January 24, 2021
Re:
Health Zone 4 Lockdown – Impact on Schools in Health Zone 3
Dear ASD-W Families with
students at Andover Elementary School, Perth-Andover Middle School, Southern
Victoria High School, Donald Fraser Memorial School and Tobique Valley High
School.
The government’s decision to put Health Zone 4 on
lockdown for a period of 2 weeks will impact our schools in the neighbouring Health
Zone 3 area. More specifically, Andover Elementary School, Perth-Andover Middle
School, Southern Victoria High School, Donald Fraser Memorial School and
Tobique Valley High School, will all be impacted.
Due
to a significant portion of the school community (staff, students and casual
staff) living within Health Zone 4, and the operational challenges this
presents, the decision has been made to move all 5 schools in this region of
Health Zone 3 to distance learning as of Tuesday, January 26. Distance learning will continue until Friday, February
5, at this time.
Monday, January 25 will be an operational response day
for these schools. This means there will be no teaching. On Tuesday, students
will learn from home, either virtually through the Teams
platform, or through paper-based learning kits. Specific school instructions from
administration and classroom teachers will follow.
Distance learning requires that each student has:
- a device at home to connect online (a computer, a
laptop, a tablet or a smart phone);
- the student’s username and password for Office 365 /
Teams;
- access to Teams on the device they will be using;
- the student’s reading books; and
- the student’s textbooks, if necessary.
Families who do not have a device should contact their
principal.
Here are the different ways in which distance learning
will be done by grade level:
Grades
|
Type of learning
|
Contact with teacher
|
K-2
|
Paper-based
|
Daily check-in
|
3-5
|
Paper-based with some technology
|
Routine
teaching engagement
|
6-8
|
Technology-based
|
Regular teaching
|
9-12
|
Technology-based
|
Regular teaching
|
Here are some examples of activities that your child's
teacher may organize:
Synchronous activity
Learning takes place in real time and at the same time
for the teacher and the student.
- the student receives real-time explanations,
instructions and feedback; and
- the student participates in the discussions and in the
real-time assessment.
Asynchronous activity
Learning which does not happen at the same time for
the teacher and the student.
- the student receives explanations, instructions and
feedback;
- the student works individually or in a team online;
- the student consults learning resources, watches
explanatory videos, reads, organizes small group meetings, and receives
feedback in writing, on video, or otherwise; and
- the student is autonomous, becomes familiar with
distance learning, and develops strategies to continue learning.
Technological devices
If you are not comfortable with the software used for
distance learning, ASD-W has resources available for you at the following link
on our website:
Technology
Resources for Families and Students
Technical support
If your child has a computer (used for distance
learning) or has borrowed a laptop or device from school, and they need
technical assistance with Office 365 Pro Plus (home connection and
installation), Teams, OneDrive, Power School, Desire 2 Learn (D2L), or Wi-Fi,
you can contact the Bell Call Centre at 1-833-453-1140
(option 2 for service in French). This center is open on school days from 8:00
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
If your child has a laptop or device provided by the school's
learning support services (due to learning difficulties, reading difficulties,
etc.) and for medical reasons and you need technical assistance regarding
Office 365 Pro Plus, Teams or OneDrive, please contact the Neil Squire Call
Centre at 1-855-450-3287.
Daycare
For those who will be sending their children to daycare for the full
day, you may wish to send your child's school materials and activity
suggestions to the childcare center if you wish for your child to continue
working while there. Although childcare facilities are not required to provide
direct instruction similar to a school, they can provide quiet learning time
and space.
Ongoing communication
I understand that this news may raise questions or
concerns, but please be assured that steps are being taken to protect the
health and safety of all while, at the same time, continuing
with meaningful instruction.
As always, we
will be working closely with the Office of Public Health.
We will continue
to communicate with you by email and/or telephone to keep you informed of the
situation, as required.
School staff members continue to dedicate themselves
every day to ensure that all students, under their responsibility, are on the
path to success. They do their best to achieve this, with the tools and hours
allocated to them. They are human beings, like you, who are living through the
global pandemic. They may not always be as present as they would like to be for
their students as they too will experience challenges with the move to distance
learning. We appreciate your support of our teachers.
Children and young people look
to the adults in their lives to guide them on how to react to worrying and
stressful events. Parents are encouraged to talk to their children about any
anxieties and remind them to treat one another with kindness and respect, in
person and on social media.
Thank you for being patient,
understanding and working with us to make the experience as positive as possible
for our students.
Thank you for your cooperation as we navigate this
challenging time.
David McTimoney
Superintendent, ASD-W