A CENTRAL HUB FOR HELPFUL RESOURCES AS WE BEGIN A JOURNEY OF TRANSITIONING TO A distance LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

We are so appreciative of the way our community and our Crew has come together during this time of uncertainty (and growth). This is the time for each of us to be Active Citizens, widen our circle of Compassion, be Explorers, and prove that Polaris Charter Academy is truly a school Where Learning Has No Boundaries. #WeAreCrew

IMPORTANT UPDATES AT Polaris

1. News about our Distance Learning Schedule:

Distance Learning will be different from the structure of our regular in person school day. However, based on feedback, we're adding more personalized instruction through Small Groups (teacher is interacting live with 5-6 students to create a more personalized approach to learning). Your child will have a Small Group session scheduled once a week with his/her teacher via Zoom/Hangouts call. Small Groups are chosen based on how your child is progressing with current work, and the results of their iReady diagnostic. Expect a link for Small Groups this week.

Tip: We have created a recommended schedule for a student at each grade level. This schedule takes into account Crew, small group meetings as well as teacher and educational assistants office hours. This recommended schedule can be found by clicking on the appropriate grade range backpack found in lesson plans.

Where can I access all Polaris Distance Learning info?

To streamline communication and minimize email clutter, all information can be found here at the Polaris Distance Learning Hub. Please bookmark this site. It will be updated regularly with student assignments, activities and family information.

What will Distance Learning look like? What materials will students need?

Distance Learning will be a new experience for all of us. Our plan has been designed to support students and families as they navigate this new way of school. Lessons will be posted at 8 am each Monday and Students will have live Crew and instruction every day on Zoom. At least once a week students will also have time with a teacher doing small group work which will also take place on Zoom. Teachers will also host office hours every day on Zoom. All of the links for all Zoom meetings including Crew, live instruction and Office Hours will be found on the Weekly Lesson Plan which will be located on the Stream tab of your child's Google Class.

Students will all be receiving the necessary materials (ie; pencils, pens, paper, etc) from Polaris. No need to stress about hunting for paper in your house or trying to sharpen pencils with a kitchen knife, we've got you covered!

How will the school communicate updates?

All communication from the school will come via Remind. If you have previously not signed up for Remind , please contact your child's teacher or click on the orange "Sign up for Remind" button below. Teachers will email parents on student progress every two weeks and meet with students via Zoom every morning for Crew and once a week for small group work. You can also check in with your child's teacher during daily Office Hours on Zoom the link to which is in the Weekly Lesson Plan on Google Classroom. Ms Navarre will also be hosting period Town Hall meetings on Zoom to provide school wide information and answer parent questions. Information on those Town Halls will be found in the News and Updates section of this hub.

Where will daily student assignments be posted?

Student Assignments will be updated by your teachers at the beginning of every week and can be found on your child's Google Classroom and the Polaris Distance Learning Hub. If you would like help learning how to access and use Google Classroom please scroll up to the Accessing Technology section of this hub. There you can find handy tutorial videos on navigating Google Classroom.

Will parents need to supervise their students?

Every child is different and you will know best how much support your child will need but overall learning tasks and assignments are designed to be completed independently but students may need an adults help staying on task, knowing when to take breaks, etc. Younger students will need help logging onto Zoom and Google Classroom daily, accessing videos, and working on digital tools. We expect it may take more support in the beginning as navigating the technology will be new to most students. Please have patience with your child and yourself. For more information about our Distance Learning Strategic Plan click on the button below.