asd-n.nbed.nb.ca/other/covid-19

Dear Students and Parents/Guardians,                           March 16^th, 2020

Some of you may be wondering if there are any assignments that you can be working on while at home for the next few days. At this time, teachers are being instructed not to give out assignments. However, we are also being asked to check our emails frequently. This situation is being described as ‘fluid’ and ‘unprecedented’. This means that the situation is changing day by day, hour by hour. You can expect that there will be updates over the next two weeks.

I would encourage my students to continue to read every day. “People who read, do succeed.” You have heard me say this many times.

All three classes (6K, 7C, and 6T) have been reading class novels (Restart by Gordan Korman, Refugee by Alan Gratz, and The Hand of Robin Squires by Joan Clark). I did find an online audio version of Refugee (https://tokybook.com/refugee-audiobook/). If I locate the others, I will post the links for you. We had begun to discuss “End of Novel” Projects before this unexpected school closure.I am planning (at this point) to continue with this when we return to school. I hope to have these ready for our 'School Showcase' at the end of the year. There are many choices and outlines for Creative Book Reports to be found online. I have a general rubric for this and am leaving it quite open for students to choose what works for them – visual art, music, PowerPoint, written report, posters. Students were going to be given some class time to work on these, but much of it would be done outside of class.

There is an opportunity for some real-life (authentic) writing during this experience. Journaling about their thoughts and feelings is a way of keeping up with their writing skills. This is an 'unprecedented' event, and history in the making. I was speaking with another teacher yesterday and said that we will have lots for our students to talk about, think about, reflect and write about. This will be something that they will remember. Although they may not see the value in writing about their daily activities now, the importance of documenting what they are doing or not doing, thinking, feeling, or questioning during this very unusual situation, may be of interest and/or value later.

There are many websites that have educational resources that are free and easy to access. Scholastic Canada (www.scholastic.ca) has added some additional materials about Covid-19 and a link titled “Learn at Home” where there are many materials for students of all ages, on various topics and at adjustable reading levels. These are going to be added to daily.

I will post additional information as needed, and as communications from our Minister of Education changes to reflect what is happening in the province, the country and the world.

Please contact me through email at any time if you have questions or concerns. I will be working from home as instructed and checking my emails frequently.

Please take care and follow the guidelines from our health authorities. Hope to see you soon.

Karen Coughlan