By Vernon Matters Staff

Three-phase plan to provide home learning opportunities for students

Mar 30, 2020 | 5:39 PM

Students in the North Okanagan Shuswap School District will be getting a call from their teachers this week.

It’s part of a three-phase plan outlined by District 83 for delivering home learning opportunities.

“We understand that this is a challenging time for families as we try to navigate the unknowns of COVID-19 and its impact on our daily lives,” said an email to parents from Carl Cooper, assistant superintendent, instruction and Jen Findlay, district principal, SD83 Learning Team. “We hope that you are keeping well and finding time to celebrate moments of gratitude and kindness as we work together to support ourselves and others in our communities.”

The district says the goal is not to replicate regular classroom learning, but to provide a variety of creative ideas that families can work with.

“The reality is that learning will look different for every child and every family and that is OK,” stated the email.

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The following is information emailed to parents by SD 83 this week:

Phase 1: Reconnection (March 30th to April 3rd)

Teachers will be contacting all parents and students sometime during this week
Teachers will be checking in to see how you and your child are doing and gathering information about learning opportunities moving forward (email address, access to technology, specific learning needs, etc.)
During this week and in the weeks moving forward, teachers and school staff will be working hard to plan ways to best support and provide Home Learning Opportunities
If your child has some personal belongings at school which are urgently needed, parents can contact the school principal to make arrangements to pick these up.

Phase 2: First Steps (April 6th to 10th)

Teachers will start sharing possible Home Learning Opportunities with families
Teachers will check-in with students on a regular basis starting this week (phone calls, emails, online conferencing, etc.)
Grades K to 8: The main focus will be on 3 key areas – Health & Well-Being, Literacy, and Numeracy
Grades 9 to 12: The main focus will begin with a review of previous concepts learned in each specific course area
In all grade areas, teachers will be exploring a variety of ways to share Home Learning Opportunities with students and families (online platforms, emails, video links, paper learning packages, etc.)

Phase 3: Home Learning Opportunities (Beginning April 14th)

Teachers will begin to share more in-depth Home Learning Opportunities and check-in regularly with students each week moving forward
It is important to remember that the goal is not to replicate regular classroom learning; rather, we will focus on providing a variety of creative learning opportunities and families may choose the activities and timelines that work best for their situation.

by Vernon Matters Staff

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