Dear Sprague Families,
Pictures are worth a thousand words! Nothing makes me happier than to open pictures of students engaged in creative ways of learning, family time, and kids just being kids. You are always encouraged to keep the pictures coming, please.
First and always foremost, the health and safety of students and their families takes priority! Please continue to remain in good health and enjoy this gift of time with each other. This is and always will be at the forefront of our hearts and minds.
Brene Brown, PhD and LMSW, has been quoted as saying, “Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together.” Boy! If that is not always true but specifically during this time. I wholeheartedly believe in imperfection and “messy”. Both make us stronger, helps us to grow/change, and reminds us that we are human beings. I have encouraged and reminded the Sprague staff to embrace imperfection, at all times, but specifically during this time. I encourage families to do the same. I know I have and continue to do so!
Your great patience this past week while being moms/dads/parents/caretakers/workers in the workplace, and every other role you play, is recognized, honored, and celebrated by all. You are loved and appreciated! During this past week, on the district side, there have been many behind-the-scenes meetings, collaborations, planning, and execution of what we are pleased to share as suggested remote learning opportunities for our students. As stated in the Superintendent’s Thursday, March 19th 2:58 pm email, “It’s important to note that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has given clear direction to districts that remote learning is not intended to replicate the work we normally do with students when school is in session, including the introduction of new curricula and graded assessments. Rather, the focus should be on providing enrichment opportunities that allow students to remain engaged in learning and to deepen their exposure to previously taught material. The attached overview provides a detailed explanation of what remote learning will look like at each level in WPS and how parents and students can access these web-based resources. The WPS Remote Learning website will be live beginning tomorrow, March 20th, at 8AM and can be accessed through our WPS website.”
As the remote learning is officially launched Friday, March 20th at 8:00 am, please spend the time exploring its offerings prior to getting started. This will allow you and our students to acknowledge what is suggested and to create a schedule, if you will, of what a learning day will look like using these resources. A suggested learning day is that of two hours. Students will also be greeted each day with a message from teachers reminding each to be positive, always do his/her best, and to continue to engage in creative ways of learning outside of the remote site as well. This unusual time we are experiencing allows for creativity, imagination, and choice on the part of all our students. These cannot be overlooked and are always encouraged. In other words, please continue to create your own science experiment outdoors, explore nature, build using blocks/Legos, create, cook, imagine, observe, listen, watch, communicate, and enjoy!
I encourage us all to embrace a one day at a time philosophy, as we have been doing, and know that your Sprague family is here, happy to help, and misses you all! Please keep the lines of communication open as that is how we support each other during imperfection.
Other Updates:
If you have experienced challenges accessing the science and coding sites shared through the CAS representatives and teachers earlier this week, please note these challenges have been addressed and rectified. At this point, please try the site again. If you experience further challenges with either of the two shared websites, please communicate with chair@spraguecas.com Thank you to CAS, Creative, Arts, and Sciences.
Thoughts of a Dog (Jill Heckman, grade 4 teacher and Twitter)
No communication would be complete without Thoughts of a Dog. I just love it so! I could not have said it better myself.
goooob morning. i know you’ve got a lot going on right now. so i wanted to mention. i think you’re doing great
Respectfully,
Leigh