Category: Skylert

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COVID-19 Skylert

Virtual Learning Instructions, Musical Announcement

Elk Ridge Parents & Students,

Thank you for your patience as we work through yet another COVID-driven change. We are making every effort to keep things as simple and unchanged as we can for students.

While we are learning virtually until Thanksgiving Break, three things are most important:

  1. The Bell Schedule Stays the Same
    1. Students will follow the same bell schedule as they normally would – including lunches.
  2. All Coursework and Videos Can Be Accessed Via Canvas
    1. Even if the course uses another platform, access to video links and any secondary platform will be linked in Canvas.
  3. Exposure Notifications & Quarantines Will Be Sent Via Email
    1. We will continue to have positive cases reported by the health department, and will trace those cases if the student was in school while positive. Notifications will be sent via email, so please check your spam folder. All notifications will come from curtis.jenson@jordandistrict.org

More detailed information on each of those things, including free rapid COVID testing, can be found below. Please also do what you can to slow the spread of COVID in our school community so that we can return to in-person learning as soon as possible.

Musical Announcement

The announcement of this year’s musical is coming tonight! Check this page later this evening to find out what it will be, and thank you to Mrs. Schmidt and her dedication to finding creative ways to ensure our students are able to participate in one of Elk Ridge’s greatest traditions!

Bell Schedule and Attendance

Students will access class at the normal time via Canvas. Attendance will be taken.

Accessing Courses Virtually

All courses will have a link to the video in the actual Canvas classroom at the top of the main page of each class. If you can’t access a class, contact the school. Students should plan to go to their class in Canvas each day for instructions and the link to class video calls. Students know how to do this.

Teachers will be live with class each day at the scheduled time via the video at the regular class time. While the whole time will usually not be in the video call, they will start each class checking in live. 

Please be patient the first day of class on Monday as we set up calls and links and work out technical issues. If you have issues, reach out to your teacher or call the school and we’ll help you get connected. Again, students have been trained for weeks in how to access their courses and materials in Canvas and they know where to go and how to get there. If we hit bumps, we’ll work with you to iron them out.

Exposure, Quarantine and Testing

Exposure notifications will be sent via email, but you are welcome to call if you have questions. Information regarding free rapid testing, quarantine protocol, etc. will be included in the notification. If you have any questions about an exposure that happened at school, please let us know. We can’t name the exposure or say which class, but can relay the date and whether or not it was a masked exposure.

Lunch Offerings

Elk Ridge offers curbside lunch for virtual students throughout the districtall year, and that is offered between 11 am and 12 pm on the west side of the school. If students are attending virtual classes, parents are able to pick up meals without the student present. 

If your student plans to eat school lunch between now and Thanksgiving, and won’t be able to pick it up between 11 am and 12 pm because they are in class virtually, email holly.taylor@jordandistrict.org to ensure we know to plan another time for pickup. This will mainly apply to students on A or D lunch eating school lunch that plan to walk to school to pick it up. We’ll do whatever we need to do to make sure they can eat.

Staying Sane at Home

The Jordan Health and Wellness team has put together a great bunch of resources to help keep you well while we’re learning from home. Visit the COVID Health and Wellness page for tips, resources, and more!

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COVID-19 Skylert

Shift to Virtual Learning – No School Thurs, Nov 12

Dear Parents and Guardians,

A dramatic increase in active cases of COVID-19 has been identified within Elk Ridge Middle School.

After discussing the circumstances in an emergency Board meeting, the Jordan School District Board of Education has determined that it is necessary for Elk Ridge Middle School to move to online, virtual learning for two weeks beginning Monday, November 16. 

To allow students and staff time to prepare for online learning, there will be no in-person or virtual classes tomorrow, Thursday, November 12. This includes staff, although staff may choose to come into the building as long as social distancing can be observed.

Friday the 13th will be a normal Friday with buses for students who have appointments with teachers. Friday the 20th will be completely virtual.

School will continue for students on a virtual learning schedule Monday, November 16 through November 30, with Fridays continuing to be primarily for instructional activities that build on concepts covered during the week, and focusing on intervention and enrichment.

From now until November 30, Mondays through Thursdays will follow a synchronous schedule. This means students should plan on logging in to class at the normal class time based on our current bell schedule. Students have been taught how to access each class virtually over the past few weeks.

Breakfast and lunch will still be available on a grab-and-go basis on the west side of the school during normal breakfast and lunch times based on the current bell schedule. This may be adjusted in the future depending on demand.

In general, students will not be allowed in the building beginning Thursday, November 12. Exceptions such as Friday, Nov. 13th by appointment may be made as situations arise, but efforts will be made to hold meetings virtually whenever possible.

COVID-19 case counts at all schools and buildings in the District can be found on the Jordan COVID-19 Dashboard. The dashboard can be accessed at movingforward.jordandistrict.org

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COVID-19 Skylert

Emergency Board Meeting

An increase in active cases of COVID-19 has been identified within the following schools:

  • Copper Mountain Middle 
  • Elk Ridge Middle 
  • Fort Herriman Middle 
  • Hidden Valley Middle 
  • Mountain Creek Middle 
  • Oquirrh Hills Middle 
  • South Jordan Middle 
  • Sunset Ridge Middle 
  • West Hills Middle
  • West Jordan Middle 
  • Bingham High
  • Herriman High
  • Mountain Ridge High
  • Riverton High
  • West Jordan High

According to a plan approved by the Jordan Board of Education when there is a COVID-19 outbreak, board members will hold an emergency business meeting to discuss possible action. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 11, 2020, starting at 5 p.m. Patrons may view the general session online at youtube.com/user/jordanschooldistrict/live.

The Board does not anticipate taking public comments during this meeting. However, they welcome written comments submitted prior to the meeting. If you wish to provide input, please submit written comments to the Board member that represents the area in which you live. Board member email addresses can be found on the Board of Education Members page.

If you do not know the Board member that represents your area, that information is available on the Board of Education Voting Districts page.

Below is the meeting agenda.

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COVID-19 Skylert Wally the Wapiti

Skylert: Halloween Costumes and Contest

Halloween Festivities

With Halloween on a Saturday, we’ll be celebrating it on the last in-person day of school tomorrow. We are excited to celebrate and want to review the activities and guidelines that will apply. Students should be aware of the guidelines, and we can’t wait to see their costumes!


Activities

  • A school-wide, live trivia game during 2nd period. Your teachers have the link.
  • An in-person and virtual costume contest. We’ll have a photo booth at lunch, and a vote via Google Form on Friday. The vote will come through your school email, and you can submit your costume pics here

 Guidelines for Costumes

  • Must follow current dress code (district policy AA419)
  • Specifically:
    • No weapons or imitation weapons permitted.
    • Face coverings per current governor order required. Full face masks will not be allowed.
    • Makeup must be done in moderation and not interfere with the wearing of a regularly-required face covering. Avoid fake gore.
    • If you wear a hat with your costume, it must not get in the way of the learning of others or otherwise create a distraction.
  • Be tasteful and not extreme or disruptive to the daily school routines
  • If you’re not sure it’s allowed, it’s probably easiest to just not wear it. If you’re not sure, find an administration

Negative Test Results

If your student is quarantined going forward and wants to return after 7 days from the date of exposure, the following must apply:

  • The exposure must have been when both students were wearing masks (noted in quarantine email)
  • The student must have a negative COVID test administered on the 7th day or later from the last date of exposure
  • The student must bring a printed copy of the results that includes ALL of the following:
    • Student Name
    • Date of Test Administration (on 7th day after last exposure or later)
    • Notice of Negative Result

All negative results will be verified with the health department, but students will be allowed to return with the printout of results while we wait for verification. We are told that screenshots of results are no longer acceptable. More info on the new quarantine procedures can be found here.

Teen Health Summit

Register now for the (virtual) Teen Health Summit! For teens led by teens, sponsored by the Salt Lake County Health Dept. Empowering teens to build resilience and foster healthy community connections through: health and wellness, digital citizenship, and advocacy and activism. Everyone receives a $25 Gift Card for attending! November 7, 14, and 21 from 10:00-1:15. Register at https://slco.org/health/teens/

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COVID-19 Skylert Wally the Wapiti

Skylert: Negative COVID Tests, Community Council

Fall Break and End of 1st Quarter

First quarter ends tomorrow and Fall Break is next week, October 19th – 23rd. The 26th is also a no-school day for students for grade transmittal. Have a safe, well-deserved break!

Negative Test Results

If your student has been on quarantine and wants to return after 7 days, the following must apply:

  • The exposure must have been when both students were wearing masks (noted in quarantine email)
  • The student must have a negative COVID test administered on the 7th day or later from the last date of exposure
  • The student must bring a printed copy of the results that includes ALL of the following:
    • Student Name
    • Date of Test Administration (on 7th day after last exposure or later)
    • Notice of Negative Result

All negative results will be verified with the health department, but students will be allowed to return with the printout of results while we wait for verification. We are told that screenshots of results are no longer acceptable. More info on the new quarantine procedures can be found here.

Chromebook Sleeves

In order to minimize damage to Chromebooks, all students are being provided a Chromebook sleeve this week during their 1st period class. Virtual students can pick them up tomorrow, October 16th, from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm.

Extra Memory Books for Sale

We have a few extra memory books. If you would like to purchase one, come to the school tomorrow, October 16th for $25.00 between 9:30 am- 12:30 pm There is a limited supply.

Community Council Meeting

Our first community council meeting will be held on October 28th at 4 pm via Zoom. A link will be posted on our website and sent out via Skylert. If you have any questions or topics, please let us know and we’ll make sure it’s on the agenda.

Managing Quarantine Expectations & Opting to Self-Quarantine

We make every effort to keep students caught up when they are out on quarantine, and good communication is at the heart of quarantine success. But it’s definitely not as good as being here or being in a class actually designed for virtual instruction. It is intended to be a short-term solution and not a replacement for in-person or online instruction. Our goal is to lessen how behind a student is when they return, and to include them in the in-person class as much as possible. That said, it’s the splint and not the cast, and your student is still enrolled in an in-person class. 

If you are opting to keep your student out for self-isolation longer than a normal quarantine, please keep in mind that quarantine is meant to be a short-term solution, and while we will do what we can to involve them, it’s designed to hold students over and not to replace the in-person class.

Quarantine Schoolwork Point of Contact

If you have been out on quarantine, you probably already know this, but Lisa Hogan is our point of contact for schoolwork help and questions when on quarantine. She can connect you with teachers, counselors and more, and will be keeping tabs on you until you can come back.

Quarantine Process at ERMS

We get a lot of questions about symptoms and quarantine. If you have any questions, feel free to use this tool to see current guidelines we have from the health department and quarantine types specific to your situation. We use a modified version of this tool when determining exposure and length of quarantine. This tool is for your information only and does not collect any data. Please contact the school if you have symptoms or confirmed exposure to a positive COVID case.

Stress and Anxiety Group

Feeling stressed out or anxious? We want to help! Let one of our counselors know and we’ll make sure we connect you with resources and others that can support you.

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COVID-19 PTSA Skylert Wally the Wapiti

Skylert: Swag, Retakes, Red Ribbon Week

School Masks & Shirts

With the Wapiti Store not an option for the foreseeable future, we’ve decided to use those resources to provide students with either an Elk Ridge mask or water bottle, and a shirt. For those students who are learning from home, either full-time or just while on quarantine, we’ll have an official pickup time this Friday, Oct 9th from 10 – 11 am just inside the front door. If you miss that window for some reason, just let us know in the main office.

It’s Red Ribbon Week!

Red Ribbon Week starts today, and our PTSA has a lot of excitement in store. To get in on the fun, follow this Instagram account. Red Ribbon week runs from 10/5 to 10/9. The theme is “We’ll get through this together.” Each day has a different activity:

  • Monday: Don’t go crazy on social media (Crazy Sock Day)
  • Tuesday: Together we can do hard things (Dress Like Twins Day)
  • Wednesday: Team kindness (Team Jersey Day)
  • Thursday: It’s a great day to be a Wapiti! (Wapiti Gear Day)

Take a picture dressed in each day’s theme and tag @elkridge_redribbon on Instagram to be entered to win cool prizes!

Picture Retakes (Including Virtual Students)

Retakes for student pictures will take place on October 7th from 8 – 9 am. For those coming from home, just stop by the main office upon arriving. The order form can be found here and in the main office. You can order them online using this Picture Day ID: EVTG2DGJR

District Virtual Change Requests due Oct. 6th

If you are hoping to move from virtual to in-person or from in-person to virtual, you must submit that request in Skyward by Oct. 6th. Instructions were emailed out, and can be found here. 

Space for such moves will be extremely limited, and will be based within the existing virtual learning staffing and framework established by the district.

Community Council Nominations and Vote

We will hold a vote next week via Skylert if needed. You can nominate people here, and get more information on the school community council here.

Managing Quarantine Expectations & Opting to Self-Quarantine

We make every effort to keep students caught up when they are out on quarantine, and good communication is at the heart of quarantine success. But it’s definitely not as good as being here or being in a class actually designed for virtual instruction. It is intended to be a short-term solution and not a replacement for in-person or online instruction. Our goal is to lessen how behind a student is when they return, and to include them in the in-person class as much as possible. That said, it’s the splint and not the cast, and your student is still enrolled in an in-person class. 

If you are opting to keep your student out for self-isolation longer than a normal quarantine, please keep in mind that quarantine is meant to be a short-term solution, and while we will do what we can to involve them, it’s designed to hold students over and not to replace the in-person class.

Chalk Art Festival

Our Chalk Art Festival will be happening on Friday, October 9th, and students can participate in person or from home. Applications for in-person and online participants can be found here. In-person participant applications were due to Mrs. Gonzales by October 1st. Contact her if you are still interested in participating in any form.

Quarantine Schoolwork Point of Contact

If you have been out on quarantine, you probably already know this, but Lisa Hogan is our point of contact for schoolwork help and questions when on quarantine. She can connect you with teachers, counselors and more, and will be keeping tabs on you until you can come back.

Quarantine Process at ERMS

We get a lot of questions about symptoms and quarantine. If you have any questions, feel free to use this tool to see current guidelines we have from the health department and quarantine types specific to your situation. We use a modified version of this tool when determining exposure and length of quarantine. This tool is for your information only and does not collect any data. Please contact the school if you have symptoms or confirmed exposure to a positive COVID case.

Stress and Anxiety Group

Feeling stressed out or anxious? We want to help! Let one of our counselors know and we’ll make sure we connect you with resources and others that can support you.

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COVID-19 PTC's PTSA Skylert Wally the Wapiti

Skylert: Community Council, Red Ribbon Week

PTC Survey

Now that parent-teacher conferences are over, we want to know how it went and what we can do to improve communication. If you could take this brief survey, we’d love your feedback!

Community Council Nominations

Would you like to be involved in the big picture planning at Elk Ridge? If you or someone you know would like to join, let us know using this form. Depending on interest, we’ll send out a voting form once nominees are confirmed. Thanks for you nominations in advance!

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week starts next Monday, and our PTSA has a lot of excitement in store. To get in on the fun, follow this Instagram account. Red Ribbon week runs from 10/5 to 10/9.

Picture Retakes 

Retakes for student pictures will take place on October 7th. More information to come.

Chalk Art Festival

Our Chalk Art Festival will be happening on October 9th, and students can participate in person or from home. Applications for in-person and online participants can be found here. In-person participant applications are due to Mrs. Gonzales by October 1st at 3 pm.

Quarantine Process at ERMS

We get a lot of questions about symptoms and quarantine. If you have any questions, feel free to use this tool to see current guidelines we have from the health department and quarantine types specific to your situation. We use a modified version of this tool when determining exposure and length of quarantine. This tool is for your information only and does not collect any data. Please contact the school if you have symptoms or confirmed exposure to a positive COVID case.

Stress and Anxiety Group

Feeling stressed out or anxious? We want to help! Let one of our counselors know and we’ll make sure we connect you with resources and others that can support you.

Categories
COVID-19 PTC's Skylert Wally the Wapiti

Schedule a Parent-Teacher Conference

UPDATE: If you are having issues entering the meeting, please go back to the Zoom link list and try again. A few links required passcodes and have been fixed.

Parent-teacher conferences are this week, and will be held virtually. We appreciate your patience with another new process. By the end of this school year, we’ll be capable of so much more than we ever thought possible.

Important Note: Meetings with teachers don’t have to just happen now during the conference, and are not required. If you ever want to meet with a teacher, just email or call to set up a time. We want meaningful, two-way communication and we’ll take it whenever it works for you.

Another Important Note: We ask that appointments be kept to around 5 minutes. If you need a meeting with a teacher that will take longer than that, please reach out to the teacher directly.

One Last Important Note: If the technology doesn’t work on your end or ours, don’t panic. We’ll figure it out and schedule it once it does. Just let the teacher know.

For students in virtual classes, visit this sheet for Zoom meeting links and information. All in-person students should follow these steps:

Step 1: Video Recaps

With conferences, there is often a lot of information that applies to the whole class. Each teacher has made a video of what’s happening in their classes for you to view prior to scheduling an appointment.

Video Recaps

If you still have a question after viewing the video recap for a particular teacher, move on to Step 2.

Step 2: Schedule an Appointment

If you still have questions or something to discuss with a teacher, use the button below to book an appointment. Teachers will be primarily available:

  • Wednesday from 4 – 8 pm
  • Thursday from 4 – 7:30 pm
  • Additional times vary by teacher
Schedule an Appointment

Keep in mind that appointment slots may fill up quickly. It’s okay. If you are unable to find an appointment slot that works for you, please contact the teacher to set up an appointment. Communication can happen all year, and at almost any time.

Step 3: Join the Meeting

When your appointment time arrives, go back to the sheet where you signed up for the appointment to click the Zoom link for that teacher.

Join a Zoom Meeting

You will enter a waiting room where the teacher will be able to see who is waiting and bring you into a private meeting at your scheduled time. Drop-ins are accepted, but only if an appointment hasn’t shown or no one signed up for the slot.

Step 4: That’s It

Really, that’s all. And not to sound like a broken record, but if you don’t get the time you need or the technology breaks, just let us know and we’ll get you in touch with the teacher. Our goal is to communicate with you about your student to whatever degree is needed, so just reach out and we’ll get it figured out.

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COVID-19 PTC's PTSA Skylert

Skylert: Scheduling Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences Update

Parent-teacher conferences are September 23rd and 24th, although some teachers have opened up more availability. Due to COVID-19, conferences will be held virtually this year. Visit this page or our website for detailed instructions and links. The process is basically this:

  1. Review recap videos from teachers (available Monday afternoon) for general information about each class
  2. If you need to meet with a teacher, make an appointment (links on the website Monday afternoon)
  3. At the time of your appointment, connect via Zoom.

While drop-in conferences are possible between 4-8 pm on Wednesday and 4-7:30 pm on Thursday, an appointment ensures the teacher is available. If you are unable to connect with a teacher for any reason, please contact the teacher to set up a time to meet. Our goal is meaningful two-way communication, so please reach out if this format doesn’t work for any reason.

Since PTC appointments are managed by Google, you may have to enter your email address and password to access the calendar. This will allow you to make an appointment and be sent an email reminder.

In order to meet with as many parents as possible, we are asking that meetings be longer than 5 minutes. Please also only set up an appointment if you need to speak to the teacher live and email or phone communication that happens normally won’t suffice. As a reminder, you are always able to set up an appointment to call, email or video conference with a teacher, regardless of the time of year. Again, visit this page for information from your teachers for appointment and Zoom links for this week’s conference.

Curbside Lunch/Breakfast Service

Elk Ridge, along with South Hills and Joel P. Jensen, will be offering curbside and walk-up lunch/breakfast to-go meals for any JSD students regardless of grade level who are attending school virtually.

Prepared meals (lunch today, breakfast tomorrow) will be available in front of the school from 10-11 am. As with in-person lunches, all meals for students will be free of charge through the remainder of 2020. Menu options will vary based on what is being served in school each day. Students attending in-person should eat at the regular time in the cafeteria.

PTSA Ambassador Application Deadline Extended

You can now submit your application to the PTSA Ambassadors until September 24th. It’s a great way to get involved and serve others. Talk to Kimberly Gilbert with any questions.

PTSA Newsletter & Reflections Contest

Our PTSA Fall Newsletter and annual Reflections contest are now live. Visit this link to view the newsletter and get information on the contest.

Quarantine and Symptom Check Online Tool

We get a lot of questions about symptoms and quarantine. If you have any questions, feel free to use this tool to see current guidelines we have from the health department and quarantine types specific to your situation. We use a modified version of this tool when determining exposure and length of quarantine. This tool is for your information only and does not collect any data. Please contact the school if you have symptoms or confirmed exposure to a positive COVID case.

Stress and Anxiety Group

Feeling stressed out or anxious? We want to help! Let one of our counselors know and we’ll make sure we connect you with resources and others that can support you.

Categories
COVID-19 PTSA Skylert Wally the Wapiti

Skylert: Parent Conferences, Curbside Lunch

Parent-Teacher Conferences Update

Parent-teacher conferences are September 23rd and 24th. Due to COVID-19, conferences will be held virtually this year. We will send out more information on Monday and post it on our website, but here are the basic steps for you as a parent:

  1. Review recap videos from teachers (available Monday afternoon) for general information about each class
  2. If you need to meet with a teacher, make an appointment (links on the website Monday afternoon)
  3. At the time of your appointment, connect via Zoom.

While drop-in conferences are possible between 4-8 pm on Wednesday and 4-7:30 pm on Thursday, an appointment ensures the teacher is available. If you are unable to connect with a teacher for any reason, please contact the teacher to set up a time to meet. Our goal is meaningful two-way communication, so please reach out if this format doesn’t work for any reason.

In order to meet with as many parents as possible, we are asking that meetings be no longer than 5 minutes. Please also only set up an appointment if you need to speak to the teacher live and email or phone communication that happens normally won’t suffice. As a reminder, you are always able to set up an appointment to call, email or video conference with a teacher, regardless of the time of year. Read next Monday’s Skylert, check back on our website, and watch for information from your teachers for appointment and Zoom links for next week’s conference.

Curbside Lunch/Breakfast Service

Elk Ridge, along with South Hills and Joel P. Jensen, will be offering curbside and walk-up lunch/breakfast to-go meals for any JSD students regardless of grade level who are attending school virtually.

Prepared meals (lunch today, breakfast tomorrow) will be available in front of the school from 10-11 am. As with in-person lunches, all meals for students will be free of charge through the remainder of 2020. Menu options will vary based on what is being served in school each day. Students attending in-person should eat at the regular time in the cafeteria.

Last Chance to Get Prepaid Memory Books

Memory Books have arrived! If you have already purchased a memory book, just swing by the main office to pick it up. If your student is at another school, you can pick up your memory book at the main doors of Elk Ridge on Sept. 16 (Wed) from 5 pm – 7 pm.

At this point, we do not have extra memory books for sale. If some become available, we’ll let you know. The books look simply amazing, and we appreciate our PTSA’s ongoing efforts with this and so many other things!

PTSA Ambassador Application Deadline Extended

You can now submit your application to the PTSA Ambassadors until September 24th. It’s a great way to get involved and serve others. Talk to Kimberly Gilbert with any questions.

PTSA Newsletter & Reflections Contest

Our PTSA Fall Newsletter and annual Reflections contest are now live. Visit this link to view the newsletter and get information on the contest.

Quarantine and Symptom Check Online Tool

We get a lot of questions about symptoms and quarantine. If you have any questions, feel free to use this tool to see current guidelines we have from the health department and quarantine types specific to your situation. We use a modified version of this tool when determining exposure and length of quarantine. This tool is for your information only and does not collect any data. Please contact the school if you have symptoms or confirmed exposure to a positive COVID case.

Online Courses

Online courses are up and running, and you should be underway. If you have any lingering logistics with online courses, please let us know and we’ll do what we can to help.

Stress and Anxiety Group

Feeling stressed out or anxious? We want to help! Let one of our counselors know and we’ll make sure we connect you with resources and others that can support you.

Friday Appointments

If your student is coming to the building on Friday, please remember that in order to limit people in the building, we ask that parents remain at home or outside. If you are dropping off your student, arrange a time to pick them up or have your student call home when finished. Thank you for your understanding!

Friday Priorities

In a word, Friday is about differentiation. Our goals each Friday are to:

  1. Meet individual needs of students
  2. Provide flexibility via individual or small-group instruction (virtual and in-person)
  3. Extend learning from earlier in the week and prepare students for the upcoming week
  4. Preparation and collaboration according to normal Fridays

What Work on Friday Should Be

  • Based on what teachers have seen earlier in the week
  • A time to meet the individual needs of students
  • Reworking and demonstrating learning
  • Activities at the level of the student

What Work on Friday is NOT

  • Another day of class as usual, but online
  • A day off of school
  • Busywork

The Question to Always Ask

Whether you are a parent or a teacher, the ultimate litmus test regarding what you are doing on Fridays is:

Is what happens on Friday helping my student succeed?

This year is full of unknowns. Fridays were set aside by the school board to help teachers be more responsive to the needs of students, and to actually give them time and space to do so. 

It should not be business as usual. It should be better business than ever before. It’s a day for the hopes and dreams of educators everywhere to become a reality: to have time to effectively and thoroughly differentiate for our students. Not everyone needs the same thing on Friday, and the goal is for Friday to become a day personalized to what each student needs.