April 3, 2020 Update – LOGICALLY SPEAKING
Dear Parents and Students,
You made it through Week 2 of distance learning! Well done. I want to pause and thank each one of you (students, parents, and teachers) for your ongoing diligence, patience, encouragement, and prayers as we continue to navigate learning together in new online platforms.
As we prepare to enter our third week of distance learning we continue to refine things within the various platforms. My primary area of prayer, however, is centered upon the heart and well-being of our students. Questions arise such as, “How are you doing? How are you holding up?”
We are receiving and hearing quite positive feedback in terms of overall spirits, structure, workload, balance, etc. I realize, however, that each person (or home) may be experiencing ‘quarantine life’ in very different ways.
Although we remain committed to academics, please know that the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical components are of great importance or concern to us during these unusual times. To this end, please share feedback with me (and/or my faculty) in terms of how things are going in your homes, how can we be of assistance or help, etc.
In this newsletter you will find updates and helpful links or docs on a variety of topics including how to upload documents, how to help students navigate organization issues, calendar info/dates, etc. Have a blessed weekend. Grace and peace,
Mr. Jones
Logic School Headmaster
March 27, 2020 Update – LOGICALLY SPEAKING
Dear Logic School Parents (and Students),
Congratulations! You made it through your first week of virtual learning at Geneva. You all did a great job! It was fun to see so many of your smiling faces on Zoom. I, and the teachers, really miss you all.
Embedded in this post you will find helpful information, including an updated Weekly Zoom Meeting Schedule. After you read this entire letter (and complete any assignments due today), please be sure to get off your screens for a while. Go relax and enjoy your weekend. Build a puzzle, play a game, read a book for pleasure, watch a movie, play in the backyard, exercise, etc.
We appreciate your heartfelt prayers and encouragement. It has lifted our spirits during these unique times. Know that I will continue to pray for each one of the students and your homes as we move forward. We appreciate your consistency in this area as well. Please let me or my staff know how we can best assist you during this season of online learning.
In Him,
Mr. Jones
Logic School Headmaster
Purpose of Weekly Zoom Meetings Versus the LMS
Because everything is so new, it may be good to pause and remind ourselves as to the intended purpose of the weekly Zoom meetings. In summary, they are designed to offer weekly connections for each class or subject via face-to-face interaction. There will be some Q&A and limited instruction as teachers review questions (in Math or Physics, for example). There may be the occasional discussion, but it will not be in-depth along the lines of the Socratic Method we often employ in-person during our classes.
The scheduled Zoom meetings are not designed to be the medium for the delivery of primary instruction. This is done on the LMS in the form of posted assignments, readings, some pre-recorded video lessons/lectures, links to other helpful information, etc. Students will need to watch pre-recorded videos, follow-up on assignments, meet due dates, etc. as they learn to self-pace. It is not as easy as simply showing up at the appointed Zoom time to be filled with knowledge. Questions and directions will be posted to the class dashboards and the Chat Wall will be the primary mode of communication. I do not anticipate that each and every scheduled Zoom meeting will last the full 30-minutes.
Revised LS Weekly Zoom Schedule
Per former communications, we wanted to stay the course and not make any major changes to the initial or posted Zoom Schedule this week. With that said, we have determined that we need to make a few changes which will begin on Monday (March 30) and guide us through our season of distance learning. Attached you will find an updated LS Weekly Zoom Schedule. Be sure to review this and consider creating your own weekly calendar if/as needed (if you have not already done so).
To allow for restroom breaks and given the nature of technology (finding Meeting ID numbers, logging-in and out of Zoom, etc.) we have added a 10-minute break or virtual passing period between all Zoom meetings. In doing so, most of the formerly scheduled meeting times have shifted. Please note that teachers will post Zoom Meeting ID and password info on their LMS under the Assignments/Units section or on their Calendar (not necessarily on the Chat Wall, as they are quickly filling-up with questions or clarifications over the course of a given day or week).
You may notice that the LMS does not allow for the scheduling of items or appointments on the Class Calendar unless they are at the top or bottom of the hour (:00 or :30, if you will). As such, teachers may need to schedule their class at the top or bottom of the hour closest to, and prior to, the actual scheduled meeting time. (For example, a 9:40 am scheduled Zoom meeting may be reflected as 9:30 am on the calendar. When you click on the Calendar or Assignment associated to the scheduled Zoom meeting, it will show the info correctly under the notes: 9:40 am to 10:10 am with the appropriate Meeting ID number, password, etc).
We have added one additional scheduled Zoom meeting for Language Arts (all grades and sections) on Monday mornings. Per my notes above, these will be informational times outlining the week (not primary instruction) and should be fairly brief. Language Arts, Math, and Physics are the only classes with multiple scheduled Zoom times embedded in the overall weekly schedule for LS. These classes would normally meet 5 times per week and have been given the greatest priority, if you will, in our modified approach from a scheduling standpoint.
You will also notice that we have switched the day of the week for Science (7th) and Latin (8th) to allow more flexibility and availability for these teachers (they will no longer have multiple grades all on the same day for their Zoom schedule and will be more accessible as a result).
Optional Zooms for Devotional Groups
To offer continued fellowship with our multi-grade level Devotional groups (at least virtually), we have added an optional Zoom meeting once per week for your student. These will be hosted on Friday mornings from 10:00 am to 10:30 am by your child’s primary Devo Leader (in cases where there are 2 teachers or coaches). Information for Devos (including Zoom Meeting ID’s and passwords) will be found on the LMS under the class or section entitled, ‘Homeroom.’ We would love for students to join these regular Friday Devos, but we are making them optional at this time given the complexity of online learning for many students or homes.
LS Zoom Procedures for Students
Attached you will also find a document entitled, ‘LS Zoom Procedures for Students.’ (Check ParentSquare post for this schedule) Students did a nice job logging-in and out this week of their scheduled Zoom meetings. To help provide consistency with overall LS expectations in this area, you and your student will need to review the attached document before attempting to Zoom on Monday. If you have any questions, please let me (or your teachers) know.
The scheduled Zoom meeting times are ‘classes’ and are of great importance. As a result, they will continue to count as significant class participation grades during our season of online learning. As such, it is imperative that students are present and on time when logging-in to each class, and that each class operates with minimal or no disruptions. To this end, please let us know if you are experiencing any ongoing technical difficulties or limitations in your home with any of the online or digital platforms. Please be sure to email your child’s teacher if he/she were to miss a scheduled Zoom time due to technological issues so they are aware.
Similarly, if you or your student are ever in doubt about how to do something related to Zoom, or are unsure as to procedures for a Zoom class meeting, please just ask a member of faculty or staff. The best guiding or framing question for a student to ask if they are ever in doubt or unsure about Zoom etiquette is, “Would I normally do this (insert behavior) in a regular classroom?” If the answer is ‘no’ then they probably should not do it in a Zoom class. Teachers will help to redirect if/as needed. Note: if your student struggles with his or her behavior during a scheduled Zoom meeting, the teacher will be in contact with your home. Grace and peace to you all.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020 Update
Dear Logic School Parents (and Students),
Good morning. I hope everything is well as we continue with this new season of Distance Learning in Logic School. Thank you for your heartfelt prayers, patience, and encouragement as we journey together. With His grace, I am confident that we can and will flourish as a community during these times!
As you continue to navigate plans for the week, here are some quick updates or reminders:
LMS and Zoom Updates
Thank you for your patience with the LMS. We realize that there may have been some delays yesterday morning as it was loading on many home computers or other devices. It seems to be working better now after the initial wave of traffic. Hopefully it will be solid today and as we move forward. Please know that RenWeb/FACTS is also diligently working to expand their overall capabilities in order to keep up with traffic and demand, which should be a great benefit to GSB (and other schools nationally).
Students will log-in to their assigned Zoom classes using a Meeting ID number (a 9-digit code) and a password (an actual ‘word’ – not a series of numbers) which are posted on the respective class walls or dashboards specific to each teacher or subject.
After today, the teachers will embed their Zoom Meetings on their Assignment Calendars as well. To minimize excessive emails there will NOT be a Zoom meeting link sent to you (or your student) for every Zoom period or class. For security purposes, please do NOT share the Zoom meeting info with anyone outside of Geneva (or your child’s section).
Seventh Grade parents, you will notice a slight change to the Zoom Schedule for Wednesdays with Mrs. Rockwell. This will be reflected on her class dashboard and your times will be exactly one hour later (10:30, 11:00 and 11:30). She was inadvertently ‘double-booked’ on her Zoom meetings with 6th and 7th graders at the same time. Although she is an amazing teacher, I am not sure that she could actually pull this off (unless she has recently cloned herself). Hmmm?
Note: We are going to monitor the Zoom meetings this week and make adjustments if/as needed. The intent is/was for Zoom meetings to be around 20-25 minutes in length, hence the 30-minute assigned times to allow for a slight buffer. The teachers will end the Zoom meetings a couple of minutes early. There is no need for students to frantically worry about logging-out in order to make your next class (similar to a passing period or physically switching classes on the Boardwalk). If you find the need to use the restroom between classes, then please do so. When you are finished just log in to your next Zoom class. It will be okay.
Communications
The LMS will be your primary home or source for classroom communications. Although your LS student was required to create an email account in order to access the LMS, teachers are NOT emailing LS students for communication purposes. In fact, LS teachers have been asked to NOT correspond with your student directly in this manner (or via text messages). This is for overall consistency in LS, and so the teachers remain above reproach professionally (even in this season of distance/online learning) in terms of one-on-one student interactions, communications, etc.
Ideally, LS students will ask questions with their respective teachers on the class chat wall/boards. This can be done as a group and/or individually. This will be the primary student method of follow-up in LS as we move forward, along with the aforementioned Zoom class meetings throughout the week for Q&A.
If you (or your student) need to email the teacher (outside of the class chat/dashboard) please be sure to do so using your parent/family email associated with your RenWeb account. Teachers will remain readily accessible during the normal school day via email for parents and students. If you need to set a time or ask additional questions outside of the LMS chat or Zoom meetings, please email the appropriate teacher as needed. Note: due to recent announcements nationally and locally in San Antonio/Boerne, the vast majority of our teachers (and even some staff) will likely be working remotely from their homes over the next 2-weeks. Everyone will still be available to assist you if/as needed.
Third Quarter Grades
With all of the busyness you may or may not have noticed that Third Quarter Report Cards were posted on RenWeb last Friday. As we were originally set to return from Spring Break last Monday, LS teachers have given students the option to complete missing or outstanding assignments for the third quarter (due to illness or absence – not something from January you forgot to turn in) this week. In essence, students may make-up missing work or choose to leave the grade/assignment blank (they will not earn a zero). Teachers have been reaching out to students and families who may be impacted in this manner. Please be sure to follow-up with the appropriate teacher(s) if you have any questions and for the completion of such assignments if/as desired.
Note: Third quarter grades cannot be amended or changed after this Friday, March 27. Mrs. Champion will be sending Academic Probation letters (emails) on behalf of my office early next week based on the final quarterly grades. Admittedly, I am not quite sure what this means at present in light of our seasonal move to virtual learning? I just know that we need to do it for overall record-keeping. Please be aware and also be sure contact me or my office if you have any questions regarding third quarter grades.
Summary
On behalf of the LS faculty and staff, I want to thank you again for your ongoing support and encouragement during these unique times. Please know that I, along with the teachers, are praying for you and your children daily. We would appreciate your continued prayers as well. I/we can already see evidence of God’s presence in so many areas of life.
On Friday, I will look to send another greeting with any updates in the form of a Logically Speaking. In the interim, please let me or my office know how we can best assist you moving forward. Have fun today in your first Zoom meetings. I may stop-by to say, ‘hello’ to some of you. I promise I will not be in my bathrobe and slippers, although I will have coffee. Be encouraged and stay joyful!
In Him,
Mr. Jones
March 20, 2020 Update – LOGICALLY SPEAKING
Dear Logic School Parents (and Students),
Greetings. I hope this letter finds you well and that you are safe during these uncertain times. I want to extend my heartfelt prayers as we collectively remain grounded in our faith, steady in our resolve, and place all hope in Christ.
As you are aware Geneva has been developing plans for distance learning. I, along with the faculty and staff, have been working diligently to move Logic School to an online platform.
Here is the plan:
Gathering Books and Materials
Students will need to collect their school materials and textbooks from their lockers. You may begin this afternoon and/or throughout the weekend. The campus will be physically open during daylight hours over the weekend. Students will notice that we have placed new literature books and some materials for the fourth quarter in each locker.
Students are encouraged to practice and maintain social distancing while they are on campus. If your family finds themselves in a situation where, due to quarantine or travel restrictions, you are unable to physically collect your child’s materials, please contact me or my office directly and we will assist you.
Approach to Distance Learning and LMS
We will be utilizing a variety of methods and platforms in order to facilitate distance learning for your student through their online or digital classroom found on the Learning Management System (LMS), which is tied to the FACTS/RenWeb Student Information System (SIS) employed at Geneva. Please see Amy Metzger’s ParentSquare post from yesterday for more information on how to access this and to log-in via student email address.
Materials and content will be found on the LMS dashboard and will be delivered through a variety of formats including pre-recorded video lessons or lectures, posted weekly readings and assignments, and follow-up assessments or interaction. It will look slightly different for each class based on subject matter needs. Assessments, for example, will include a combination of quizzes/tests, weekly video conferences (via Zoom), and even a chat feature on the student’s LMS homepage.
Typical Week and Overall Flow
The intent is for your student to plan for their week by logging-in to the LMS on Monday morning. There they will find their dashboard complete with classes, assignments, videos, links, etc. along with a calendar and due dates for the week. The LMS student dashboard is their online home base, for lack of better words.
On Mondays they will watch some of their pre-recorded videos, in addition to beginning readings and other classroom assignments in preparation for scheduled classroom Zoom video conferences later in the week. This will also help them as they prepare to meet various due dates for assignments/quizzes throughout the week.
There will be an embedded rhythm and flow to the week. However, it will be incumbent upon each student to develop his or her own schedule for studying and the completion of assignments outside of the assigned or scheduled Zoom conferences for consistency during the week.
Please know that we are starting slowly and have embraced a ‘Less is More’ approach at this time. Course content has been scaled-back in all subjects to help with overall accessibility for your student and so that it will be manageable within a normal school day (considerably less time, actually).
All subjects are being taught with a modified approach. Greater emphasis has been placed on some subjects (Math, Science, and Latin) due to instructional needs, delivery, and support. Some partial credit courses are not being taught this quarter (Grammar, Logic, and Dialectic) to help with overall scheduling and balance.
Fine Arts and Athletics will be providing modified lessons or recommended enrichment activities for students (which may be greatly beneficial as outlets during these times). Look for more information from those teachers and/or coaches sometime next week.
Zoom and Conferencing
Classroom Zoom conferences will occur by grade-level section primarily during the morning hours on Tuesdays through Thursdays. Students will have 1-2 video conferences per week based on subject matter needs (Math and Science will have 2, for example). Eighth grade Physics is the lone class with a regularly scheduled Monday Zoom meeting (note: they will NOT be meeting on Monday, March 23). There are no scheduled Zoom meetings on Fridays.
These live class video conferences are designed to provide interaction between teachers and students. Zoom affords teachers and students the opportunity to check-in, see one another, ask and answer questions, go over the plan for the week, the upcoming week, etc. Aside from classroom support and Q&A, I think it will provide consistency and a viable outlet or venue for social interaction, teacher and student morale, etc.
Please find the Logic School Zoom Schedule for Q4 attached.
Please see Brad Ryden’s correspondence from Wednesday as well if you would like more information on Zoom. Here is a one-minute video link on how to join a Zoom meeting: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-Joining-a-Meeting
Student Expectations
This new format is going to be both fun and, at times, challenging. You will need to learn to self-pace as you work in this new distance learning format. This is a great opportunity for you to develop new skills and to accept individual responsibility (which, by the way, is still the third part of our Honor Code). Plus, by demonstrating increased maturity, this will help to make life a lot easier around the house for you, mom, and dad in the coming weeks. I promise.
You will need to develop a normal schedule in your home (complete with typical daily routines: a wake-up time, making your bed, brushing your teeth, eating breakfast, etc.). You will also need a quiet, dedicated workspace. See mom and dad for more on routines.
You need to look neat and presentable whenever you log into a Zoom chat or conference. Dress/attire for these conferences will be Geneva Spirit Wear/Jeaneva Friday.
If you are unable to log-in to a Zoom or happen to miss a scheduled time, for whatever reason, you will need to contact your teacher to let them know. The Zoom times are part of your class participation in your courses. Plus, the Zoom conferences are going to be both helpful and fun.
If you have any questions, please contact your teacher via the LMS. They are here to help you.
Ongoing Communications
LS Core teachers will post communications (basic greetings, class instructions, etc.) on their dashboard or class home page within the LMS for students each week. They are available throughout the week to assist you and your student. The best way to reach them will be by email. They are going to try to be available or accessible for the most part (that is to say, when they are not helping another student, pre-recording lessons, Zooming with a class, etc.) between the hours of 8:30 am to 3:30 pm daily.
They will hold formal ‘Office Hours’ on Fridays from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. No Zoom classes are scheduled on Fridays to help support this.
I will send a scaled-down Logically Speaking equivalent each Friday throughout the duration of our distance learning this spring with helpful information, updates, links, etc. I may even post a few videos as check-ins or for encouragement as we move forward.
I am here to help you and your family as well. I can be reached via email and through my office number. I plan to hold normal office hours daily at school unless something were to change, in which case, I will still be available remotely or virtually. I will be joining some of the scheduled Zoom video conferences with teachers and students as well (my version of walking around the Boardwalk virtually).
I am thankful for such a wonderful community here at Geneva. I am confident that we can thrive during this new season of distance learning. May God bless you and fill you with peace during these trying times.
In Him,