HES

Hillsboro Elementary School

Continuous learning at HES supports children in learning through play. Learning offers authentic opportunities to focus on key developmental abilities. Learning engagements emphasize interaction and creativity. These activities involve minimal technology or specialized materials. Students are involved in a balance of activities to holistically support their growth and development. Students will be able to access Continuous Learning from their teachers using Google Classroom that is accessible through ClassLink. (HES students can use their ClassLink QuickCard to sign in to ClassLink via a device with a camera or webcam.)

Our Approach

  • Learning for students is designed to give students the opportunity to develop cognitive, physical and social-emotional skills.

  • Learning engagements are playful, differentiated, inquiry-based explorations that provide for both digital and analog activities.

  • Learning engagements encourage children and families to engage in learning together within their environment.

  • Learning connects to past and present units of inquiry and curriculum.

  • Art and creative design ideas are intended to provide children with opportunities to develop creativity, expression, language and fine-motor skills.

  • Opportunities and prompts support students to share their feelings, considering how they can manage concerns they may experience as a result of the change in their schooling and being away from their friends and the school environment.

Routines

Families

  • We got you! HISD teachers are ready and willing to do whatever they can to continue to teach your kids! We don’t expect you to take over, we just need to strengthen our partnership and work together to help your kids learn.

  • We want to hear from you. Please contact the campus to tell us how you are doing and what you need.

  • Identify a comfortable, quiet space in your home where you child can work effectively and successfully.

  • Establish routines and expectations.

  • Monitor your child's Google Classroom via ClassLink for communications from your child's teacher.

  • Take an active role in helping your child process their learning.

  • Assist students in documenting their learning in Google Classroom.

  • Establish times for quiet and reflection and provide time for your child to have ownership over their own use of time and activity.

  • Encourage physical activity and/or exercise.

  • Remain mindful of your child’s stress or worry.

  • Monitor how much time your child is spending online.

  • Communicate concerns or questions with the teacher via email not through Google Classroom.

Teachers

  • Use Google Hangouts Meet video conference to collaborate and plan as a grade-level team, content area team, or a combination. Do what makes sense for your campus, especially for lesson planning.

  • Contribute daily activities to the shared grade-level planning template document in Google Drive. Share this document with campus administrative team.

  • For consistency across campuses, post Learning materials for lessons scheduled in Google Classroom.

  • Collaborate and schedule at least one day in advance, a 10-minute weekly class Meet (Video Conference), with at least two team members to facilitate with students. These meetings are optional for students.

  • Explain (see 5E lesson plan model) each lesson with a pre-recorded, posted video welcome in Google Classroom for students.

  • Plan learning engagements that are easily understood and facilitated by parents/guardians.

  • Share the activities/work for the day with students and families via Google Classroom.

  • Provide a mixture of digital and analog learning engagements that include time away from the devices (i.e., draw a picture, scan it and turn it in to the Google Classroom assignment.)

  • Provide opportunities for students to work collaboratively through a virtual environment (i.e., shared Google Slides for small groups.)

  • Provide opportunities for reflection and feedback on student learning through posts on Google Classroom.

  • Make themselves available via email to answer questions about the activities, as needed from 8:30am to 3:00pm.

  • Do not access Skyward from a public Wi-fi (i.e., Starbucks, public library, etc).

Campus Administrative Team

  • Support teachers with continuous learning.

  • Serve as support for students/families.

  • Host office hours at set times for families/students to access counseling sessions through Google Hangouts Meet if required.

  • Support teachers to provide students with well-being activities.

Technology Support Staff

  • Collaborate with colleagues to find resources for high-quality learning experiences and research.

  • Regularly check in with teachers to identify ways to support the design of learning experiences.

  • Be available remotely (Gmail, Google Hangouts Meet) for teachers as needed for support.

  • Continually monitor the needs of teachers, students, and parents and troubleshoot their challenges, as needed.

  • Please complete this Technology Help Request form if you are experiencing a technology related issue during this time. (Spanish version)