Plains Elementary

Teachers will call families September 4th to schedule Kindergarten Orientation and times to pick up packets and supplies. 

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 Welcome to Kindergarten!   2020-2021

Welcome!  Soon (September 21st) your child will complete one of the most important milestones in their life- the first day of kindergarten!  I understand that you and your child may have met this day with excitement or apprehension (or a little of both) and I hope this letter will help you to know what to expect in kindergarten this year and answer any questions you may have.

Beginning School Jitters:  It is natural for some children to feel nervous before starting kindergarten.  This year we will begin kindergarten in a very different way...remotely.  Although children will be joining the class each day from various remote locations, we will work hard to build a supportive and caring community of learners.  We will take time to get to know each other and learn all about the rules and routines in our remote-learning setting.  Caregivers may feel nervous about beginning the year remotely and that is also to be expected.  Teachers and caregivers must work together to support each child.  I will build in 10 minutes at the beginning of each synchronous/live session to check in with caregivers and offer general support.  In addition to the quick daily check-in time, I will also offer office hours each day to check in with families and students.  This will be a time to answer more specific questions, provide additional feedback to students, and receive feedback from families. 

Class Dojo:  Plains school will use a communication platform this year called ClassDojo.  I will send group messages as well as personal messages through this app.  I will also post all asynchronous assignments as well as pictures and videos on Dojo.  You will be able to send me personal messages using Dojo, as well as photos and videos. This will be our main way to communicate with each other.  Please sign up for a parent account as soon as possible here at this link: https://home.classdojo.com/#/classInvite/?c=C3RZ36Y . After you sign up, I will send you information so you can create your child’s student account.  When you create your child’s account, please use your child’s full first and last name (no nicknames...for example, enter Joseph instead of Joey). 

 You will use your child’s student Dojo account (and district Chromebook) to access assignments and turn them in.

 Schedule: *Please see the detailed daily schedule attached to this letter.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday we will begin our days with Synchronous/Live lessons from 8:47-11:00.  We will use ZOOM meetings for our live lessons.  I will send you the zoom link, ID, and passcode.  It will remain the same.  Please use the same information each time we meet on Zoom.  

From 11:00-12:30 your child will have a break, lunch, and indoor/outdoor play time.  

From 12:30-1:30 your child will begin Asynchronous #1 learning time.  We will go over the Asynchronous #1 plans and activities together each day before we end our live lessons.  The asynchronous plans will also be posted on the ClassDojo page each afternoon.  You can arrange the asynchronous learning schedule to meet your needs for the afternoons.  Your child will attend a live special meeting each afternoon (time varies, please see below) and then begin Asynchronous #2 learning time.    

Specials: Your child will attend a different synchronous/live special each day. Please see the ClassDojo page for login information from the Specialist Teachers.

Monday- PE        1:55-2:30

Tuesday- Art      2:15-2:55

Wednesday- Music   10:35-11:10

Thursday- PE     1:55-2:30

Friday- P.A.W.S. Time With Ms. Jessup  2:15-2:55

Wednesdays are half days.  We will meet live on ZOOM from 8:47-9:30 for our morning meeting.  We will not have a group snack together on Wednesdays.  Children will have a break/snack/recess from 9:30-10:00 on their own. 10:00-10:30 will be Asynchronous learning #1.  Our Music special will be from 10:35-11:10 and Asynchronous #2 will be from 11:30-12:15.  We will go over the asynchronous plans and activities together before we end our live morning meeting.  The asynchronous plans will also be posted on the ClassDojo page.  You can arrange the asynchronous learning schedule to meet your needs for the afternoon.  

Zoom Office Hours:  M, T, TH, F: 12:30-1:30 &  W: 11:15-12:15 (Use Zoom ID and Passcode) Office hours are not mandatory to attend, but please feel free to drop in to ask any questions you may have or to seek support.  I will also be available to visit with students and answer their questions about assignments or previous lessons.  This is a great time for students to share some of their completed (asynchronous) work and receive feedback.  Please email or schedule a separate time to talk with me about private questions or concerns.

Attendance:  Attendance will be recorded during morning meeting each day.  If your child is not feeling well/will be absent, please send an email or a Dojo message to your child’s teacher.

Organization:  Please work with your child to keep all school materials organized and easily accessible.  It is important that your child has a work space that is quiet, with minimal distractions.

School Supplies:  In addition to the items we have supplied for each child, it would be helpful if they also had the following items:

-Crayons (multicultural/skin colors too)

-Markers

-Supply of blank white paper and colored construction paper

-Small dry erase board

-A storage bin/area for all supplies (preferably away from younger siblings)

-A quiet work space away from distractions (like TV and toys)

**Please speak with your child’s teacher if you would like the school to provide crayons, markers, and paper. 

Chromebook:  The district will supply each child with a Chromebook laptop.  Please keep the laptop charged and in your child’s work space.  Keep all passwords and charging cables nearby.  If you have any questions related to the Chromebook pick-up process or specific questions related to the device itself, please contact Kyle Sodano ksodano@shschools.com or Steve Ziobrowski sziobrowski@shschools.com .

FlipGrid:  We will use Flipgrid, a video sharing tool, to help build our classroom community.  Children will be able to share their work with their peers and learn more about each other. Check out your child’s first assignment here: https://info.flipgrid.com/ 

You will be asked to “Enter a Join Code”, please enter: moultonremote

You will be asked to “Enter student username”, please enter your child’s first name with the first letter uppercase (no nicknames...for example, enter Joseph instead of Joey). 

Snack Time:  In order to provide growing minds with enough energy to learn, we will have snack time each morning.  Before school begins each day, please prepare a small healthy snack and drink for your child.  To ensure proper attention to online activities, I will let children know when it is time to eat snack together.

Lunch: The district will be offering a “Grab & Go” meal service based out of the High School. This is for ALL students enrolled in South Hadley Public Schools.  The price is 2.25 for a Plains school student.  If you would like to submit an application for free and reduced meals for your household, you can find the application and more information about the “Grab & Go” meal service here: https://www.southhadleyschools.org/domain/33

If you have any questions about the district’s meal distribution process, please contact Matt Hoagland: mhoagland@shschools.com .

Physical activity:  It is extremely important that your child has time to play both indoors and outdoors every day.  Developing an afternoon schedule,  that works for your family, will help to ensure that your child has time to play while also weaving in the asynchronous learning activities. 

Parent Involvement:  A good parent/teacher relationship is necessary for maximum success.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have throughout the school year.  I welcome your feedback as I work to improve the remote learning experience each day and learn from mistakes along the way.  

District Calendar: Please consult the district calendar on the district website for all half days and school closures due to holidays.

https://www.southhadleyschools.org/ 

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me on Class Dojo or email: rmoulton@shschools.com

I am delighted to be working with you and your child.  Here’s to a happy and healthy kindergarten year!!

Sincerely, 

Gina Moulton

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 Mrs. Moulton’s Remote Class Schedule

Times may change slightly throughout the next few weeks, depending on the needs of the class and any potential scheduling conflicts with specialists/co-teachers.  I will notify you in advance if the schedule changes.  Our synchronous/live sessions in the mornings will not last 2 hours and 13 minutes at the beginning of the year.  We will need to build the children’s stamina for remote learning little by little.

Mondays                     

Tuesdays

Wednesdays- Half Days

Thursdays

Fridays

                                                                                               Have a wonderful weekend!

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Making Virtual Kindergarten Successful at Plains School

Plains School is a welcoming community of children, staff, teachers, administrators, and families. We hope to make this unique year a fantastic one for all children. Here are some guidelines to help make that happen.

1. Establish a morning routine with eating breakfast, brushing teeth, using the bathroom and getting dressed before attending school.
2. Log on to school live/synchronous sessions on time. Keep your passwords and information handy so you have it when it is needed.
3. Have materials ready and help your child keep their area organized.
4. Set up a school space where your child can work free of distractions (TV, siblings, toys…)
5. Be mindful of what is happening in the background of your child’s screen.
6. Only bring yourself and your materials to (remote) school each day. Please leave pets, toys, and food in another room unless you are asked to bring them to school.  We will have a scheduled snack time together and I will let you know when it is snack time.
7. Learn how to use the mute and unmute buttons. Watch and listen for teachers to tell you if you should be muted or not.
8. You can use Dojo to message the teacher.  Please do not comment in the chat section during Zoom meetings. Teachers will most likely not see the comments while teaching. 
9. We will teach the children “Whole Body Listening” and expect that behavior during teaching sessions.
10. There will be about 10 minutes (especially in the beginning) at the start of each day for general quick questions and check in between parents/teachers.
11. Teachers will have office hours to answer specific questions and provide additional feedback.
12. Mistakes help us learn. Please be patient with children, teachers, and yourself as we learn this new system together. Step back and allow your child to make mistakes when answering questions and give them the opportunity to learn from those mistakes! 

*Some things we will teach children to do during sessions:

• Mute and unmute
• Whole Body Listening
• Taking turns talking and listening
• Raise hand to answer
• Hand gestures and other creative ways to answer questions
• How to use materials appropriately
• P.A.W.S.  (Pause and Think, Act with Kindness, Work Together, and Stay Safe)