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Remote Learning Frequently Asked Questions
When will school start? The first day of school for 1st-7th grade is Monday, August 31st. Kindergarteners will begin on Tuesday, September 8th.
What school supplies do I need to purchase? The supply list is basic and can all be purchased for under $10. This year we are requesting that each student have the following available at home:
1. Sharpened pencils with erasers 2. Composition or spiral notebook 3. Small, 8×10 dry erase board with a dry erase marker (included with textbooks) 4. Crayons, colored pencils OR markers 5. Glue 6. Scissors 7. Ruler 8. Construction paper 9. Scientific calculator (4th-7th grade only) please purchase a basic version that can be found
at most Dollar Tree stores 10. Headset (optional but strongly encouraged)
What will online learning look like? Will there be live instruction throughout the day? Our remote learning plan will include the following:
● A blend of synchronous (live) instruction and asynchronous (not live) independent learning activities
● The school day will run from 8:15am-3:00pm and include morning meeting, reading, math, science, social studies, Spanish and one specialist (art, music, physical education or social-emotional learning) class for all students.
● Attendance is mandatory and students will receive grades each trimester.
● There will be options to complete some assignments at a preferred time outside of the school day to minimize the number of consecutive hours that students spend on the computer.
● We will provide some textbooks so that students can complete work without relying fully on technology. Specific details regarding the daily schedule will be provided prior to the start of school.
Are uniforms required? No. Students are not required to wear uniforms during remote learning. They are expected to be fully clothed in casual attire, with no inappropriate or offensive logos, symbols or language. If/when we shift to a hybrid model, students will not be required to wear uniforms this year.
My child still needs a Chromebook. We have a Chromebook available for every student, so if you have more than one student at home, we will give you an individual Chromebook for each of them. Distribution days will be held the week of August 24th for 1st-7th grade students. We will send an email to sign up once the times have been established.
I am concerned about the ability of my kindergartner to engage in online learning. We will hold tutorial sessions for families of incoming kindergarten students during the week of August 31st. The sessions will prepare new students and their parents to use the Chromebook and online learning tools. We will also provide a schedule for our younger students that includes smaller class sizes and allows for frequent breaks in between live sessions.
My child has an IEP. How will they receive special education services? Students with IEPs will continue to be supported by the Special Education team via Zoom. IEP meetings will also be held as regularly scheduled, and will be held through Zoom if necessary.
(1) There were too many links and messages during the spring. (2) I work a full-time job and will not be able to monitor my children’s online lessons. We will minimize the number of links that students need throughout the day and week in order to log onto classes. Parents will be able to log into Google Classroom to determine if students have completed assignments. Parents will also receive regular communication through Class Dojo from the classroom teacher regarding schedules and required work.
Will there be any resources/support for families with parents who have to work and can’t afford additional child care? The school will facilitate communication between families who are interested in creating learning pods at their homes. The school will not be involved in the organization of the pods, but we will be able to share contact information between parents as requested.
When will I know who my child’s teacher is? We are currently working on completing individual class lists and schedules. Once assigned, teachers will reach out to families with all information that is relevant to the start of the school year.
My child did not participate in online learning in the spring and I do not know how to log on to any of the programs. We will have pre-recorded videos and live sessions to support use of our online learning programs prior to the start of year. If you have any questions about technology use or have issues with the Chromebook, please email your concern to helpdesk@icswest.org.
Will after school programming be available? 21st Century will still be available, and will be run remotely if we are operating remotely during the day. Will we determine if other clubs will continue to operate remotely at a later date.
Notes regarding the hybrid model:
● When hybrid instruction begins, you will have the option to continue with remote instruction for your student if you choose to.
● When the hybrid model begins, we will have significantly reduced class sizes. Our current number is no more than 13 people in a room.
● View the ICS West Health and Safety Plan (HSP) on our website (www.icswest.org). The current version provides details on the work that is happening to ready for a safe return to school on November 30th. We will update the plan periodically as it continues to evolve. If you have any questions about the HSP, contact CEO Sean at seang@icswest.org.
Overview of Remote Learning
● The school day Monday-Thursday begins at 8:15am and ends at 3:00pm.
● Friday is half day from 8:15am-12:00pm. Students can also use Friday afternoon to complete any independent assignments that were not completed during the week.
● On average students in lower grades are live on zoom for 3-4 hours, and 4-5 hours for upper grades.
● The school day includes a mix of synchronous (live) instruction and asynchronous (not live and independent) practice.
● Grades K-2 are broken into small groups (pods) of 12-13 students.
● Instruction includes:
○ Daily Morning Meetings starting at 8:15am
○ Literacy, Math, Spanish, Science & Social Studies
○ One specialist class:
■ Kindergarten: Physical Education
■ 1st-2nd: Music
■ 3rd-4th: Social-emotional learning
■ 5th-7th: Art
● Google Classroom will be the primary platform for academic information.
● Attendance is mandatory.
● Students will receive grades.
● Teachers will communicate at least weekly via Class Dojo regarding learning goals and the schedule.
● You will receive your child’s class assignment (teacher & schedule) next week.
● See the 2nd page of this document for sample schedules.
SAMPLE SCHEDULES*
Sample K-2nd*
8:15 Morning Meeting
9-11
Sample 3rd-4th*
8:15 Morning Meeting
8:30 Math – Live
9:30 ELA – Live
10:30 Small Group Instruction
11:00 Science/ Soc St./ Writing
11:30 Spanish – Live
12:00 Special – Live
12:30 1:00 Lunch / Recess 1:30 Asynchronous
(Not Live) Independent Work and/or Special Education Services
Sample 5th-7th
8:15 Morning Meeting
Synchronous (Live)
8:30 ELA – Live Instruction Math & ELA Small Group Instruction
9:30 Science – Live
11-12 Lunch / Recess
12:00 Spanish – Live
10:30 Lunch/Break
11:00 Intervention – Small
Group Instruction
12:30 Special – Live
12:00 Social Studies – Live Asynchronous (Not Live)
1:00 Math – Live 1-3
Independent Work and/or Special Education Services
2:00
2:00 Spanish – Live
2:30 Specials – Live
2:30
*Some student schedules will have asynchronous or Special Education
services in the morning, and synchronous (live) instruction in the afternoon.
