Welcome Back - September 2020

Welcome back to school! It's a bit of a different return this year, but I'm glad to see my students and to get this new ball rolling!

Here's what you can expect from me regarding communication:

• The majority of  my variable information will be posted here, on my blog. Things like this welcome back to school letter, links to work we're doing in class, the English version of large projects we're working on, etc. I do use labels (or tags) for my blogs so that you can find stuff a little easier as the posts pile up. This platform is primarily for parents.
• Time sensitive information will be sent out by email, generally with a copy posted here. Usually I'll ask you to send a reply to acknowledge receipt: "got it", "vegetarian", "3 dogs and a cat" are the types of replies I'll be looking for. It just makes it easier for me to know who I need to contact further if necessary.
• Assignments on Google Classroom will be marked out of 3 for completion. I will not be posting "marks" on Classroom because that's not what I do.
• 0 - "handed in" blank or not at all
• 1 - something was handed in, but not the assignment
• 2 - the assignment was handed in, but could benefit from some additional effort
• 3 - handed in, thank you
• Emails you send to me will be responded to as quickly as I can. I'm not sure what my turn-around will be with our new way of doing things (might be quicker, might take longer, who knows?) Sometimes it will be a long and clever reply, other times it will be "ok, J." depending on my mood and the amount of time I have. Please don't take either one personally. 
• Your child will have a planner (agenda) that we will be writing in daily. Deadlines will be on the monthly calendar that we will be keeping in our binders (the stock one is too small), with reminders periodically popping up in the daily sections.

Here's what I'd like in return regarding communication:

• Please subscribe to my blog, and read it. Or at least look at the title and first sentence to know if you might be interested in reading the whole post.
• Acknowledge receipt of my emails. I know that my gmail will often have stock replies when I receive an email, and all I have to do is click it and done.
• Please go through your child's "to do" list on Google Classroom at least once per week to make sure that they are keeping up, and that they are handing in the assignments they've completed.
• Please email me with any questions you have. I'd rather deal with the sliver now than have to amputate the foot next month.
• Please respond to your child's daily entries in their planner.

What will our year look like?

I plan to save every fifth week for exploration, enrichment, and reinforcement. This will be a time for us to make sure that we REALLY understand what we've been learning over the previous 4 weeks, and to do some out-of-the-ordinary activities to keep life interesting. Some of these spicy little activities will be on a basis of merit - only students who are completely caught up on their work will have the opportunity for these bonus bits. 

We will have a strong focus on the "basics" this year. By the end of next year, our kiddos will need to be ready for high school, and nothing will help them be more prepared than a solid foundation of basic math facts, French and English grammar and spelling, and confidence to ask questions. 

I intend to have the majority of our work done at school, with time at home ear-marked for reading, additional project time, and pre-learning/reinforcement activities such as watching assigned videos or online programs like Khan Academy.

Although I usually like to jump into field trips right off the hop, there may not be any this year. I have to balance what is permitted with what I'm motivated to provide with what I'm able to manage. It makes me sad to have to restrict this fun and engaging part of my teaching practice, but safety and health must come first.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me by email jnielsen1<at>sd68<dot>bc<dot>ca (be careful of the spelling) or by phone at the school. Please complete this survey to access my cell phone number for educational emergencies.

I look forward to working with you this year.