Remote Learning Plan- Published today
Good afternoon,
By now many of you have seen the Westford Public Schools Remote Learning Plan. For the last dozen or so days I have been communicating with other school principal's throughout the State of Massachusetts. Every school leader is struggling to put the best program in place for our students and trying to move forward in a "normal" fashion in the most "abnormal" situation. These are unchartered waters.
The plan that was approved by the Westford School Committee last evening is a solid plan to move our students forward. Schools throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are using a similar plan. There is no "perfect plan" for this current situation. There are many positives moving forward. Students and teachers can begin to interact once again, beginning on April 6th. Teachers will record themselves posting 5-20 minute lessons with follow-up assignments for students each Monday. Office hours will be made available by regular education and special education teachers as well as counseling services. Our Guidance Department is hosting junior year meetings as I write this email. This is the norm for right now and we will work hard to get our students through this unprecedented time. Scary for sure, but nothing that we can't handle together!
This morning I attended a conference call through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), our accreditation organization. There were over 400+ participants from around the World on this conference call. All with the same questions. There were several takeaways from the call. One of the biggest takeaways was creating a schedule for your students. Create a quiet learning location within your home. Have students "chunk their time" at the computer. Looking at a computer for 6-8 hours is NOT what we want students to be doing. Make sure students take movement breaks. Fresh air does wonders for the brain. Students should be collaborating with their peers regarding what they are learning in classes. Google Meet is wonderful. All of my meetings have been through Google Meet (which is our platform) or Zoom. Google is our Learning Management System. My message is to look at the glass as "half-full" or even more! We have a plan and teachers are eager to do what they do best; teaching your children!
Moving forward I will continue to email periodically, however, I don't want to inundate you with emails. Starting Monday the email communication and other forms of communication are going to ramp up. Therefore, I will be posting informational updates on the website in the Principal's Corner under PARENTS. Any important updates I will be emailing all of you in my regular manner.
If you have questions regarding the plan, please feel free to email me. I will attempt to answer your question.
So many of you have sent me very positive emails and i greatly appreciate your support during this difficult time. My son is a first responder and I worry every day when he leaves my house and heads to the police department. Your kind words regarding my own health and the health of my family reaches my soul! Thank you! :-)
Stay healthy, stay safe, and continue to practice social distancing and remind your students as well.
Respectfully, Jim Antonelli