UNBELIEVABLE TIMES
Hey there Viking Families! We hope you are all doing well. PLEASE know that ALL the Viking staff would much rather be at school with your children than what we are doing now. From your teachers, to our campus monitors, to our counselor, to your admin team: WE MISS YOU!! We all GREATLY miss our normal daily schedule. On Friday, March 13th our world was turned completely upside down after closing down for two weeks. Then a few days later it was extended through Spring Break. What a YEAR this past week has been. Feels like a lifetime ago, doesn't it.
As we watch the news, we see that the pandemic crisis is all over the world and that it is for our safety to be home. We have ALL been thrown into new roles overnight. Classroom teachers have now become distance learning instructors and parents/caregivers have become home school teachers. We truly wish that this could be a SEAMLESS transition. In our current situation, this couldn't be furthest from the truth. No public school teacher has been trained to be a distance learning instructor and, I am going to guess that you all didn't choose nor are you trained to be home school instructors =)! Many of you are working from home (and juggling keeping kids engaged and entertained without always putting them in front of a screen!) or having to still go to work due to your job being essential. Just know that your children will be fine. No matter when we return to school, teachers will review missing concepts again. Ideally if students are able to complete the work that is going home that will really help when they do transition back to school. If nothing else, get a book, newspaper or tablet in their hands to read. Have them practice their math facts (especially multiplication and division facts!). Have them get caught up on AR! Have them do ALL of their missing work! We should ALL have straight As with zero missing assignments when we return!
IMPORTANT REMINDER
ALL GVMS students have access to Google Classroom and the codes for each classroom teacher, including electives and PE. Please have your student SHOW you what they are being assigned!
Please keep in mind: Our Vikings spend around 6.5 hours with us each day and you should not expect that your student will be given that much work to do at home. At school your child receives about 15-20 minutes of direct instruction in each subject, then about 15-20 minutes of guided practice and discussion, 15 minutes of independent time to complete their work (give or take!).
VIKINGS! Here are some things to consider: READ everyday. Write in a journal or practice your daily math facts (seriously!). Physical activity gets the brain activated, so take a walk (practicing social distancing!) or do indoor exercises. Daily routines and structure are important for everyone. Go to bed at a decent time and get up for breakfast at a decent time if possible. Get out of your pajamas so it is more "normal"! Break up your day into chunks and post it on the refrigerator so you can have a visual. ALL of you are used to routines and schedules in school and you truly function better with structure, regardless of what you say =)
Families: Can we help you?
Questions on assignments? Email your teacher directly. They will be checking email Monday - Friday during regular school hours: 8:36 AM - 2:50 PM as often as they can, keeping in mind that many of our teachers are now the homeschool teachers for their own small children. Their schedule may need to be flexible due to nap times and school times for their own children =). Any email that comes in after 2:50 PM will be answered on the next school day.
ALL GVMS students have access to Google Classroom and the codes for each classroom teacher, including electives and PE. Please have your student SHOW you what they are being assigned!
Please keep in mind: Our Vikings spend around 6.5 hours with us each day and you should not expect that your student will be given that much work to do at home. At school your child receives about 15-20 minutes of direct instruction in each subject, then about 15-20 minutes of guided practice and discussion, 15 minutes of independent time to complete their work (give or take!).
VIKINGS! Here are some things to consider: READ everyday. Write in a journal or practice your daily math facts (seriously!). Physical activity gets the brain activated, so take a walk (practicing social distancing!) or do indoor exercises. Daily routines and structure are important for everyone. Go to bed at a decent time and get up for breakfast at a decent time if possible. Get out of your pajamas so it is more "normal"! Break up your day into chunks and post it on the refrigerator so you can have a visual. ALL of you are used to routines and schedules in school and you truly function better with structure, regardless of what you say =)
Families: Can we help you?
Questions on assignments? Email your teacher directly. They will be checking email Monday - Friday during regular school hours: 8:36 AM - 2:50 PM as often as they can, keeping in mind that many of our teachers are now the homeschool teachers for their own small children. Their schedule may need to be flexible due to nap times and school times for their own children =). Any email that comes in after 2:50 PM will be answered on the next school day.
Questions on passwords for email or Google Classroom or Aeries? Email Mrs. Cherry (KristenC@fsusd.org) to reset passwords or get log in information!
Any other question? All email addresses for ALL GVMS staff are on the website at www.fsusd.org or CLICK HERE. We will do the VERY best that we can to help! There are a TON of online resources out there to help you as well, so please reach out to us if you don't have them and we will send them to you.
We got this Vikings! It may be different, it may be new, and we have faith that we WILL get through this together! :) Stay safe, stay positive and stay HEALTHY!!
