Parent Update July 18th 2020

July 18th, 2020

Dear STrEaM Families,

I hope this letter finds you well, healthy, enjoying the Alaskan summer wearing masks and practicing social distancing. While the Coronavirus still hangs over our daily lives, I know Alaskans are adapting and adjusting. We’re strong, resourceful and resilient. That is also how we are approaching planning for school in the fall.

As the school district has announced, the plan is to return to school on August 20th. I want to give an overview of our plans, and what school may look like going forward.

Schedule: We will follow ASD’s direction, planning to return to school August 20th two days per week. Students will attend Monday-Tuesday or Thursday-Friday. Our school day will be from 8:00 AM until 1:30 PM. Hopefully by September this shifts to five days per week. Students will have 3 classes: either a Math/Science or a Language Arts/Social Studies block, and rotate at quarter.  Students will be in small cohort groups for these blocks, and will not change classrooms in order to reduce potential contact and spread. They will still have frequent breaks and outdoor learning activities.

Curriculum: We will continue as we always have done supplementing all our classes online. Our staff has always used Google Classroom to back up their in-person instruction, allowing broad access to information, assignments and assessments. This fall we will adopt Canvas, the platform ASD uses district-wide. Whether school in person, blended or virtual, we are prepared to teach and support our students.

Our mission is three-tiered: Project-Based, STEM and Outdoor Experiential Education. We will continue to focus on these areas.  A block schedule with 3 classes is actually more conducive to Project-Based Learning, allowing teachers more time with a group of students and more flexibility for in-depth cross-curricular projects.  special emphasis is outdoor learning. There is vast historical precedent and evidence that being outdoors greatly mitigates the spread of germs. It allows for more distancing as well as open air circulation, great benefits over the closed spaces of indoor classrooms. We are working to add more outdoor learning time and spaces, including a project Mr. Perkins is spearheading to build an open air, covered classroom space in our backyard.

ASD Virtual: ASD has offered virtual learning for all families, allowing you to stay at home while remaining enrolled in your school of choice. As we coordinate with the district and learn more about how this affects STrEaM, we will share information with you.

Survey: Please take a moment to to complete this online survey on returning to school, which will inform our decisions and focus moving forward: https://forms.gle/1oVohDxheptsop326

Morning Coffee: I know you have many questions. While I cannot promise answers, I can promise that I will listen and communicate with you as soon as I have them. I can promise we will do everything we can to meet your needs, keep students safe and keep them learning. Please join us on Zoom or Youtube this Wednesday, 7/22 at 8 AM as we resume our weekly virtual “Morning Coffee” meetings. Links forthcoming this week.

Whatever will come, we are dedicated to serving our students and families. We are #STrEaMStrong. We will continue to provide a rich, unique and quality education regardless of the challenges before us.

Sincerely,

Adam Mokelke, Principal