January 3rd, 2021

Dear Janet Metcalfe Families, 

 

As outlined in the WRDSB’s December 22 Update for WRDSB Families on Return to Learning in 2021,  starting January 4, 2021, our elementary students will begin the new year learning virtually from home and our schools will be closed to students during this time. Elementary school students are scheduled to return to in-person learning on January 11, 2021.

What you can expect during the week of January 4-8, 2021

Students Currently enrolled in In-Person Learning

For those students currently engaged in in-person learning, their learning will continue virtually from home. 

Monday January 4

On Monday January 4th our staff will be engaged in planning for the upcoming week as well as providing some synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities. 

Students and families can expect the following:

  • Teachers will engage synchronously with their students to review learning objectives for the week via Google Meet or an individual phone call
  • Teachers will also be connecting with students and families to determine which students prefer to engage in tech-free learning
  • Teachers will post a curriculum activity for students in their Google Classroom that students are able to navigate more independently. 
  • Families are also encouraged to visit wrdsb@home on Monday for additional learning activities 

Tuesday, January 5 to Friday, January 8

Starting Tuesday, January 5, and continuing through Friday, January 8 students and families can expect the following:

  • Teachers will be providing instruction to our students following our Janet Metcalfe bell times. This will include synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities. 
    • School day starts at 9:10 a.m.
    • Nutrition Break 1 at 11:10am- 11:50am 
    • Nutrition Break 2 at 1:50pm- 2:30pm
    • School day ends at 3:30 p.m.
  • Teachers will be providing an outline of the learning day to students and families on Monday, January 4 through a Google Meet or an individual phone call.
  • As they would be in face-to-face instruction, teachers will be available to students at all times during the teachers’ assigned timetables

As always, please reach out to your child’s teacher via email starting Monday, January 4, should you have any questions.

Support for Students with Special Education Needs

Our Special Education support staff will continue to support students with special education needs throughout the week. Given the virtual environment, this will of course look a bit different; however, our special education team has become very adept at providing support virtually and will be actively assisting our students throughout the week.

Families who have a student who does not have access to a device at home

Please email the school at jme@wrdsb.ca to request a device. If your family does not have an email account you can call and leave a message at the school (519-514-0105).

Please ensure you provide the following information:

  • child’s name
  • grade
  • classroom teacher
  • a contact number. 

Our office staff  will reach out to those families who have requested devices and will provide direction as to time and location for pick-up. We will begin distributing devices to those families who require them starting Monday, January 4th.

Students and Families who wish to Prefer a “Tech Free” Learning Environment

On Monday, January 4, homeroom teachers will be connecting with students and families. Families are encouraged to share this preference with their child’s teacher. “Tech free” learning may consist of the following:

  • Daily check ins from teaching staff (this may not be the student’s homeroom teacher) via google meet or phone call
  • Due to the short time period, learning packages will not be sent home and the focus will be on teachers assigning learning opportunities that can be pursued in the home, for example:
    • During the daily check in, a teacher may spend time discussing a favourite book the child has at home and/or encouraging them to read a book, short story or newspaper article and write a summary or reflection or response. 
    • Students may be encouraged to analyze, compare or  contrast this story/book/article to another. 
    • For Mathematics, teachers may assign creative learning tasks for students to engage in at home; for example, estimation, measurement, number sense activities

Attendance

As is our normal practice, should your child be absent from online or tech-free learning, please call or email the school to report their absence.

Students Currently Enrolled in Distance Learning Program

For students who are currently in the Distance Learning Program, students will continue with their normal schedule. However, given these unique circumstances, teachers may not be able to teach a fully synchronous day as they typically would. In these situations, our teachers will be reaching out to families to let you know of any changes to student Distance Learning timetables.

As always, we want to thank you for your support as we continue to work through these challenging times to provide the best possible learning opportunities for our students. We have a wonderful staff at Janet Metcalfe that have been, and will continue to be, working hard to support each and every one of our students.

 

Janet Hale                              Karen Madsen

Principal                                 Vice Principal

Janet Metcalfe P. S.               Janet Metcalfe P. S.