Update Owl #4

Our last full week of remote only...hopefully!

If all goes well and as expected, this will be our last week of fully remote learning for a while (hopefully). Please tune in to tonight's school committee meeting to hear Dr. Maruszczak's decision about a definitive start for hybrid learning and the district's plan to keep students and staff safe. Here is a LINK to the 7:00 PM meeting.

The HYBRID Schedule

You can view our HYBRID schedule HERE. IF school starts next week as projected, Cohort One students will come to school on Tuesday and Wednesday and Cohort Two students will come to school on Thursday and Friday. The schedule for the first week back has been adjusted due to the long, holiday weekend. When there is not a holiday, Cohort One will meet on Mondays and Tuesdays and Cohort Two will meet on Thursdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, we will provide REMOTE instruction for all children in the morning and the students will work independently in the afternoon.

The MURSD Reentry Survey -
​The final decision for the first trimester

On September 28th, the superintendent sent out a LINK to a survey where families would make their FINAL decisions regarding remote or hybrid learning and busing. If you have not yet filled out this critical survey (it was due Oct. 1) please click HERE to do so. Your decision will be binding for the first trimester at the elementary level.

You spoke and the district listened!

Parents communicated that they would like a single go-to website to access important information and communications. The district has established a MURSD Reentry website. Honestly, as an educator and parent in the district (Marie), I think it is pretty fantastic. There is a Communication Hub there where you can access ANY email sent out of importance. This is great for parents like me who receive many communications and often can't find the ones I'm looking for. This site also posts all of our district's Covid-19 safety protocols as well as answers to frequently asked questions. Of great importance is the tech support section of this new website. There are videos to help you troubleshoot common problems and a way to access individualized support when the tips and tutorials are not enough. We really think this website will be a go-to for many families including mine. I've already added it to my favorites. You can access the site by clicking on this LINK.

STMath

The district was awarded a grant so that we can offer STMath to our students. I really despise most online math programs that market themselves as helping kids to acquire and practice new skills. Most, in my opinion, are little more than digital worksheets that induce an amazing amount of frustration and distaste for mathematics in our students. In my opinion, STMath is different. It truly helps students to develop a conceptual understanding of the math concepts taught at any given grade level. There are no directions. Children have to learn by noticing what is on the screen and taking risks. Sometimes (even for us) the only way to understand a new puzzle is to fail a few times. Making mistakes is definitely part of the learning process here.

​STMath has data to prove that it delivers on its promise to grow mathematical understanding in children BUT you have to use it for it to work. STMath is SMART. It will level your child up or down to ensure that he or she is challenged without becoming too frustrated. We have realtime access to student data as well and I can intervene when a child reaches his or her frustration point.

STMath Goals
We (the district) expect students to work on STMath for 90 minutes a week.
We (the professors) assign 20 minutes of STMath daily.
We expect students to complete a minimum of 35 puzzles a week.
You have easy access to your child's data by simply looking over his or her shoulder as he or she plays. Please don't hesitate to ask questions about your child's work in STMath. To learn more about STMath, click this LINK.