Shrewsbury Public Schools

Remote Learning During School Closure

 

Remote Learning at the Middle Level

 

General Guidelines

 

First and foremost, our efforts at the middle level are designed with flexibility as a key consideration. Although the Schoology platform is familiar to our students and families, we are all grappling with new challenges. As we transition to remote learning, teachers are committed to minimizing the pressure our students may be experiencing.

Accordingly, educators at the middle level have collaborated to develop the following shared expectations to guide our work with students and families: 

 

• Students are expected to check Schoology each weekday.  Teachers will push out assignments for each content area each week (one for Band/Chorus/Orchestra, or B/C/O).  Team teachers will work together to decide which days to post these in order to provide balance for students.
• The student day will be approximately 2-3 hours, consisting of 20-30 minutes of classwork for each content area per day.
• Teachers are expected to be “live” in some form at least three times a week according to the schedule below.  This will prevent students from having overlapping or conflicting classes.  Also it will help to account for shared teachers who teach in more than one building. During the “live” sessions, teachers will share expectations with students regarding the assignments they have given.
• “Live” could mean: Schoology conference, shared Google document, responding to a pre-recorded video, discussion board, live instruction, interactive office hours, and team activities. Educators will use their professional judgment to determine the format that works best for each session’s purpose.

 

Schedule

Students will continue to receive assignments in every subject area. This table depicts suggested learning times for children in grades 5-8:

Level	Total Learning Time / Day (all subjects/courses)
Grades 5-8	2-3 hours, including academics, PE, Art, Music, Health and community building

The schedule for students at the middle level is designed to accommodate the needs of educators that support students at both Sherwood and Oak:

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
11:30 - 11:50	Math Grade 7/8 ELA/Math Grade 5/6	ELA Grade 7/8 ELA/Math Grade    5/6	Office Hours: 5 AA/FL/BCO 7 and 8 Team	Science Grade 7/8   Science/Social Studies Grade 5/6	Social Studies Grade 7/8   Science/Social Studies Grade 5/6
11:50 - 12:10	BCO Grade 7	BCO Grade 8	Office Hours: 6 AA/FL/BCO 7 and 8 Team	Allied Arts Grade 7	Allied Arts Grade 8
12:10- 12:30	Allied Arts Grade 5	Allied Arts Grade 6	Office Hours :7 AA/FL/BCO 5 and 6 Team	Band, Chorus, Orchestra Grade 5	Band, Chorus, Orchestra Grade 6
12:30- 12:50	Foreign Lang Grade 6	Foreign Lang. Grade 7	Office Hours: 8 AA/FL/BCO 5 and 6 Team	Foreign Lang. Grade 8	Team Activity

AA = Allied Arts   B/C/O = Band, Chorus, Orchestra   FL = Foreign Language ELA = English Language Arts

Educators will organize activities to help students remain connected with their teachers and their team each week, as indicated in the schedule above. Additionally, each team will connect with educators in the Allied Arts, Foreign Language, and Special Education departments to make sure specialists are included.

 

What will interactive or “live” experiences look like at this level?

“Live” could mean: Schoology conference, shared Google document, pre-recorded video, discussion board, live instruction, interactive office hours, and team activities. Educators will use their professional judgment to determine the format that works best for a session’s purpose.

 

Assignments

• Assignments, along with due dates, will be posted in your COURSE in Schoology to maintain consistency for all content areas.  This will help students and families access work.
• At the middle school level, students enrolled in ELE English Language Arts classes will receive English Language Arts assignments from their English language teacher.
• Educators will follow-up with students who did not complete the assignment.
• Ways of following-up may include:
  • Emailing the student and the parents/caregiver.
  • Coordinating communication with grade-level administrators and/or adjustment counselors and specialists. 

Feedback

Families can expect that: 

• Teachers will provide feedback for each assignment submitted.  For example, level of accuracy, areas for revision, etc.
• Teachers can also provide whole group feedback ~ “I noticed on many of your assignments that…

 

Report Cards

• Cycle 4 will end on Friday, April 3, and Cycle 5 will begin on Monday, April 6th. 
• Report card grades and comments and IEP progress reports will be issued on April 15, 2020
• Instructions on how to access these online through the PowerSchool Parent Portal will be provided

 

Remote Learning Plans

Math, Science, English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Special Education teachers and Curriculum Coordinators have worked collaboratively to determine most important content for units and to plan lessons.  Teams and teachers will post assignments on Schoology.

 

Special Education & Student Supports

1. We recognize that Individual Education Plans (IEPs) cannot be implemented as written in a remote learning environment. However, special education and related services in a remote learning environment can occur in 2 ways:

a. Educators will provide supports & resources.

b.Educators will provide instruction and services.

2. Collaboration with students and families is vitally important to us. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns. For questions or concerns about special education, please contact  your child’s liaison or building Team Chair.

 

Please click here to view SPS Remote Learning for Families:  Middle/Grades 5-8