Welcome to our first virtual learning week of the year! While we will miss seeing all of you in person very much, we wish you all the best during this time away and hope that your family can enjoy the extra time together. If you have school questions during this time, please reach out to me. chubble@sjschools.org
Remote Learning Resources & Guidance
A huge thank you to our Lincoln School staff and PTO for all that they have done to provide resources and guidance to families over the past few days. Our first official week of virtual learning begins on Wednesday, March 18th. Many families have shared their child’s “classroom” spaces at home via social media and have developed plans to have structured days Monday - Friday at home. Remember, we aren’t expecting rigorous learning all day, every day. Even here at school we take time for recess, lunch, snack, class meetings, and personal connections. When building your schedule, consider time for connections and recreation, too!
Our focus during the time away is to practice and enrich learning that has already occurred this school year. Our teacher teams will communicate with families each week to share options and to keep us connected as a school family. Additional information is posted below.
Movement and a change of scenery can do wonders for learning! Spreading learning out throughout the day instead making one long chunk will be better for your child’s focus, concentration, and overall attitude about the task. Please consider having a few different areas of your home designated for specific tasks - that will feel more like school. For example, your child can do his/her daily reading in a cozy spot, computer tasks at a table or desk, and creative work in the kitchen or yard.
A huge thank you to our Lincoln School staff and PTO for all that they have done to provide resources and guidance to families over the past few days. Our first official week of virtual learning begins on Wednesday, March 18th. Many families have shared their child’s “classroom” spaces at home via social media and have developed plans to have structured days Monday - Friday at home. Remember, we aren’t expecting rigorous learning all day, every day. Even here at school we take time for recess, lunch, snack, class meetings, and personal connections. When building your schedule, consider time for connections and recreation, too!
Our focus during the time away is to practice and enrich learning that has already occurred this school year. Our teacher teams will communicate with families each week to share options and to keep us connected as a school family. Additional information is posted below.
Movement and a change of scenery can do wonders for learning! Spreading learning out throughout the day instead making one long chunk will be better for your child’s focus, concentration, and overall attitude about the task. Please consider having a few different areas of your home designated for specific tasks - that will feel more like school. For example, your child can do his/her daily reading in a cozy spot, computer tasks at a table or desk, and creative work in the kitchen or yard.
Computer access is a potentially powerful tool for self-directed learning, keeping in mind that your child will need monitoring to ensure active learning is occurring.
It is important to keep your child in a normal routine and schedule during this time. Here is an example of a daily checklist you may want to use to keep a routine:
*Core 5 20 minutes
*Reading 20 minutes - take a Reading Counts Test?
*Math Choice 20 minutes (IXL, Mobymax, Flash cards)
*Alternate Art/Music/Gym Lesson activity each day
*20-30 minutes of fresh air
Don't Forget to Read Your Teachers' Blogs
Mrs. Schmidt https://aschmidtyoungfives.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Confer https://conferkindergarten.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Mutschler https://rmutschlerkindergarten.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Jun https://jun19-20.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Fiesbeck https://fiesbeck19-20.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Harmening harmening2019-20.blogspot.com
Mrs. Laukus https://laukus2018-19.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Starks starks2019-2020.blogspot.com
Mrs. Ettinger https://ettinger2019-2020.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Peek https://peek2019-20.blogspot.com/
Miss Reimers https://reimers2019-2020.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Abbott http://abbottsdreamteam.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Goniwiecha https://goniwiecha2018-2019.blogspot.com/
Mr. Persenaire https://persenaire5thgrade.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Briney-Kelm https://bk18-19.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Schermerhorn https://schermerhorn19-20.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Sheldon http://mrssheldonspecialed.blogspot.com
Mr. Pfahler https://pfahler1819.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Warsow https://mrswarsowsartroom.blogspot.com/
SJ District Special Education https://spedsjps.blogspot.com/
Student and Family Expectations During the Shutdown
The following plan was put together to help families know what to expect during the shutdown. Most of your communication from school regarding learning will come from your child’s classroom teacher. Here’s what you can expect each week:
Young Fives - Third Grade
Plan to check teacher communication channels weekly for learning activities.
Enrichment and practice activities will be posted by teachers each week on Wednesday by 8:00 a.m.
Please plan to help students complete activities by Wednesday of the following week as indicated by the teacher.
Fourth & Fifth Grade
Plan to check teacher communication channels weekly for learning activities.
Students will log-in and check Google Classroom each week.
Enrichment and practice activities will be posted by teachers each week by Wednesday 8:00 a.m.
Complete enrichment activities by Wednesday of the following week unless otherwise indicated by the teacher.
School announcements and information will come via our blog. District updates will come via the blog and/or School Messenger as needed. Please be sure you are staying in the loop by checking your email on a regular basis.
Art, P.E. and Music enrichment options will be shared via your child's classroom teachers' communication.
Feeding Our Bears
We’re Feeding Our Bears Monday - Friday from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Lincoln School (1102 Orchard Avenue in St. Joseph). The “grab and go” meals containing breakfast and lunch are FREE for all children under the age of 18, regardless of a student’s eligibility for free/reduced lunch. Please enter on Coles Avenue, off of Langley Avenue.
The Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor will also be providing free meals to children 18 years of age and under (children DO NOT need to be Club members). Grab 'N' Go Snack/Dinner meals will be available at the Fettig Youth Campus (600 Nate Wells Sr Drive) and the Joel E. Smilow Teen Center (190 W. Empire Avenue). Meals will be offered Monday - Friday from 3pm until 5pm at each location until April 3, 2020.
Accessing Local Resources
We recognize that many of our families will be in need of support during this unprecedented time. In addition to free “grab and go” meals provided by the district, local food pantries are also a great source of support during financially stressful times. Please click on the link below to discover local food bank options where your family can access essential resources. Your donations would gladly be accepted and greatly appreciated as well.
Sources of Information
During this time, we all want to do our best to stay up to date with reliable primary source information. St. Joseph Public Schools is committed to helping our families have access to the most reliable and accurate information from our local and state officials. Please visit sjschools.org for more information, including links external resources for dealing with crisis. In addition we recommend the following sources for information:
Helpful Resources
We want to provide you with useful resources to refer to when talking with your children about coronavirus and as you navigate the uncertainty of this situation.
How to Talk to Your Kids about Coronavirus - PBS Kids
Helping Your Family De-Stress During Coronavirus Uncertainty - Common Sense Media
Device Care & Acceptable Use Policy
We are so pleased to be able to offer Chromebooks to our students for at-home learning. The device care guide and acceptable use policy are linked below for your information.
Keep reading Lincoln School! We are still celebrating Reading Month!
We will plan for a return to school following spring break on April 13th.
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