SD83 LEARNING FROM HOME PLAN OUTLINE
March 30 th , 2020

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We understand that this is a challenging time for families as we try to navigate the unknowns of COVID-19 and its impact on our daily lives. We hope that you are keeping well and finding time to celebrate moments of gratitude and kindness as we work together to support ourselves and others in our communities.

These are exceptional times and our primary goal is to work together with you to support your child’s health, well-being, and growth. Many resources will be shared but families will have the ability to choose the types of learning opportunities that will work best for their family. The reality is that learning will look different for every child and every family and that is OK. The goal is not to replicate regular classroom experiences in your home. We do not want to add any further stress or anxiety to an already stressful situation. What we do want to do is provide a variety of meaningful learning opportunities for your child. In partnership with your child’s teacher, parents/caregivers can help facilitate these learning opportunities in whatever way works best for you and your family.  
Teachers, administrators, school staff, and the SD83 Learning Team will be working hard to create and share helpful resources to support your child’s well-being and learning. 

Here is a general outline of SD83’s Learning from Home plan:

Phase 1: Reconnection (March 30 th to April 3 rd )

  • Teachers will be contacting all parents and students sometime during this week
  • Teachers will be checking in to see how you and your child are doing and gathering information about learning opportunities moving forward (email address, access to technology, specific learning needs, etc.)
  • During this week and in the weeks moving forward, teachers and school staff will be working hard to plan ways to best support and provide Home Learning Opportunities
  • If your child has some personal belongings at school which are urgently needed, parents can contact the school principal to make arrangements to pick these up

Phase 2: First Steps (April 6 th to 10 th )

  • Teachers will start sharing possible Home Learning Opportunities with families
  • Teachers will check-in with students on a regular basis starting this week (phone calls, emails, online conferencing, etc.)
  • Grades K to 8: The main focus will be on 3 key areas – Health & Well-Being, Literacy, and Numeracy
  • Grades 9 to 12: The main focus will begin with a review of previous concepts learned in each specific course area
  • In all grade areas, teachers will be exploring a variety of ways to share Home Learning Opportunities with students and families (online platforms, emails, video links, paper learning packages, etc.)

Phase 3: Home Learning Opportunities (Beginning April 14 th )

  • Teachers will begin to share more in-depth Home Learning Opportunities and check-in regularly with students each week moving forward
  • It is important to remember that the goal is not to replicate regular classroom learning; rather, we will focus on providing a variety of creative learning opportunities and families may choose the activities and timelines that work best for their situation


If you have any general questions about SD83’s Learning from Home plan, please contact:

Jennifer Findlay
District Principal, SD83 Learning Team

If you have specific questions about your child’s individual Learning from Home plan, please connect with your child’s teacher when they do their regular check-ins with you and/or your child.

In addition to the regular contact from your child’s teacher(s), the school district website will continue to be updated with important school district communications and resources.

The Ministry of Education has also created a helpful Keep Learning website which provides a variety of resources for parents and educators on the following: Learning from Home, Everyday Learning Activities, Resources, and Keeping Healthy.

The Ministry has also shared some helpful responses to frequently asked questions at this link.

These are challenging and unprecedented times and the introduction of this new format of learning is definitely a marathon, not a sprint. We need to take things slowly as we are creating a new and unique learning journey for educators, students, and parents. Each parent/caregiver will need to decide how much time and focus will be spent on learning opportunities. The intent is not to have families recreate a school day but rather to provide learning that you and your child can access as best fits the needs of your child and family. Please be patient and kind with one another and reach out for support wherever it is needed. We are a strong, caring, and supportive learning community and we will get through this together.
Sincerely,


Carl Cooper
Assistant Superintendent - Instruction 

Jen Findlay
District Principal, SD83 Learning Team
School District No. 83
Education Department | Website