ISY Elementary School Faculty Blog
Here we go again!
Mike Simpson
18 September 2020
I really enjoyed the meetings we had online discussing our enduring understandings and essential questions for our Quarter 2 units. Many connections were made and I know we have the got the makings of three great units. But now we have to make them!
We will start this planning process next week by creating scope and sequences for each unit. I will send meeting invites out as follows:
- Tuesday, 2:00-2:40pm: Grades 2 & 3
- Tuesday, 2:45-3:25pm: Grades 4 & 5
- Tuesday, 3:30-4:10pm: Grades PK, K, & 1
- Wednesday, 2-3pm: Specialists*
The goal is to have a planning document shared with you on Monday for you all to review and assign roles. On Tuesday, we will discuss the planning document to make sure we know what needs to be done and who needs to work with who.
The following week we will start developing weekly lessons. One step at a time but we will be stepping quite quickly!
Creating these units is a very complex task during a very uncertain time. But the late Dr. Ken Robinson would suggest that this is the perfect time to reimagine what education looks like.
Feedback from Parents and Students
Through your efforts, we enjoy good support from our students and families. There are the odd comments around technology but the overwhelming need that both families have is to feel that the students have a connection to each other and to their teacher – through learning or just as people.
This is to be expected and this is why we now send home weekly family reports. We need to keep finding ways to keep connecting with our students.
I know our CLO coordinators are scheduling extra meetings to connect with students. I also know that our synchronous teachers are reaching out to students after 12:30pm as needed. Please keep doing this. It is appreciated and will help keep students engaged and connected as move forward.
This week’s Elementary Family Blog focuses on the importance of connection and it will interesting to see if the feedback we receive from today’s family survey still focuses heavily on this.
Upcoming Events
October 5-9:
WASC Online Accreditation Visit
Previous Elementary School Posts
Elementary School Faculty Blog – September 17, 2021
Thank you for your hard work and energy this week. The students are settled and upbeat and that is because of you.
Elementary School Faculty Blog – September 10, 2021
Keep checking in on yourselves and those around you.
Elementary School Faculty Blog – June 11, 2021
With next Wednesday firmly in mind, this week’s metaphor for the year that we have had comes via Shrek 2 via Franco.
Elementary School Faculty Blog – June 4, 2021
My daughter, Milly, has been introducing me to Friends which has been a lot of fun. I think Ross, Rachel, and Chandler trying to carry a sofa up some stairs is a pretty good metaphor for this year…..
Elementary School Faculty Blog – May 28, 2021
Here is another article that is worth reading as we think about how schools might come out of this year stronger… For Keeps.
Elementary School Faculty Blog – May 21, 2021
ISY Elementary School Faculty Blog Something else to think about for next year… Mike Simpson May 21, 2021 We still might not know what next year will look like yet but I found this blog post useful in helping me think about what it could look like…"No More Easy...