Evaluating Our Options for School Year 2020-21
July 24, 2020
Reflections from Terry Johnson
August 24, 2020
Hello Open School community,
As per the governor’s requirements for safe reentry and many of our major comprehensive districts are making the shift online, we are following suit by going remote for at least the first semester of learning.
I know this is heartbreaking news for many. We miss seeing you all in our hallways and classrooms. We want nothing more than to be in space with one another and have some return to normalcy. We also know that most schools not returning to in-person learning this fall may cause burden on families with childcare needs. Additionally, we know that many of our students felt they needed “more” out of the remote learning experience. However, your safety is our first and foremost priority which has guided this decision and process from the start.
We listened and learned from all the feedback provided and have created a remote learning program we are proud to say is innovative, follows best practices, and rooted in relationships and community. We followed our four guiding principles in all that we planned ,
This year we must;
- Promote Connection
- Preserve Community
- Protect Learning
- Transform Systemic Inequity
Some of the improvements to our online program are:
- More advocates for students – our ratio is now 1:9 giving more support and mentorship with our trained personnel.
- Opportunities for Synchronous learning without feeling tethered to a chrome book all day.
- More structured online schedule to help with student organization and time management
- Home visit/ outdoor Meet ups to ensure students get academic or social emotional support in person frequently.
- Organized Google Classroom norms so assignments, due dates, and schedules are easy to follow for our students and families.
- More celebrations and award ceremonies to show off the hard work our students are doing.
- Virtual clubs and Assemblies
- Yoga and mindfulness
- Collaborative partnership with Trillium Family Services for increased mental health support
- Keeping the Hexter structure to allow for rapid Credit attainment.
- Really interesting classes like Law & Logic (formerly Street Law), Science Fiction Literature, Music Production and Science Fiction Film!
You can find our Operational Blueprint here.
You can also find our Open School East 2020 Calendar !