First Steps and Pre-Primary

• After receiving initial notice from the Head of School about school closure and timelines, families will receive an email from the FISW Principal with division-specific information.

• The primary tools for communication between teachers and families will be PowerSchool Learning to parents, (initially), then Seesaw for specific engagements.

• Distance learning for FS/PP children will focus on the approaches to learning (social, communication, self-management, research and thinking skills), including emergent literacy and numeracy skills

• Learning activities may be conducted in English or the family’s home language.

• Learning activities and experiences will emphasize interaction and creativity requiring minimal technology or specialized materials.

• The FS/PP team will provide parents with:

○ activities and experiences targeted at certain skills;

○ invitations that encourage children and families to engage with their environment;

○ ideas to provide children opportunities to process their experiences while developing cognitive, language and fine motor skills.

• As significant adult support will be required, there is no completion requirement for First Steps/Pre Primary children.

Primary and Grade 1

• After receiving initial notice from the Head of School about school closure and timelines, families will receive an email from the FISW Principal with division-specific information.

• The primary tools for communication between teachers and families will be PowerSchool Learning to parents, (initially), then Seesaw for specific engagements.

• Primary and Grade 1 students will have primarily off-screen learning activities designed to continue their progress through the grade level curriculum.

• Learning tasks and activities will provide direction to families on how best to support student learning and the expected level of adult involvement. Students in Primary and Grade 1 will need higher levels of support than older students. However, all learning engagements will be designed to be completed with a high degree of independence.

For all First Steps through Grade 1

• Homeroom teachers will be offering a live classroom meeting each day via Zoom at a standard time for the students and teachers to connect, answer questions or share their learning.

• Notification for a live classroom meeting will be sent via a Seesaw Announcement

• Aside from the scheduled live classroom meetings, all teachers will be available via Zoom during regular school hours

• Please note that we encourage you to download Zoom for Client Meetings or Zoom Mobile Apps (Click here for instructions) and this version of Seesaw (Click here for instructions) now. While we have not yet activated distance learning, having this set up on your home devices and ready to go will make the transition easier should it be needed.