20 - January 31, 2020
Dear Parents:

We hope that learning continues to be engaging and interesting as well as challenging for your children! We wanted to take a moment to share with you some of the key themes from your recent survey feedback, which focused on helping us continually raise the bar through enhanced student motivation and interest as well as providing ways to ignite creativity and complexity for increased student learning. These areas, along with other important themes, connect directly to our Professional Learning Program to support faculty in better addressing areas of opportunity/growth in both Distance and Hybrid Learning. The following areas have served as our central focus:
 
Enhancing Student Connection, Engagement, and Motivation
  • Targeted, individualized teacher training in applications such as: Nearpod (interactive lessons), Podcasting, Newsela (super-charging learning), Flipgrid (empowering voices), BrainPop (animated learning), among others.
  • August 4 - Houston Kraft through CharacterStrong taught faculty how to build connections with students and their families in a virtual environment.
  • Global Online Academy professional learning in week-long sessions:
  • Designing for Online Learning-Relationships
  • Designing for Online Learning-Student Agency
  • September 4 - Google Summit for all staff - teachers self-selected learning opportunities for increasing connection with students as well as considering how student voice and choice lead to increased motivation and engagement.
  • January 18 - Dr. Doug Fisher – the author of The Distance Learning Playbook -- provided to all teachers -- demonstrated the power of frequent universal response of all students as well as utilization of tools in Zoom for increasing student engagement and motivation.
 
Enhancing Teacher Instructional Strategies
  • Training in Seesaw (PS) and Google Classroom (3-12), our learning management systems, for overall structure in Distance and Hybrid learning.
  • Targeted, individualized teacher training in applications such as: Zoom, Google Meet, Padlet (student voices), Screencastify (video lessons), Edpuzzle (flipped learning), among others.
  • Global Online Academy professional learning in week-long sessions:
  • Designing for Online Learning-Wayfinding
  • Designing for Online Learning-Primary and Elementary School Focus
  • September 4 - Google Summit for all staff - teachers self-selected learning opportunities for continuing to adapt instructional strategies for a virtual environment.
 
 Student Assessment and Progress Monitoring
  • Targeted, individualized teacher training in applications such as: Razkids (interactive ebooks), Flipgrid (quick assessments), among others.
  • Global Online Academy professional learning in week-long sessions:
  • Designing for Online Learning-Assessment
  • Quick Wins in Assessment
  • January 18 - Dr. Doug Fisher – the author of The Distance Learning Playbook, provided specific strategies for quick formative assessments along with how to design more appropriate summative assessments in the virtual environment.
 
Social/Emotional Support Structures
  • Continued ICMEC Child and Adolescent Protection Training, which strengthens our protection of all students in our care whether in virtual, hybrid, or in-person learning.
  • August 4 - Houston Kraft through CharacterStrong as well as some of the program components of CharacterStrong taught us the critical importance of continuing to strengthen our social/emotional structures among students, between students and teachers, and
  • September 4 - Google Summit for all staff - teachers self-selected learning opportunities for continuing to better support student social and emotional well-being through a variety of strategies to increase mental health.
  • January 18 - Dr. Doug Fisher – the author of The Distance Learning Playbook, shared the critical importance of faculty self-care and ensuring respect for the challenge of a virtual environment. He encouraged our faculty to remain strong and emotionally healthy to be the best teachers they can be as well as to protect themselves against burnout.
 
As we look ahead to the coming months, all faculty will be provided a second book by Dr. Doug Fisher, The Assessment Playbook for Distance and Blended Learning: Measuring Student Learning in Any Setting 1st Edition, and Dr. Fisher will join us virtually to provide additional support in better understanding and utilizing the strategies that will continue to improve assessment.
 
In addition to the above, there have been multiple virtual professional learning opportunities available for our faculty through AMISA (formerly known as AASSA), Tri-Association, ISS, among others. The international community has sought to find ways for faculty learning to be aligned to the challenges of teaching in virtual and hybrid environments. As a community of learners and educators, the best way to be a role model is to show our students that we are always learning too and that our learning and ongoing improvement will never stop.
 
Warm Regards,

HS High School

From the Principal’s Desk
As we enter semester two, we want to thank all parents out there who are partnering with the HS team to support your teenager(s) learning. When we look at all the challenges facing them as learners over the last year, we recognize that although this is not what any of us expected, our students are growing in many positive ways.  

MS Middle School

It was a great final week of Semester 1 in middle school! We have many important changes happening, please see this weekly video for highlights. We are here to assist you with any questions or support you or your kids may need to start strong in Semester 2.



ES Elementary School

Dear ES Families, 
We spent a lot of time visiting classes this week. Our students are so happy to be back with their teachers! The CCN is brief this week as we prepare for a new schedule on February 8th. We hope you can join us at Coffee Chat on Tuesday at 8:30. It will be nice to see everyone again.
Thank You for your Partnership!
PS Primary School

Dear Primary School Parents!   
One lesson learned in 2020 was the fact that there are so many things we can´t control. Nevertheless it is still frustrating to feel that it continues to happen. We know everyone was excited to be back on campus this week and unfortunately we weren't able to make it due to the city's current situation.
Learning Center
Dear parents,

As a parent of a child with special learning or emotional/behavioral needs, are you wondering how you will continue to cope during this phase of distance learning? Are you running out of steam? Do you find yourself short on patience and easily frustrated with your child or with school-related demands?

You’re not alone, and your feelings are normal. Despite the many pressures on parents these days, there are proven ways to lower your family’s stress levels. This reassuring article provides timely tips and guidance:


As per Dr. Habegger's announcement about extending the academic schedule, we will be adjusting our schedules for one on one interventions accordingly. You will be receiving further information from your service provider in the coming days, and you can reach out to your building level Learning Center Coordinator at any time with any questions or concerns.

Counselors 

Dear CNG Community, 

These first two weeks back from the holiday break have definitely shown us that even though Distance Learning is still a huge challenge, we are not starting from scratch. All the hard work that each one of us had to do in order to adapt to the new reality, every struggle, every stumble on the way, every little or big success that we had, and basically every breath we took, was worth it. We’re here, and we’re stronger. During the month of February, we will be focusing on kindness, and what a great trait to start with! We invite you to start off by being kind to yourself and to watch out to see how this kindness spreads, to your loved ones, to strangers, and to the world. 

As always, do not hesitate to reach out to us if you need any support.

Athletics & Condor Activities

Beginning a new semester we should always reset and remind ourselves of our school’s vision. CNG’s vision statement: “Educating the mind, strengthening the body, and developing character for leadership and service in the world of today for a better tomorrow.” “Strengthening the body,” always resonates with Athletics and Condor Activities. The reality of “Strengthening the body” is that while we are strengthening the body we also are improving our happiness, and ability to learn, and creating habits to lead a healthy lifestyle.  

As per Dr. Habegger's announcement about extending the academic schedule, we will be adjusting our schedules, during the week we will share ours

CNG Athletics and Condor Activities start dates include: 

  • MS & HS Athletics: Wednesday, January 20
  • ES Athletics: Monday, February 1
  • PS Athletics: Monday, February 8
  • PS, ES, MS & HS Condor Activities: Monday, February 8

Online registration closed on January 27, parents may request changes by sending an email to Athletics: [email protected],  or Condor Activities: [email protected]