Dear Intermediate families,
Welcome Back! We are excited to start the new school year. Things may look a little different, but as always, Cheetahs Make It Happen! Read below for details on Back to School Night, the supply list, and other FUN distance learning information.
You are invited to our Back to School Night via Zoom on Thursday, August 20th at 7:00 pm. We will be covering all of the important information you will need to know for distance learning. There will be a New Parent Orientation for parents of 4th grade students on Wednesday August 26th at 7:00pm. All new families and any families interested in a refresher on research projects are encouraged to attend.
The supply list for distance learning is attached and will also be available on the Intermediate page of the website. These supplies are specifically for distance learning, but will also be necessary when we return to on-campus learning. We are willing and able to provide supplies that you are not able to find or need help purchasing. Please send us an email by the Meet and Greet on Monday August 17th so that we can make the supplies available for pick up.
Each student will need access to a computing device everyday for Zoom lessons and work completion. Families with more than one student will need more than one device. Our recommendation is that each student has access to their own device. Chromebooks will be available for pick up at Meet & Greet on Monday August 17th from 8:00am-12:00pm. Other pick up times will be communicated at a later date.
In accordance with the new distance learning requirements, Intermediate teachers will be providing students with four hours of school a day. This will be a combination of live lessons on Zoom and independent classwork. Students will interact with teachers and classmates everyday. Students will also have expectations for SSR, electives, and Fantastic Friday classes.
Live instruction for Intermediate will occur between the hours of 9:00am-1:00pm Monday through Thursday. Students will not have live instruction all day, but will have regularly scheduled meeting times throughout the day for lessons and class meetings. Teachers will be available for office hours and individual help by appointment everyday between 1:00pm and 3:00pm.
All work will be assigned and turned in on Google Classroom this year. Intermediate has created ACA II Google Suite email addresses for all Intermediate students. Students will be expected to use these email addresses to access their google classroom and communicate with teachers. Parents will be provided with the password to the student emails. These email addresses are managed by the teachers and they have access to all Google Suite settings associated with those emails.
Here are some helpful tips and reminders about setting up your students for success during distance learning:
Students need a quiet environment for Zoom lessons and independent work.
Zoom expectations will be discussed with students on the first day of school and reviewed at Back to School Night. Those expectations include being on time to lessons, wearing appropriate clothing, sitting up, staying alert, and limiting distractions (no pets or siblings in Zoom lessons).
Students will need help with organization. They will need a space for unfinished and finished work. They will be taking frequent notes in their spiral notebooks and will be using them for open-notes tests. They will also need help with turning in work to Google Classroom for the first few weeks.
We can’t wait to exercise all our lifeskills (especially flexibility) over the coming weeks. Remember, we are all in this together, and together, “Cheetahs Make It Happen!”
Best,
Intermediate Teachers
Miss Dubitsky, Mrs. Gonzalez, and Miss Albertoni