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Adams Elementary School issued the following announcement on April 20

Adams Update moves to Mondays 

Under our new form of instruction, teachers’ Week-at-a-Glance are being posted on the district and Adams website by 4:00 p.m. each Friday. To help you manage the flow of information from the school, we’ll plan to release the Adams Update on Mondays.

Continuity of Learning Plan (CLP) Highlights, Part II

Last week we listed several highlights from the CLP in the Adams Update (those highlights are still available at the end of this Update). Here are more highlights about our new style of instruction: 

- We are emphasizing social

-emotional health first, above all else. If your child is struggling emotionally, please do not hesitate to reach out to his/her teacher, or to me, and we can put you in touch with resources. 

- Traditional grades will not be given for students in grades K-11. Student performance will be rated “Passing” or “Incomplete” at the end of the school year. 

- Just a reminder: the Week at a Glance for each teacher, district-wide, will be posted on the district and Adams website, Friday afternoons by 4:00 p.m. For easy reference, here is the link for the page: https://sites.google.com/midlandps.org/mpsweekataglance/home

Tips and Tools for Social-Emotional Learning

Hi Friends! We hope that you are happy, getting outside to play, showing kindness and caring to those around you, and taking time to learn from home! We know that learning from home is very different from learning from school. It is probably easier to get distracted and more tempting to stay in bed or play with your siblings or pets. Learning from home is still important, though, so we want to help you create a space for learning at your house. Setting up a spot at home that makes you feel comfortable can make your brain more focused and ready to learn. Here are some ways that you can set up your very own learning space:

1. Change out of your pajamas. This signals your brain that it’s no longer time for sleeping, but time to get going for the day! 

2. Keep your morning routine. Brush your teeth and hair, eat breakfast, and get your body moving! 

3. Choose a space that you can go to everyday to do your learning. If you always go to the same spot, your brain will remember that learning happens when you are there and it will help you focus! (Try to choose a spot that isn’t in the middle of other people doing things like watching TV, cooking, or running around). 

4. Find a comfy chair. You may be doing work for a little while. Being comfortable makes it easier to focus!

5. If you can, try to do your work at the same time, everyday! Creating this routine will make it easy to remember and make your days feel more “normal” and familiar.

We hope that this helps and remember - your teachers and school staff miss you all!!

Technology Tips

The importance of educational technology has grown exponentially with our transition to distance learning. Here are some tips for managing technology and its use at this time.

- Zoom tips: think about the background behind your child while s/he is Zooming with the class. Also think about the noise, other discussions, and activities that are audible and visible while your child is with the class—be intentional about what is seen/heard! 

- Turning in technology: set a time limit for technology use, preferably one that leads to your child being off technology for at least 30-45 minutes prior to bedtime. That will help the transition to a good night’s sleep.

Special Education through Distance Learning

 If your child has an IEP, you will be hearing from your child’s provider (Special Education teacher) this week about the transition to Special Education services through distance learning.

Keeping it Kind: the Adams Community Rocks!

I was struck by two examples of the warmth of the Adams Elementary School community in the last week. First, what a beautiful article Dan Chalk wrote in the Midland Daily News about Grant Maciag, and how he is able to be involved in his Kindergarten class now, with our distance learning in place. Second, thank you to all of the volunteers and teachers who helped with Friday’s distribution of the Backpack Buddy materials. Several hundred bags (!) of food, class supplies, and Art materials were distributed to students for whom the supplies and food were helpful. Thank you to all for demonstrating how to “Keep it Kind” at Adams!

What is in the Continuity of Learning Plan (CLP)? (repeated from last week)

The MPS Continuity of Learning Plan details how instruction will happen for the remainder of the school year. You can view the plan at: https://www.midlandps.org/Content2/mps-continuity-of-learningplan. Highlights for elementary students include: 

- Your classes will have ongoing Zoom calls each week 

- Teaching will focus on Reading, Writing, and Math 

- Time expected: K-1 students expected to spend 30-45 on school each day, grades 2-3 will spend 45 – 60 minutes a day, and grades 4-5 will spend 60-120 minutes a day.

 - Teachers will post a Week at a Glance with activities for each week, by Friday at 4:00 p.m

Take care of yourselves and your families, and know that we are thinking of you. Stay safe, and be healthy.

Original source can be found here.