while learning at home. |
| Communication |
| Common Learning Platforms SPS has approved the use of Schoology, Microsoft Teams, and SeeSaw for remote learning and communication. This means we will be transitioning from using the ClassDojo app to SeeSaw and we will not be using Zoom unless different information is given from SPS. Your child’s teacher will be reaching out to you to get you set-up on the SeeSaw app. Weekly Family Bulletin from School We will be emailing a weekly family bulletin with information and updates, and other important information to support your child’s learning. Family Check-ins Your child’s teacher will be reaching out to you in the next two weeks get to know you and your child before the start of school. |
| Dual Language |
| Our teachers are creating plans to ensure all students are supported in the dual language classes – more information about this will be coming soon.Our bilingual teachers and staff will be communicating office hours to support families with content questions and other needs.Waitlists – we will not be able to move any students from the waitlists for dual languages classes after the start of the school year. |
| Schedule |
| Teachers and staff are working on schedules right now with the focus on consistency across grades and predictability to ensure families can plan how to best support their child’s learning.Our schedules will be shared with families next week on Friday 8/28. |
| Other questions |
| Uniforms: Students do not need to wear school uniforms during remote learning. |
| More info coming soon |
| Teachers will be communicating with you about learning expectations, weekly lessons, small group instruction, and home supports needed for remote learning. |
