Pick a teacher. Write a note. Be it a postcard, a message through your school’s communication portal, an email, or something else, they’re rockstars right now. Here are example messages to start you off.
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Consider providing families with some classic, hands-on, “no screens required” activities that enrich learning and expand creativity. Just enough options to have some variety to choose from — but not so much so that it becomes overwhelming — a nice, digestible amount.
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As schools work to ensure equitable remote learning, many are turning to learning packets. While a great solution, there are a couple things to keep in mind to best practice social distancing while distributing packets.
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If families are able to get their students on a schedule, that’s more than half the battle won. It’ll provide structure to give them the momentum to continue with their schoolwork and make remote learning sustainable.
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As you adjust to remote learning, think about how to get organized with a communications schedule. This way, your community knows what to expect from you — and if they’d like to look back at information — they can easily find what they are looking for.
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Just because school buildings have closed, doesn’t mean you have to cancel your spirit week plans. Consider implementing a virtual spirit week — even if you weren’t going to have a spirit week to begin with! It’s a great way to keep school spirit up and maintain a sense of community. Many students are missing their classmates, and so seeing pictures of each other engaging in a fun, school-wide event is sure to keep “spirits high.”
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This is a great way to continue to engage students in learning and spread some cheer. You can do a live read-aloud with Facebook Live or Instagram Live (open to the public), or by using a conferencing tool like Zoom (private — only those with an access link can join). You can also record your read-through before-hand and upload it so students can watch at any time.
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Try to organize all of your remote learning resources into one place. Things are already uncertain enough — so having one clear, consolidated, and updated source of communication can mitigate stress and confusion. Here are some great examples we’ve seen:
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Many are using video conference tools like Zoom to meet with their students live, which is a wonderful way to stay connected in these unprecedented times! Also consider other ways you can leverage these tools — like meeting with a translator and sharing the recording with your school community.
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Share what others in your school community are doing in their day-to-day lives! Many students, parents, and staff are feeling a bit lonely and socially isolated at this time. Ask people to submit videos, pictures, or perhaps just write out what they have been doing and share these out so people feel more connected. It might also give people ideas on what they can do as well!
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Send a short video showcasing familiar faces, add some humor and show students that you care. It’s an uncertain time for everyone and can be a strange transition for students, so sending them a fun video where they can see and hear school staff they know can make them feel like they are still connected to the school, while also providing some smiles and laughs.
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Use social media to encourage your families to update their contact information. No matter what communication platform you use, it’s important to make sure that student and family contact information is up-to-date and accurate.
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