Distance Learning Update
Greetings Parents & Guardians,
Thank you for your patience as we’ve taken some time to get our distance learning plans ready to launch. Below is a guide to beginning distance-learning activities. Please take a moment to read through this material. All Kimberly teachers and staff are committed to being flexible and supportive of your students as we find our way together. Communication is key during this time. If you are experiencing any difficulty or have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher. We believe that students’ well-being is much more important than any academic content. Our ultimate goal is not only to find a way to deliver instruction, but to find a means to provide some stabilizing activities in what is a very uncertain time. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be helpful in anyway.
Thanks,
Megan Garner, Principal
Kimberly Elementary
(208) 423-4170 Ext. 3032
Getting Started…
Where do I find the assignments for Digital Learning Days?
All teachers will have current plans and instructions uploaded to our school website weekly. Each week’s materials will be uploaded the night before the start of the week. You can see each grade level page here:
Tip: bookmark the pages on your browser so they are easy to find next time
What if my student cannot log on every day?
All learning activities will be asynchronous, meaning that they can be completed at any time. Lesson plans will be set up for a week at a time, with assignments checked as they are turned in or at the end of each week.
For example, if your student is not able to log on Monday & Tuesday, they have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to do their best to complete the lessons before the end of the week. Again, flexibility will be given here as we learn together.
The same flexibility will apply to students who are working on packets- if you are not able to pick them up or turn them in during the expected timeframe, we will work with you on what’s feasible.
How long should my child spend on each assignment?
Assignments will vary depending on the nature of the material. Teachers will be mindful about the amount of assignments being made each day in order to keep the total work time to no more than 4 hours (2.5 for Kindergarten). If it takes your student longer than this amount of time, please communicate with your child’s teacher.
Tip: www.GoNoodle.com is a great place to find fun movement activities for kids!
How do I communicate with my child’s teacher?
All teachers and staff members will have office hours when they can be contacted by phone, or in some cases, by video chat. Outside of office hours, email is the best way to reach your child’s teacher.
Tip: many of our teachers use SeeSaw, ClassDojo, or Remind101 to stay in touch with parents. If you’ve already contacted them through their channel this year, continue to do so!
What about Specials Classes?
Specials lessons are a great way to incorporate movement and enrichment throughout the day! All specials teachers will be uploading weekly content appropriate for your child’s age & grade level to their webpage here. Most of the time, these plans will also be included in the grade-level teacher’s weekly plans.
What do I do if my child has a physical packet to work on instead of digital?
Some grade levels are currently using physical packets for their distance learning plans. If your teacher has set up distance learning completely digital, you may request a packet on an individual basis. Please see the attached district guidelines:
Instructional Material Delivery and Pick-up
- Vestibules (main entrance) will be open to parents from 8-4 on weekdays.
- Packets will be available for pick up on the first day of the week. (This will be Tuesday, March 31st 2021 for the first week of distance learning)
- Packets can be turned in when completed or at the end of the week.
- Your child’s teacher will have individual plastic totes to exchange packets with parents which can be disinfected easily.
- The vestibules will be cleaned and disinfected daily when being used by custodial staff.
- Cleaning and Disinfecting Procedures: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/disinfecting-building-facility.html
How will my student be graded on their work?
Each teacher has their own grading policy that will be used. Please direct and support your students to turn in assignments as directed in the teacher’s plans. If you have any questions, please contact your teacher. Especially during this first week, teachers are going to be extremely flexible with assignments as we all learn together.
Support Services
Students Receiving Title One Reading Support:
We are working with classroom teachers to develop ways to support students who normally receive Title support during the school week. Stay tuned for more information to come. Email your child’s teacher or Mrs. Stone at lstone@kimberly.edu with any questions you have in the meantime.
Students with an IEP:
All teachers connected to these students will monitor assignments and offer support during school hours. For students who receive pull-out instruction for any subject, the Resource Room staff has come up with distance alternatives to support each student’s IEP goals. They will reach out to parents directly and may update general information on their webpage, here.
Jamie Garcia, and Ms. Haught will conduct scheduled IEP meetings through phone conference or online sessions during the extended closure period.
Request for School Counselor Services:
Mrs. Snell, our school counselor, will be available by phone at (208) 423-4170 Ext. 3030 and by email at jsnell@kimberly.edu.
School Support Contacts
Principal: Megan Garner, mgarner@kimberly.edu
Vice Principal: Victoria Larsen, vlarsen@kimberly.edu
School Counselor: Jennifer Snell, jsnell@kimberly.edu
Secretary: Allie Jensen ajensen@kimberly.edu
Laptop Support/Student Application Help: Shayla Tolman, stolman@kimberly.edu
Librarian: Kelly Stover, kstover@kimberly.edu
Title One: Leah Stone, lstone@kimberly.edu
Extended Day Kindergarten: Sara Lee, slee@kimberly.edu
Resource Room: Jamie Garcia, jgarcia@kimberly.edu