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During Phase 3 of our Continuous Learning Plan, TMS Faculty and Staff is committed to:
During Phase 3 of our Continuous Learning Plan, TMS Faculty and Staff is committed to:
- Promoting school connectedness and fostering a sense of community, and
- Keeping learning alive for our students by introducing new content and instruction
The Schedule:
The Schedule:
The schedule is designed to provide students and staff with a structure and flexibility to achieve success in the remote learning environment. Students and staff will follow their schedule as per their typical schedule in this adjusted format. During each 'block' students should use that time to independently work on their assignments and access the teacher during the designated check-in time (as needed) to answer questions. While we know that a remote learning experience can never replicate a school day, we have created some new guidelines, structures, and a schedule that will be implemented starting Monday, April 6th. As we learn more about remote learning and receive additional guidance, we will evaluate our approach and revise or change it as needed to best meet the needs of our students.
On 'A'-Day/'X'-Day students will attend their assigned PE or Music class as per their typical day. For example: If you have Music on Block 2 on an ‘A’-Day you will dedicate your time and have a check-in on Mondays between 11:00-11:45, and on Wednesdays you will dedicate your time to your PE class and have a check-in between 1:15-2:00.
Rotating Arts will change starting Monday, April 6th. This means:
Grade 6: CS/Engineering
Grade 7: Art
Grade 8: Drama
Flexible Blocks are intended to be used at the teacher’s discretion (if needed) to schedule a learning center check-in or alternative class check-in. It is also intended to allow students additional/flexible time to complete their assignments independently.
Time on Learning
According to MADESE, Students should expect to be engaged in school activities for half the amount of time - or roughly 3 hours - they would be doing so during a normal school day. Students are expected to participate in this remote learning process by completing all assignments as it will count toward their grade.
Student Attendance
Students are expected to open their email every weekday morning by 8:30 am, at the latest. They will receive an email from Administrative Assistants (Mrs. Gleavy or Mrs. Rudnick that will have a link to the daily attendance form. Students are expected to follow the link and enter their name, grade level, click “present” and agree to the video conferencing privacy statement. This needs to be completed by 9:00 am.
If a student is unable to complete the attendance form and needs to be reported as absent (due to illness or personal circumstances), please email Jen Gleavy (jgleavy@westwood.k12.ma.us) and Jennifer Rudnick (jrudnick@westwood.k12.ma.us), TMS Administrative Assistants. Any student who does not complete the daily attendance form will be marked absent. The parent of an absent student who is not “called in” via email will receive a robocall indicating that their student is absent.
Class Meetings
Teachers will schedule live (synchronous) class meetings between 15 and 45 minutes per block/class twice weekly. It is expected that students attend class meetings each week using the block schedule above. During these class meetings, teachers will continue to answer questions and support students, but they will also incorporate direct instruction and collaborative learning opportunities to ensure students understand the new concepts being taught. This will also serve as an opportunity for students to engage in positive social interactions with their peers and their teachers.
Teachers will share their class meeting schedules with with students and families weekly. In addition, the link for class meeting will be available in each Google Classroom banner.
Schoolwork
Students can expect to receive teacher instruction and assignments by 8:00am on the day of their assigned Block or by 8am each Monday for week long work. Examples of teacher instruction include teacher created videos, websites or documents. Over the course of each week, students will complete approximately 90-120 minutes of asynchronous and synchronous schoolwork per class each week.
Please note: As with assignments in the regular school environment, the amount of time one task takes to be completed will vary by student, based on their skills, motivation, and other factors.
Technology
Platforms
While we are encouraging teachers to explore new and innovative programs to incorporate into this remote learning experience, teachers will be primarily using Google Classroom, Canvas (high school only), Google Hangouts Meet, and Zoom to communicate synchronously and asynchronously with students.
Video Conferencing Norms
Join from a quiet, distraction-free location
Act as you would when you are in class, including considering how you dress and speak, and what you communicate to your classmates (incl. what may be viewable in the background)
Avoid multitasking: open only the tabs you need for the session
Mute your microphone unless you are speaking to cut down on background noise
Utilize the chat feature to ask or answer questions; please keep chat relevant and on-topic
Try not to speak over one another: to get the teacher’s attention, you can raise your hand on screen or say “I have a question” in the chat if the teacher doesn’t see you
Turn your camera on or off as instructed by the teacher; the default is to start with it on
Don’t audio record, video record, or take pictures/screenshots while in a videoconference; MA law requires consent from all parties before doing any of these things.
Grading
For the remainder of the year, courses will be graded on a pass/fail basis. Click here for further clarification of the grading format.
Progress Reports
Progress Reports will be available for parents to view at approximately 4PM on Monday, May 18th. Progress Reports are intended to provide families with information regarding the student's engagement, participation, and completion of assignments in the remote learning environment.
Student Services
Click Here for the TMS Student Services & Special Education Website
8th Grade DC Trip
Close Up is in the process of issuing refunds. If you have any specific questions regarding refunds, please direct them to programsupport@closeup.org.
The TMS Administration, Faculty, and Staff recognize that all families are going through or will go through different experiences during this time. We understand that you and your family may need additional support now or in the coming weeks to get through this time, and we are committed to supporting you and your families as best as we can. We also recognize that this may mean that school has to be put on hold at times so that more concerning matters can be addressed. That said, our goal is to provide you and your families with continued connection to our school community and daily structures that promote continued educational experiences.
See below for the best person to contact during this time:
For any and all academic questions please contact your child’s teacher first. If you need further academic assistance please contact:
Department Head of English/Language Arts & Social Studies: Marisa Olivo - molivo@westwood.k12.ma.us
Department Head of Math & Science: Katie Clarke kclarke@westwood.k12.ma.us
Department Head of Student Services: Edith Graichen - egraichen@westwood.k12.ma.us
Technology Issues:
Jesse Murphy (Instructional Technology Support) - jmurphy@westwood.k12.ma.us
Nelson Perez (Technology Support) - nperez@westwood.k12.ma.us
Student Support
8th grade student issues: Guidance Counselor Jaelithe Brodeur - jbrodeur@westwood.k12.ma.us
7th grade student issues: Guidance Counselor Austin Bushey - abushey@westwood.k12.ma.us
6th grade student issues: Guidance Counselor Kelsey Yim - kyim@westwood.k12.ma.us
Additional questions/concerns:
Assistant Principal, Matthew Kuklentz - mkuklentz@westwood.k12.ma.us
Principal Michael Redmon - mredmon@westwood.k12.ma.us
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