GOOGLE MEET:

HERE WE GO!  Our First Grade 2020-2021 distance learning adventure begins!  (This is a long document, so please make sure you make it through all pages of important information.)

My name is Christy Thompson, and I will be your child’s first grade teacher!  I am so excited and proud to be a part of the Kenwood community! 

This is going to be a fantastic year and I can’t wait to learn all about your child!  Since we will be getting to know each other online, if you would like to send me information about your child, their learning styles, or background information, feel free to send me an email!

Academics   

During the first few weeks of school, we will be getting to know each other and building community.  We will continue this during our daily morning meetings.

Our class will be meeting for live literacy lessons each morning. We will start with a whole group lesson, and then I will work with small groups while others are doing independent work (not live).

After reading, we will have (live) science or social studies lessons.  Our typical science units include: Engineering-Designing Bridges, Electricity, Rocks, and Organisms.  In social studies, our units are: Citizenship and Government (what does it mean to be a good citizen?),  Economics (scarcity, cost and benefits), History (what was it like to live 100 years ago?), Geography (natural and human made characteristics, maps).

We will have math in the afternoon.  Just like with literacy,  we’ll start with a live lesson and then move into smaller groups and independent work.

Schedule:

***Please keep in mind that this schedule will be different during the days that teachers are doing one on one assessments in a couple of weeks.  We will be in contact about our schedule and meeting times for your child on those days.  Also, small groups will not be starting for a few weeks.

(see top of screen for schedule, if this photo isn't showing)

Specialist Schedule (11:55-12:45)

Monday            PE

Tuesday           Media

Wednesday       Art

Thursday          PE

Friday              Music

Technology Information   

Google Meet Code:

You will want to be on Chrome and go to Google Meet.  This is where we will have our live lessons.  (please make sure it is logged in under your child’s name and not yourself or a sibling)

Clever   

This is the main app where you will be getting to our literacy and math programs. 

Seesaw    

We will be doing many activities on this program.  Students will be able to record their voice, video, write, draw, or take a picture to submit their work.  It can be found by going into the Clever app.

Things you can do before school starts:

·      Find a quiet place that can be considered your working place every day.  Make sure you keep all of your school materials near your space.

·      Make sure your ipad is charged. 

·      Practice finding the Clever app     and the Seesaw app      on your ipad . 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1chBEzYNIop7qJJlVqrujQ_ode7HG7m4BhXKmA1YUpBU/edit   (info on logging into Clever and Seesaw)

https://source.mpls.k12.mn.us/clever-students-families (video on logging in)

·      Log into Clever  so you don’t need to do it on the first day.  You should stay logged in.

·      Find a safe place to keep your child’s email address and login information.  Make sure it is kept in a place where your child can get to it easily, in case they get logged out or need it for a new program we are using.  You may also want to keep it in another place in case your child’s copy gets lost.

·      Familiarize yourself with where you can find tech help.

https://source.mpls.k12.mn.us/support-for-your-students

(I will do my very best to help, but my expertise is more in teaching than solving tech problems.  The first place to look will be this site.  If that doesn’t work and I can’t help, I will get in touch with our tech experts.)

Helpful hint:  While teaching summer school, I noticed students who had headphones on were able to focus much more that students who didn’t.   This was especially true of kids with siblings hearing each other’s online lessons or who had younger kids just being kids around them.

I understand this is a LOT of information!  If you have any questions, PLEASE feel free to email me.  I typically return emails within a few hours, but for sure within 24 hours.

Christy Thompson