Hello parents! I bet you've come to this page with a lot of questions and I hope that I can help to answer some of them. Please never hesitate to reach out to me via email suzanne.swartz@sd76.ab.ca or by scheduling a phone or video conference if you can't find the answers to your questions here. Here is a wonderful link on how to use Google Classroom for parents, just click on the image!
learning at home vs. home schooling
Because of the unprecedented times we've found ourselves in with this global pandemic of COVID-19, Alberta Education has transitioned all public schools to a system of online learning. This is very different from homeschooling. As your child's teacher, I will continue to be responsible for planning and implementing their learning program. As your child's parent, we will continue to work as a team to help your child navigate this year's learning journey. Please never hesitate to contact me or feel that you are solely responsible for your child's learning. We are all in this together!
"How will I know what is expected of my child?"
Great question! There are a few ways for you to stay informed and involved:
Your child is already enrolled in a Google Classroom. The education guidelines for grade 5 are 5 hours of work per week. That means we will focus on Bible, Math and Language Arts while supplementing Science and Social.
I will be sending out an update every Monday via email which will keep you up to date on learning that is taking place and what to expect in the next week. Assignments for the week will be due the following Monday.
On Google Classroom the topic "This Week" will be the go to for new information for the week. Your student's assignments will be linked there. You can expect 1 hour of work per day with extra meeting times through Google Meet.
"I'm concerned about how much time my child is spending online each day. Will all assignments/learning be done in front of a computer screen?"
This is something that I'm concerned about as well and am considering in the planning of your child's instruction. Although content will be delivered through an online platform, please rest assured that I am working to create learning experiences that can be done in many situations and locations. With the guideline of 5 hours of work per week I think this is nicely manageable. Who wants to sit at a desk for hours anyway?