DISTANCE LEARNING

From the first day Westmark implements its DLP, parents need to help establish routines and expectations. Westmark will create a structure for remote school days for students and teachers to ensure both synchronous and asynchronous learning activities on a predictable schedule that approximates the school day. Keep normal bedtime routines for younger children and expect the same from your Middle and Upper School aged students, too. (Don’t let them stay up late and sleep in!) Your children should move regularly and take periodic breaks as they study. It is important that parents set these expectations for how their children will spend their days starting as soon as distance learning is implemented, not several days later after it becomes apparent a child is struggling with the absence of routine.

Your child may have a regular place for doing homework under normal circumstances, but this space may or may not be suitable for an extended period of time, as will be the case when DLP is implemented. We encourage families to establish a workspace / location. This should be a public/family space, not in a child’s bedroom. It should be a place that can be quiet at times and have a strong wireless internet signal. If possible, it should be a space where parents are present and monitoring their children’s learning.

Teachers and advisors will communicate with parents routinely. We encourage parents to reach out to advisors, teachers and directors with any questions or concerns.

Parents are encouraged to start and finish each day with a simple check-in. Parents should establish these check-ins as regular parts of each day. Not all students thrive in a distance learning environment; some struggle with a change of routine. These check-in routines need to be established early, before students fall behind or begin to struggle.

In the course of a regular school day at Westmark, your son or daughter engages with other students or adults dozens if not hundreds of times. These social interactions and opportunities for mediation include turning to a peer to exchange a thought or idea, participating in small or large group discussions, asking questions for clarification, collaborating on group projects, and countless other moments. While some of these social interactions will be re-created on virtual platforms, others will not. Human beings learn best when they have opportunities to process their learning with others. Beyond the check-ins recommended at the start and end of each day, parents should regularly circle back and engage with their children about what they’re learning. However, it’s important that your child own their work; don’t complete assignments for them, even when they are struggling.

A huge challenge for families with multiple children will be how to manage all of their children’s needs, especially when those children are different ages and have different needs. There may be times when siblings need to work in different rooms to avoid distraction. Parents may even experiment with noise-cancelling headphones (no music necessary!) to block out distractions.

Make sure your children remember to move and exercise. This is vitally important to their health, wellbeing, and to their learning. Westmark’s physical education teachers will recommend activities or exercises.

Westmark will implement the DLP only when necessary. It is imperative for parents to help their children manage the worry, anxiety, and range of emotions they may experience. Difficult though it may be, do your best not to transfer your stress or worry to your children. As a reminder, our School Counselor will be available.

The first couple of days may seem exciting, but the initial excitement of school being closed will fade quickly. Students will start missing their friends, classmates, and teachers. Help your child maintain contact with friends and please monitor your children’s social media use. Older students will rely more on social media to communicate with friends. Remind your children to be polite, respectful, and appropriate in their communications and to represent your family’s values in their interactions with others. A student’s written words and tone can sometimes offend or cause harm to others.