Welcome to Our Distance Learning Plan
INTRODUCTION
We are committed to making sure that students continue to experience the care and commitment of our faculty and the routine of daily learning, even in the event of school closure. We must acknowledge that our approach to distance learning cannot replicate the magic that happens when school is in regular session such as the invaluable social interactions and mediation, real-time, in-person feedback, community, and extracurricular events. However, we do contend that quality learning can occur from a distance.
The purpose of this document is to describe the actions Holy Family School staff will take to continue instruction in the event of a campus closure or parental choice. We endeavor in HFS LIVE to accomplish three goals PK–8 within a flexible framework:
It is our intention with HFS LIVE that we continue to live our mission, vision, and strategic plan, which together assert that we will consider the well-being and growth of the whole child. The act of creating this plan provides us with a unique opportunity to reinforce what we assert as a Catholic school grounded in faith, knowledge, and service.
If Holy Family School’s campus is closed and this plan is implemented, the principal will send email communications to both parents and faculty/staff announcing a timeline for implementation. An exact date will be designated when distance learning will begin for Holy Family students.
If school is open, this plan will be available for any students who need it based on parental choice. Students will be able to see and interact with their classrooms during in-person instruction each day. Distance instruction in the fall will be different than it was in the spring in that students will be participating remotely in their classes according to a consistent school schedule. Depending upon your child’s grade level there will be some classes that we will require students to participate in “live” (i.e., as the class is taking place). Other classes can be viewed at a later time in order to accommodate each student’s abilities and family’s schedule.
The principal will periodically send email updates to parents and faculty/staff apprising them of any pertinent information about when Holy Family School might reopen for regular classes. As with the decision to close campus, the decision to reopen school for regular classes will be made with close consultation with the Archdiocese of Seattle, Pastor, School Commission and Department of Health.
We hope that implementation of this plan will not have to be put into place very often. However, in the event of school closure, it is important to describe Holy Family School’s approach to distance learning, the channels we will use for communication, the online platforms we will employ by grade, the roles, responsibilities, and expectations Holy Family School has for staff, parents, and students, guidelines for how parents/guardians can support their children’s learning, and a host of other priorities and considerations tailored to make the best of challenging circumstances.
One of the goals of HFS LIVE is to ensure equity. This includes doing our best to provide students with devices if they do not have access to a computer at home. We also will be happy to help families access online tutorials as we are able to through email and phone contacts. While we will not be able to help families troubleshoot all problems, we will do our best to make sure all students have equitable access where we have control.
We are committed to making sure that students continue to experience the care and commitment of our faculty and the routine of daily learning, even in the event of school closure. We must acknowledge that our approach to distance learning cannot replicate the magic that happens when school is in regular session such as the invaluable social interactions and mediation, real-time, in-person feedback, community, and extracurricular events. However, we do contend that quality learning can occur from a distance.
The purpose of this document is to describe the actions Holy Family School staff will take to continue instruction in the event of a campus closure or parental choice. We endeavor in HFS LIVE to accomplish three goals PK–8 within a flexible framework:
- Live Student-Teacher Contact Time on a Set Schedule
- Online Content Delivery
- Online Monitoring of Student Progress/Student Assessment
It is our intention with HFS LIVE that we continue to live our mission, vision, and strategic plan, which together assert that we will consider the well-being and growth of the whole child. The act of creating this plan provides us with a unique opportunity to reinforce what we assert as a Catholic school grounded in faith, knowledge, and service.
If Holy Family School’s campus is closed and this plan is implemented, the principal will send email communications to both parents and faculty/staff announcing a timeline for implementation. An exact date will be designated when distance learning will begin for Holy Family students.
If school is open, this plan will be available for any students who need it based on parental choice. Students will be able to see and interact with their classrooms during in-person instruction each day. Distance instruction in the fall will be different than it was in the spring in that students will be participating remotely in their classes according to a consistent school schedule. Depending upon your child’s grade level there will be some classes that we will require students to participate in “live” (i.e., as the class is taking place). Other classes can be viewed at a later time in order to accommodate each student’s abilities and family’s schedule.
The principal will periodically send email updates to parents and faculty/staff apprising them of any pertinent information about when Holy Family School might reopen for regular classes. As with the decision to close campus, the decision to reopen school for regular classes will be made with close consultation with the Archdiocese of Seattle, Pastor, School Commission and Department of Health.
We hope that implementation of this plan will not have to be put into place very often. However, in the event of school closure, it is important to describe Holy Family School’s approach to distance learning, the channels we will use for communication, the online platforms we will employ by grade, the roles, responsibilities, and expectations Holy Family School has for staff, parents, and students, guidelines for how parents/guardians can support their children’s learning, and a host of other priorities and considerations tailored to make the best of challenging circumstances.
One of the goals of HFS LIVE is to ensure equity. This includes doing our best to provide students with devices if they do not have access to a computer at home. We also will be happy to help families access online tutorials as we are able to through email and phone contacts. While we will not be able to help families troubleshoot all problems, we will do our best to make sure all students have equitable access where we have control.
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TECHNOLOGY
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Nine Distance Learning Guidelines for TeachersThe transition to distance learning is not simple or easy. Teachers need to think differently about how to communicate, give instruction, and provide feedback, how to design lessons and assignments that are authentic and meaningful, and how to ensure students continue to collaborate and communicate with others. The eight guidelines provided below are intended to help teachers across all grade levels reflect on challenges they will confront in shifting to distance learning.
1 — At Holy Family School, we know our students, and they know we care. Our commitment is to nurture relationships and demonstrate deep care for our students and one another. In the event of a crisis that leads to implementation of this plan, your students may be stressed or worried. Before diving into the curriculum, take the time to assess your students’ mental, physical, and emotional well-being. How are they doing? How are their families? 2 — Evaluate your students’ conditions for distance learning. While most students will have reliable online access at home and the necessary devices to shift to distance learning, others will not. Teachers should remember that each family’s circumstances will vary, and they should avoid assumptions about limitations or restrictions students are facing. Ask your students and/or their parents whether their online access is reliable and what devices the student has at their disposal. Open a dialogue with students and families and avoid assumptions that all students’ circumstances are the same. 3 — Stick with the familiar. Especially in the first weeks after moving to HFS LIVE, teachers should continue using existing communication channels and learning management systems. In other words, stick with what is familiar to your students. Teachers should remember that while many students will thrive with distance learning, others will struggle. In the event that the school remains closed for a longer period of time, it may become necessary to explore new or different learning platforms that provide different experiences. 4 — Less is more. Should Holy Family School implement this plan, one challenge confronting teachers will be how to best streamline content and elevate the most essential learning for students. In other words, teachers need to take a less-is-more perspective, including the pacing of lessons and volume of assignments and assessments. It can also be hard to know exactly how long school closure might last, which makes longer-term planning difficult. 5 — Seize the moment; embrace new opportunities and possibilities for your students. Years or decades from now, how will your students remember the emergency that resulted in school closure? While distance learning should attempt to bring some normalcy and routine to students’ lives, teachers should not ignore the opportunities resulting from school closure either. Teachers might require students to keep a daily journal or diary for the duration of the crisis. Personal journaling, weekly check-ins, and/or other creative writing assignments can help students process their thoughts, worries, and emotions, particularly in times of crisis. Students might use other media as well, including video, drawing, painting, and music. Moreover, the crisis might also provide other real-life opportunities to study scientific phenomena associated with the crisis, and media/government responses. 6 — Design asynchronous learning experiences. When school is closed and students are learning from various locations, teachers can still connect them asynchronously (not all students at the same time). For example, HFS teachers can use familiar discussion forums/thread or tools to allow for student responses and dialogue during a set time period, knowing that students might not all be online at the same exact time. 7 — Design synchronous learning experiences. When it comes to student engagement and learning, relationships matter as much online as they do in person. If Holy Family School’s campus were to be closed, students will be able to gather for synchronous learning times via Zoom, an online video conferencing platform, or other online platforms. Collaboration remains important and there are many ways teachers can foster it through synchronous (all students at the same time) learning. This is a time for instruction, discussion, class meetings, sharing, show and tell, and more. Synchronous live instruction will be provided on a set schedule. Teachers will be expected to connect with their students daily. 8 — Think differently about assessment. Assessment is one of the most challenging adjustments for teachers new to online learning. Distance learning should be seen as an opportunity for students, individually or collaboratively, to complete writing assignments, design infographics, make video presentations, or complete oral assessments via video chat. Teachers are encouraged to think differently about the frequency and end goal of assessment instead of forcing a traditional assessment method that does not fit distance learning. Students who actively participate in HFS LIVE will have the opportunity to improve their grades. If a student is not participating in school during distance learning, they could be placed on academic probation which would require improvement over a six week period. Thinking differently about assessment will positively influence the experience for students, leverage the strengths of distance learning, and prevent frustration on the teacher’s part when traditional methods do not work. 9 — Meet the unique communication needs of distance learning. As teachers, students, and families adjust to the challenges and opportunities that distance learning presents, it will be critical to make school-home communication a top priority. We are partners in the education of our students, and a distance learning situation will emphasize this reality. The school administration will continue connecting with families via regular communication modalities (Weekly email, website, etc.) and will work with teachers to establish protocols and guidelines for communication-related to instruction and student learning. Conferences on the school calendar will proceed, using remote platforms, to the extent possible. Teachers will utilize Chalk in grades 4-8, Progress Report and Report Card comments, and other opportunities (“Office Hours,” Google Classroom check-ins, phone or Zoom calls, etc.) to communicate about individual student progress during distance learning, with the awareness that learning is happening in different ways and may require additional explanation and check-ins with individual students. All one to one video conferencing will need both parents' permission and will be recorded. All families in agreement with one to one video conferencing will sign the required a digital authorization form. The guidelines above are modeled directly on the DLP of the American International School of Japan, ‘Iolani School, St. Luke’s School and Holy Family Bilingual School with our gratitude.Distance Learning for ParentsThe intent of HFS LIVE is to continue living our mission as a Catholic school grounded in faith, knowledge, and service. In addition to providing remote education, we value the well-being and growth of the whole child. Here are a few things you can do to support your student during our transition to remote learning:
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Digital Authorization Form | All Students
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