Secondary School Remote Learning Guidesacsconnect.sacs.nsw.edu.au/images/d/d5/Term_2_SACS...Secondary School Remote Learning Guide An online learning guide for Secondary School students

Secondary School Remote Learning GuideAn online learning guide for Secondary School students and parents

www.sacs.nsw.edu.auSydney Square, Sydney

Term 2 Weeks 1-3+, 2020

(Phase 0 & Phase 1)

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As we move into Term 2 of remote teaching, we will be returning in stages to on-site learning. This will occur in phases. This document details what Phase 0 and Phase 1 looks like.

We are a relational school and it is important that we try to keep in contact with one another. Please click here to see a list of Term 2 events. I hope that students can remain involved in school activities.

We keep evaluating how we can make this experience the best we possibly can for students, so if you have any feedback, please email me at [email protected].

Regards, Mr Swibel Deputy Head of School (Secondary)

Phase 0 – Term 2 Week 1-2 – full remote learning Phase 0 is continuation of full time remote learning under our existing timetable and procedures introduced at the end of Term 1.

Phase 1 – from Term 2 Week 3 - students begin returning on-site Phase 1 sees Year 7-11 return to school from Monday May 11 for on-site lessons 1 day per week on the days listed below. Phase 1 sees Year 12 return to school from Monday May 11 for on-site lessons every day. Phase 1 will continue until it is deemed appropriate to move to Phase 2 (details to be confirmed in due course).

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

7 Onsite

8 Onsite

9 Onsite

10 Onsite

11 Onsite

12 Onsite Onsite Onsite Onsite Onsite

We have decided to begin with Year 12 back full-time as it is important that they have access to on-site learning for practicals and to prepare for their final exams. Having two year groups on site allows us to re-room classes to ensure social distancing for students and staff. This has a number of implications.

The timetable will change in Week 3. Periods will reduce to 55min to allow for social distancing dismissal from classrooms (students must enter and be dismissed individually 1.5m apart). Tutor Group and Chapel time is done remotely and is moved to after school.

FOR STUDENTS

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Phase 1 Timetable (T2W3+)

Period 0 (Timetabled Extension classes) Remote cohorts roll call 8am-8.30am

7.30am-8.25am

Period 1 8.30am-9.25am Period 2 9.35am-10.30am Recess 10.35am-10.55am

Period 3 11.00am-11.55am Lunch 12.00pm-12.40pm

Period 4 12.45pm-1.40pm Period 5 1.50pm-2.45pm Dismissal 2.45pm

• Period 6 (Timetabled Extension classes) • Remote Tutor Group check-in time and Chapel • On-site students can arrange with their

teacher for independent studio/workshop time for practical work.

2.55pm-3.50pm

Other Implications

Uniform Students can wear winter or summer uniform to school

Parent and visitor access

Parent lanyards are not accepted at this stage. All school visitors are by appointment only and include a signed declaration of health and that they have not visited an overseas country in the last 14 days.

Staff onsite times Most school leaders (eg Heads of Year, House, Department) will be onsite all day. This is to provide access for staff and students to contact these leaders where necessary.

All other staff only need to be on site for their timetabled lessons. Otherwise these staff can work remotely from home.

On site and remote teaching

All cohorts not at school on various days will still be taught remotely by their teacher.

SacsAchieve SacsAchieve Homework and Study Centres and EAL/D Study Centres – will remain available remotely. Contact [email protected] or see the recent MS and SS Newsletters for details.

Roll marking Students on-site will have the roll marked each period. In remote learning, roll marking will occur between 8.00-8.30am (see Point 2 below).

Absent students in Phase 1

If a student is absent from physical classes during Phase 1, teachers will communicate information regarding missed classwork on Schoology. This is in line with standard practice for students who are absent for long periods of time. Music teachers will livestream for practical classes.

Weekly Conference All classes will have at least one face-to-face or live conference per week. Teachers will be available online during any timetabled lesson.

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Exams 11IB exams are moved to T2W3 Tuesday BBC Level 2 and Thu, Fri in BBC Auditorium. 11IB Orals are T2W2 Thu, Fri. Year 10 exams further details to come.

Stairway traffic Stairs will have signage to indicate one-way traffic direction (ie some stairs will be only for going up and some for going down)

Staff social distance Staff will ensure social distancing with each other. Staff areas will have signage of maximum staff capacities. Some staff offices will be located in other areas (eg BBC staffroom, unused classrooms, SAH Hub, etc)

Re-rooming Classes will be re-roomed to allow for social distancing to spaces such as Heath Ctr, BBC Auditorium, Y12 Common Area, SAH Library, Gym, collapsible double rooms, split across two classrooms, Level 5&6 open areas

Open Areas capped Open areas will be capped at maximum numbers of students. SAH breaktime areas will be Library, Year Open Area and roof with max numbers on each. BBC open areas include Plaza and Terrace.

Peripatetic Music Music lessons will not occur on site and will need to be done at home.

No lifts for students Lifts are banned for all students except those with medical swipes. Lifts will have maximum carrying capacities to ensure social distancing.

No P1 and P5 Study Periods

No students are to use BBC Lvl 3 Study Hall for their free periods in P1 and P5; these students should not be at school during those periods, or should have booked time for independent project work.

No bubbler fountains Bubblers fountains will be turned off and students encouraged to bring own water bottles to refill at water stations

No offsite PE Offsite PE will not occur. In fact, the timetable avoids Y7-10 sport lessons.

No lockers Students will take bags to class and leave them outside door

No outside breaks Students will not be able to go outside building during break times.

Students with health situations

Students who have personal or family situations of compromised immune systems or other health issues should seek advice from their Head of Division regarding working from home. Students who are sick must stay at home.

Staff with health situations

Staff who have personal or family situations of compromised immune systems or other health issues will be working from home so your class may be supervised by a substitute teacher while your teacher delivers the lesson remotely.

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Remote Learning Please follow these guidelines for remote learning days.

1. GETTING PREPARED

Before you sit down to start remote online learning, you need to think about some ‘big picture’ things:

• Where will I be doing my schoolwork? You might have to work at your parent’s business, or a relative’s house, in your study/bedroom or on the kitchen table. If possible, do try to have the one space, free from distractions, with good wireless connectivity to the internet.

• What will be my daily routine? We recommend you follow your regular school timetable as closely as possible – it does aim to have a balance of different activities across the day: time for academics, rest, socialising and exercise. At the bottom of this document you will find a sample routine that you might like to adapt for your circumstances.

• Have I got all my learning materials? In addition to a charged device (Surface Book Yr7-10/ laptop Yr11-12), you should have your notebooks, hard copy textbooks, stationery etc. Be ready for whatever the day’s lessons might require. If you’ve left something at school, contact your Tutor, and we’ll arrange for the item(s) to be left at St Andrew’s House School Reception [email protected] ph: 92869500 for collection.

2. GETTING STARTED (8am-8.30am) – for remote days Here is a step-by-step plan for remote learning to get going each morning:

1. Log on to Schoology and check each of your subject pages for the day to see what tasks have been assigned for the day.

2. Go into your Schoology Tutor Group course for Roll Call. You will find a daily ‘Microsoft form’ in your Announcements (top of your Schoology page) with two options:

3. You should complete this roll call by no later than 8.30am each school day by making a selection and clicking on ‘submit. If you do need to select Option 2, please make sure your family contacts reception as they would normally do to explain your absence.

• Middle School 9009 5454 or [email protected] • Senior College 9009 5461 or [email protected]

If you haven’t logged on by 9.00am and registered a response, or we haven’t heard from your family, reception will be contacting your parent/carer to check that you’re okay.

4. You’re now ready to start following your daily timetable

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3. GETTING GOING You need to access your Schoology class page for each of your subjects. Each class page will provide details regarding work for the week or the next few days. In some instances, this will be a reminder to head to your usual OneNote Class Notebook, or that you use the folders on Schoology to access the work/resources.

Schoology lesson details will be available by 8.30am every Monday, a few days at a time or every day that the class would have had a timetabled lesson.

Online learning will require you to organise your learning and work consistently across the course of the week. You will be assigned the same number of ‘lessons’ you would normally have for each subject that week; for example, four English lessons, one Christian Development lesson and so on.

At times, your teachers will be assigning and checking work on Schoology and OneNote platforms and providing feedback as appropriate. Some students are already familiar with OneNote, but if you have any problems, you should email your subject teacher and look out for ‘how to’ guides that are being created and posted on the How to Tech @ SACS tile on Student Portal.

Other work may be drawn from online or hard copy textbooks or the resources on Education Perfect, Kognity (IB Diploma) or Edrolo (HSC).

Teachers may also use the Microsoft Teams platform to write or talk to individuals or groups of students. This app works like Skype and allows students to interact with their teacher via text, audio- or video call.

Should a staff member fall ill, this information will be included on the day’s Schoology notices and students will then know not to expect to hear from their teacher on that day. Should a staff member experience a prolonged absence, we will email any students affected to explain what the alternative plan will be. If students are not completing work, handing in assessment or joining lessons when required, parents will be informed by email or phone call.

RULES FOR MICROSOFT TEAMS and VIDEO CONFERENCING Everything you do online in any of the SACS learning spaces (email, Schoology, One Note and Teams) is recorded, even if you delete it. AI bots look at what is being written to alert us for cyber-bullying behaviour. Microsoft Teams provides a way for you to interact with your teacher(s) and other students, and such interactions should be of a similar tone to that which takes places in physical classrooms and school.

• Interactions on Teams/Schoology with teachers should only relate to schoolwork and school matters. • Students may use Teams/Schoology for socialising only during school regular break times

(Recess, Lunch and after school). • Students are not to be using their phones while on class Conference calls. It is very distracting for you

and others. • Students using Teams/Schoology inappropriately will face a range of consequences as per normal

school rules. • Follow the Netiquette Guide at the end of this document.

If a teacher uses Teams/Schoology to set up a video call with you individually, a small group, or your whole class, please make sure you:

• Wear PE/School Uniform • Teachers will only communicate with students during school hours between 8.30am and 3.15pm.

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4. GETTING HELP If you are experiencing difficulties understanding what you are meant to do in a lesson/task/subject, what do you do? In the first instance, email your subject teacher and ask for help. When putting together your email, please consider the following:

• Always start with a ‘Dear (Teacher’s title and surname)’ and finish with ‘Kind regards, (your first name);

• Take your time and choose your words carefully. Remember that your teachers are likely to be receiving many emails a day and can’t respond as quickly as they might do when you’re face to face with them in a classroom;

• Try to avoid sending a separate email for every question to a teacher. Take your time and do your best to work out your own solution first, but if you’re still confused, collect all your questions into one email, perhaps using a separate bullet point for each (see sample below).

Tutorial won’t be running but your Tutor will schedule a Schoology Conference once a week. This will most likely occur after 2.45pm (your Tutor will tell you when this is through a Schoology update). You will also get a fortnightly individual Teams call from your Tutor, or Head of House, Head of Year or a specialist staff member (eg Specialised Learning or Gifted Ed Team). Your Tutor may also give your Schoology Tutorial Group some wellbeing, mindfulness and other activities, so check these out in your Schoology Tutor Group course.

If you usually receive Specialised Learning or Gifted Ed Support, the relevant Support staff have been linked into all your Schoology subjects and you can also email them to ask for help.

If there is a technical problem with your computer, Schoology or any of the other platforms, please email [email protected] A team of staff will receive this email and do all they can to assist.

If you need to access help regarding any pastoral, co-curricular, sporting, counselling services matter, or any other aspect of your learning, do not hesitate to email or Teams message the relevant staff member(s). We are all online and only a phone call or video link up away.

Unless advised otherwise, School Receptions will be open and able to answer or redirect any of your family’s queries. Please phone 9286 9500 or email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Email Example Dear Mr Jones, I’ve tried to do my Science work for this week (Wednesday), and I’m confused about what question 2 is asking me to do. Can you please tell me:

• Do I need to write a whole paragraph, or will a sentence do? • Can you suggest any other videos for me to watch so I can understand this better?

Kind regards, Terry

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Remote Learning

Teachers will communicate with your child and provide learning activities for him/her to do at home, using our Learning Management System, Schoology, as our main online platform. For families, please note that normal communication methods such as the School website, newsletters, weekly digest, emails and other online tools like Parent Portal will also continue to be used.

Parents are encouraged to: • Establish routines and expectations; • Define a space for your child to work in; • Monitor communications from teachers; • Encourage physical activity and/or exercise; • Check in with your child/children throughout the day and remember that your child’s teacher

and others will be available to help; • Keep your children connected, whilst practising ‘social distancing’; however, reinforce your rules

around their social media interactions.

Attendance recording Please read the ‘Getting Started’ section of the student guide above. It is vital that students and parents approach on-line school attendance just as they would when we are operating on site. You’ll find that the process is slightly different for the students. This process will allow us to stay connected as a community and ensure that we have several processes to keep track of how students and families are going. Student responsibilities Student responsibilities are age appropriate and adjusted accordingly. For example, what we would expect of a Year 7-9 students in terms of independent work, time management and organisation is very different to that of students in Years 10-12. Students should make steady progress in their online learning environment if they adhere to these suggested guidelines. Students should:

• Establish and/or follow a daily routine for learning; • Identify a safe, comfortable, quiet space in their home where they can work effectively and

successfully; • Monitor our digital platform, Schoology, and communicate via School email to check for

information and feedback from teachers; • Complete tasks with integrity and academic honesty, doing their best work; • Do their best to meet timelines, commitments, and due dates; • Communicate proactively with their teachers if they cannot meet deadlines or require

additional support.

Organising an appropriate learning environment Try to create a quiet and comfortable learning space that is conducive to this mode of learning. Your child may have a regular place for doing homework under normal circumstances, but this space may not be suitable for working in for an extended period.

FOR PARENTS

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A space/location for extended learning should be a public/family space, not in a bedroom, if possible. It should be a place that can be quiet at times and have a strong wireless internet signal. Student Wellbeing Parents are urged to be mindful that being confined to home for a long time can cause stress and conflict for any of us. Our students place great emphasis on their interactions with their peers and will be impacted by ‘social distancing’. Some suggestions for looking after your children during this period may include:

• Take the opportunity to talk to your whole family about what is happening. Understanding the situation will most likely reduce their anxiety and allow them to be critical consumers of the information surrounding the current health crisis.

• Help your children to consider how they have coped with difficult situations in the past and reassuring them that they will manage with this situation too. Reassure them that reduced peer to peer contact will not be permanent. Suggest they take a break from following regular news updates as overthinking this situation will not be helpful for them in the long run.

• Remind your child to exercise regularly. Options could include dancing, yoga, jumping on a trampoline or using home exercise equipment, if you have it. Exercise is a proven way of managing stress, low mood and depression.

• Encourage your children to keep in touch with family members and friends via telephone, email or social media (where appropriate), Facetime.

Tutorial groups will not be running but Tutors will call to check in on each student twice a week. See Section 4 – Getting Help section above for more details. Parent monitoring We encourage you to start and finish each day with a simple check-in. These check-ins should be a regular part of each day and start straight away. Not all students initially respond positively to an online learning environment; some struggle with too much independence or lack of structure and the check-ins help keep them on track. Please refer to the sample daily timetable at the bottom of this document as a guide. In the morning, you could ask:

• What are you learning today? • What are your learning objectives or goals? • How will you be spending your time? • What resources do you require? • What support do you need?

In the afternoon, you could ask: • What did you learn today? • Identify one thing that was difficult. Either let it go or come up with a strategy to deal

with the same problem if it comes up again. • Consider three things that went well today. Why were they good? • Are you okay? • Do you need to ask your teacher for something? • Do you need help with something to make tomorrow more successful?

These specific questions are relevant because they allow your child to process the instructions they have received from their teachers and help them organise themselves and set priorities. Older students may not want to have these check-ins with parents (you probably know this already!) but they should anyway.

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Teacher communication Teachers may be communicating with your child during this period using video or audio chat applications such as Schoology, Microsoft Teams, and School email. Teachers may have set times where students can chat with them online and stream teacher-generated instructional video lessons. These pre-arranged sessions will correspond with their timetabled lesson for that subject to avoid confusion. It is important for you and your child to remember that teachers will be available to offer support and guidance during school hours (8.30am-3.15pm). Please encourage your child to, where able, collect all their questions into one email for a particular teacher, rather than send a separate email for each question. Alternatively, sending multiple questions for multiple subjects to the one teacher should also be avoided. Managing Screen Time Screen time refers to the amount of time a user spends on a device to access on-screen activities. There are limits as to the amount of time everyone should spend online, but the amounts and the rules for screen time vary by age. Video conferencing and social interactions using video do not count towards screen time. Suggested screen times (excluding video conferencing) are based on the recommendations from the Australian Parents Council and the Australian Government who recommend that 5-17 year olds non-school screen time should be less than 2 hours per day. Students can very easily find themselves completely immersed in some screen time activities such as online socialising and gaming which can negatively impact their ability to negotiate their online learning. Digital Citizenship and Online Safety Students at SACS are well versed in digital citizenship and online safety. It is important that our students maintain safe and responsible use of information and communication technologies whilst participating in their online learning environment. This includes appropriate use of digital platforms, privacy and information protection, respectful communication and how to deal with online issues. Your Support If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school directly by phone or email rather than discussing on social media or message groups. Please avoid assessing teacher work presentations or comparing teacher materials for different classes/students. We are all trying our best in unusual circumstances.

We’re All Unique Finally, we readily acknowledge that every family group is unique and operates on structures and routines that best suit their work life and personal commitments. The above is intended as a guide to support you and we understand that you may need to massage the basic structure of the ‘School’ day to meet the needs of your family. All our staff wish you and your family the very best over the coming period of uncertainty and look forward to working alongside you to retain a sense of ‘normalcy’ in very abnormal circumstances.

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7.00am Wake Up The days are shorter; Enjoy a few extra minutes in bed! Eat breakfast, get dressed, make your bed and organise your study space.

7:30am Daily Exercise Do some exercise!

8:00am Plan the Day Open Schoology and plan your morning. Go to you Schoology Tutor Group course and complete your Roll Call form. Your Tutor may have also left some optional wellbeing and mindfulness exercises. Then, what will you do first? Establish a home and study program that works for you.

8:30am Periods 1&2 Make a start to your ‘school day’. You are used to 1hour lessons, try to keep to that schedule. Your teacher will be available during your scheduled period(s) to answer any questions.

10:35am Morning Tea Make a healthy food choice; have a big drink of water and sit in the sun while you eat. Exposure to the sun means lots of Vitamin D.

10:55am Period 3 Keep going

12:00 Lunch break Go to the kitchen and make your lunch; It could be last night’s leftovers or a big, healthy salad roll, and have another drink of water. You might listen to your favourite music, read your book or just relax.

Your Tutor may call you here to check on how you’re going. Expect a Microsoft Teams video/audio call twice a week. Check in with your friend(s)/Tutor Group buddy.

Do some exercise with Train Heroic, have a stretch, chat with some friends.

12:45pm Periods 4 & 5 Keep going

2:45pm Afternoon Tea Grab a quick snack and another drink of water!

Your Tutor may also call you here to check on how you’re going. Expect a Microsoft Teams video/audio call twice a week. Check in with your friend(s)/Tutor Group buddy.

3:15pm Homework Finish any work that has not been completed, or work on any major tasks that have been set.

4:30pm Afternoon Activities Get outside in the fresh air and ride your bike, scooter or skateboard. Or perhaps you need to take the dog for a walk, do some chores, etc

6:00pm Dinner Sit with your family, enjoy your dinner and a chat about the day.

7:00pm> Rest and Relaxation Watch your favourite program and have some family time.

Put your device on charge in the family room, have a shower and get ready for bed. Read a book, your bible or do a wellbeing/mindfulness exercise from your Tutor Group chat room.

Turn off the light and go to sleep.

Sample Remote Daily Schedule (Phase 1 remote cohort day schedule for Year 7-11)

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As your teacher I promise to…

Online Communication Netiquette As a learner I

promise to…

Check my emails daily during the school week.

Respond to course related questions during the week the task is given. If questions are pertinent to the whole class, I will share with the whole class (anonymously if requested).

Post lesson instructions and reminders by 8.30am once per week or more frequently as needed.

Give feedback on any submitted work.

Conduct at least one live video conference and recorded session per week during school hours. Staff dress code, no eating/drinking.

Check my Schoology updates by 8.30am daily during the school week.

Check my emails at least twice a day during the school week.

Complete all tasks set within the given time frame.

Ask questions and seek clarification when necessary.

Attend any scheduled live video conference classes during school time and provide reasons if unable to. School/PE uniform, no eating/drinking.

Don’t be on your phone during class video conferences. Give the class and teacher your full attention.

Use emoticons , etc to indicate tone of voice. It can be hard to tell emotion in a text based message. Emojis give your message a social touch.

Do not write in all uppercase. ALL CAPS MEANS YOU ARE SHOUTING although you may not mean it.

Check before you post. Always check whether a similar question to yours has been posted and answered on the discussion board to avoid duplication.

Remember you are talking to your classmates – they are human and have feelings.

Behave online as you would to a person face to face: respectful and courteous.