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Merrill’s Remote Learning Guidelines

Posted April 3, 2020

Dear Jaguar Families –

We miss you and are excited to try Remote Learning at Merrill for the first time.  This time has been challenging and uncertain for many families in our community and we are excited to return to a new normal with remote learning.  We know this is a learning experience for everyone so we will be patient and give grace as we navigate this uncharted territory.  We ask that you are patient with us as well and reach out with your questions, concerns and comments – we are still here to serve!  It is our expectation that all stakeholders in our wonderful Merrill community will give this a good faith effort – after all, we are on the same team with the same priority – student social emotional and academic success.  Thank you in advance for your patience, partnership and support. We are excited to navigate this TOGETHER! 

Merrill’s Remote Learning Guidelines

  1. Teachers will populate assignments on Schoology by 8 am daily – there will be daily coursework for Core Contents (45 mins to an hour of educational engagement for Math, LA and Sci/SS) and Electives (30-45 minutes of educational engagement per class).  “Educational Engagement” can be reading, writing, independent work or screen time. Plan for 3½ – 4 hours of work each day.
  2. All schoolwork and assignments are found on the Schoology platform. Students and teachers have been using this platform all year long. As a parent, you have access to Schoology. Please see this helpful handout about how to log on. Navigate to Schoology daily to complete and submit assignments.
  3. Our remote learning plan is mostly self-paced, meaning students will need to go to Schoology and complete the coursework for the week for all their classes.  Teachers may post videos of instruction or request that students log on at a certain time to engage virtually in learning – they will communicate what is happening and when.  Keep in mind, it won’t look like the typical school day!
  4. All assignments/course work must be submitted weekly by Friday at 4:00.  We are tracking student “attendance” and course progress by submitted assignments.  There is a designated teacher for each student to communicate with families about missed assignments and attendance once per week to streamline communication.
  5. We are still determining and seeking direction from DPS for student course grades.  Again, we are all in this together and presuming that all are making a good faith effort to continue student learning.  We all want to see our students successful with remote learning so that may not look like a ‘typical’ grading period.
  6. Merrill Teachers will be having daily office hours to help students and families with their questions and wonderings. Encourage your students to attend these office hours to get the help and support they might need with their online learning. Please click here for our teachers’ office hours.

Teachers’ emails are on the Merrill website under the Faculty/Staff tab at the top: http://merrill.dpsk12.org/

Merrill Middle School Remote Learning Student Commitments

  • Students will stay connected with their courses and teachers on Schoology (daily lessons will be posted no later than 8 am)
  • Students will use Office Hours with teachers as needed, or set appointments
  • Students will sign into platforms with their real and full name (first and last)
  • Students will use school appropriate language in all communication (chats, emails, written work, comments, PearDeck,EdPuzzle, GoogleMeets, etc.)
  • Students will attend scheduled sessions, or communicate if they need to reschedule
  • Students will put forth best efforts and attempt all course work provided
  • Students will complete and submit all course work for the week by 4pm on Friday
  • Students will maintain independent reading and reach AR goals

WE ENCOURAGE OUR JAGUAR STUDENTS and FAMILIES TO

  • Complete our student/family survey on Friday 4/10 so we can proactively collect feedback from you about remote learning and make changes to best meet family and student need
  • Listen to the robocall and read the roboemail/jj each Friday.
  • Participate in the weekly challenges (Spirit Week, positivity, TikTok, etc.) and send photos to jessica_portillo@dpsk12.org
  • Challenge yourselves and utilize tutorials
  • Remain healthy and active- DO THE DAILY MOVEMENT even if you are not in P.E.
  • Reach out to any Merrill adult at any time for support, or just to say hello!

To Our Jaguar Students

We miss you so much and share in your sadness and disappointment that we will not conclude our school year as we envisioned.  Your academic and social-emotional success remains of the utmost importance.  We are here to support and encourage you and we hope you will reach out to us.  We are brainstorming ways to make the end of the year fun, connected and engaging and would love your feedback and input!

Merrill Support Staff (Deans, Psychologist/Social Workers/School Counselor and Interns) continue to be here to support you during this unusual time.  We want to remind you all that we are here for any social/emotional support, just like a normal school day. If you are feeling anxious or need to talk about anything please feel free to reach out to any of us below so we can connect:

Tips for Parents/Guardians

  1. Establish a routine.  Children and Adolescents thrive on structure even though they sometimes resist it. Set a schedule for when things are to happen.  When doing schoolwork, allow for brain breaks.
  2. Set up a structure for how and when schoolwork should be done. (It is ideal for this to be a place that is non-cluttered with few distractions). Students will have work daily from their Merrill Teachers.
  3. Encourage your students to be active daily. We will be having movement sessions hosted by Mr. Destefano that all Merrill Students can participate in.
  4. Monitor leisure screen time and what your child is doing on social media.
  5. Check Schoology/Parent Portal weekly at minimum to support academic progress.
  6. Spend time together as a family whether that’s playing games, going for a walk or trying the newest Tik Tok dance. Find ways to connect with your kids.
  7. Set up systems in which kids have independent leisure time not directed by you.  Togetherness is wonderful but everyone (including you) needs time away from one another, especially in circumstances in which we are required to stay home.
  8. Engage family members in discussions involving feelings about what is happening.We need to model for our kids how to talk about things, especially the hard things. Young people have lots of questions during times like this.  You may not have the answers, and it’s okay to admit that, but it is important for family members to have open discussions.
  9. Encourage your child to engage in empathic activities through actions such as making greeting cards/messages for elderly neighbors, offering to do chores or tasks that don’t require close physical contact, shoveling snow, sweeping the sidewalk, raking the yard, running to the store to get something for someone who is shut-in, even a phone call to say hello.
  10. Remember to give yourself and your family grace during this time as this is new to all of us! Let’s model resiliency for our children and work together to get through this crisis.

Helpful Resources During this Time