handbook 2020...2020/04/09 · • exercise regularly • encourage your children to keep in touch...
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JUNIOR SCHOOL BRIGHTONVIRTUAL CLASSROOMH A N D B O O K 2 0 2 0
2 JUNIOR SCHOOL BRIGHTON VIRTUAL CLASSROOM HANDBOOK 2020
CRIC
OS Provider N
o 00140K LA
ST UPD
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9 April 2020
VIRTUAL CLASSROOMFirbank’s e-learning platforms are a great way for students to continue their Firbank Learning Journey remotely. Through online connectivity Firbank can assist students to follow a modified timetable of class learning and provide exclusive access to teachers, class resources, e-books and more.
Through virtual classrooms, our School will demonstrate its commitment to the domain of Adaptability wherein ‘Students are encouraged to embrace and adapt to new and challenging situations.’ This program is a unique educational partnership between families and the School and is a testament to Firbank’s strong STEM capabilities.
This handbook provides a guide for logging on to the system, following timetables and useful tips that can be used to ensure continuity of learning.
High quality teaching and learning remain a priority. Junior Campus teachers will communicate timetables and information through email and/or Firefly.
Firbank’s IT staff are here to support our Firbank Community with any questions that they may have and can be contacted at [email protected]
Jenny Williams, Principal
ABOVE (L - R): Kim Wheeler, Head of Brighton Junior Campus, Brad Nelsen, Head of Sandringham Campus, Jenny Williams, Principal, Leandra Turner, Deputy Principal and Head of Senior School
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BE A GOOD DIGITAL CITIZEN• We ask that your daughter does not engage in any Social Media apps, including, but
not exclusive to: TiKTok, Facetime, Snapchat, Instagram, House Party etc. Most, if not all, of these apps are strictly for use by children aged 13+ so primary school aged children should not be using these apps anyway. If your child has any of these apps on her iPad, we trust that you will delete these as per our School’s expectations and the recommendations of cyber safety expert, Susan McLean.
• If students have any questions about tasks, please contact their teacher via email. Students are not to set up ‘Group Chats’ or use any other social media chat platforms throughout the ‘virtual’ school day. There may, however, be a situation where our educators set up an online forum or collaborative experience for the students to appropriately discuss learning, led by the teacher.
• Your daughter is not expected to be ‘on-line’ from 8.50 a.m. - 3.30 p.m. If she has been on her device for more than 40 mins at a time, please ask to see what he or she is doing. Children should be having a screen break after every 40 mins or so.
• Whilst students will need to access Firefly for task instructions, many tasks can be completed ‘off-line’.
4 JUNIOR SCHOOL BRIGHTON VIRTUAL CLASSROOM HANDBOOK 2020
CRIC
OS Provider N
o 00140K LA
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9 April 2020
JUNIOR CAMPUSJunior Campus learning will be a combination of on-line and take-home resources. Each family can connect with the School through Firefly, Firbank’s Learning Management System. This system will provide access to shared information, resources and will allow parents and students to keep track of learning expectations.
Each Firefly Year Level page (P-6) will have a tile titled Virtual Classroom Term 2. This tile will provide access to daily schedules, links to live lessons via Microsoft Teams and additional resources.
ELC - Support for parents and children via email/Firefly • Take-home resource packs prepared for each child that will support learning across all
developmental areas • Through Firefly, teachers provide suggestions regarding appropriate games, activities,
stories, videos and links to various websites• Teachers and/or the Director of Early Learning will regularly communicate via email to
families
PREP TO YEAR 3 - Predominantly workbook/task based, supplemented by Firefly resources • The current Firbank class set iPads used by Prep - Year 3 in the classroom have
been distributed to each student to ensure continuity with their on campus learning experience. These school managed devices are provided to support access to the Firbank Systems while continuing the Firbank Learning Journey from home and include the same applications that the students currently use in the classroom and are familiar with.
• Teachers will regularly communicate via email to families
YEARS 4 TO 6 - Learning experiences are a mix of online and offline tasks and activities• Years 4 - 6 already have a device with the relevant applications for remote learning
and to access the Virtual Classroom • All expected learning tasks are communicated via Firefly • Students are expected to check their email and Year Level pages on Firefly each day
for instructions regarding learning experiences and tasks• Google Drive may be used for collaborative tasks and recording of student responses• Students are expected to have relevant books and a device charged in order to
complete their learning each day
SPECIALIST TEACHERSSpecialist teachers will continue to provide a modified one hour lesson for classes each week. Please refer to year level schedules on Firefly.
Click here for the Parent Firefly Guide
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HINTS AND TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL CLASSROOM LEARNING
• In a typical day, your child would be following the routine similar to the one below:
ELC 3 & 4 PREP TO YEAR 6
9.00 - 10.30 a.m.Classroom Learning/
Specialist subject learning
9.00 – 11.00 a.m.Classroom learning or specialist subject
learning
10.30 - 11.00 a.m. Morning Tea 11.00 - 11.30 a.m. Morning Recess
11.00 a.m. - 12.00 p.m. Outdoor playtime 11.30 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. Classroom Learning
12.00 - 1.00 p.m. Classroom learning 1.00 – 2.00 p.m. Lunch
1.00 - 1.30 p.m. Lunch 2.00 – 3.30 p.m Classroom Learning
1.30 - 2.00 p.m. Mindfulness and relaxation
NB: Two-hour blocks may be too long for students working independently at home. Please negotiate and agree on a realistic and achievable work schedule with your child, including break times, rest times and play times.
2.00 - 3.00 p.m. Indoor/outdoor program
• Ensure that all other technology is turned off within the home to reduce distractions
• Follow the Technology guidelines (click here to view) - Families are encouraged to closely supervise the technology that your child is using. Firbank recommends that children learn in a visible space rather than in a bedroom so that adults can supervise the technology
• Set up a clean and spacious work-station in a public place in your home
• Keep the School informed about any family issues and/or changes in circumstances that may impact a child’s learning and/or wellbeing
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• Talking to the whole family about what is happening, being mindful of the age and stage of the child. Understanding the situation better can reduce anxiety
• Help your child/ren to think about how they have coped with difficult situations in the past and reassure them that they will cope with this situation, too
• Exercise regularly
• Encourage your children to keep in touch with family members, friends and teachers through supervised use of technology
• Practice good hygiene and health, getting enough sleep, keeping active and eating a balanced diet
• Validate your child’s feelings. It’s important to acknowledge their concerns and emphasise that the adults around them will do everything they can to help keep them safe and healthy
• Manage your own emotions and behaviour. Our capacity as adults to regulate our own emotions and behaviour is better developed than that of a child; we need to stay calm when talking with them. One suggested way of acknowledging your child’s emotions is “I’m also feeling a little concerned, but I am just focusing on the facts.”
• Monitor access to the news, TV and social media
• Make time for your child. Your child may seek extra attention from you and it is important for them to know that you are available to them to talk about how they are feeling
• Keep checking in with your child. Be prepared to keep having this conversation multiple times as more information comes to light
WELLBEINGAt Firbank we know, value and care for our students and community, placing wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.
Learning off campus for an extended period of time can have an impact on wellbeing. It is important to maintain a daily balance between engaging with learning tasks, interacting with family and participating in student-initiated play.
Tips for looking after the wellbeing of children during this period include:
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TEACHER RESPONSIBILITIES• Teachers will upload learning tasks and resources to Firefly in time for a 9.00 a.m. start
to the school day• Classroom and specialist subject teachers will deliver live lessons at scheduled times
via Microsoft Teams• Classroom and specialist subject teachers will be available to respond to student
questions during the live lessons and will respond to parent emails between 8.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. when not in the act of teaching
• In the event of your child’s classroom teacher becoming unwell, the school will notify parents of the name and contact details of the replacement teacher
8 JUNIOR SCHOOL BRIGHTON VIRTUAL CLASSROOM HANDBOOK 2020
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o 00140K LA
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SUPPORT FOR YOURFIRBANK IPADSACCOUNT LOGINSYour child’s Firbank iPad will be provided with all required apps logged in. If you are prompted for a password, please contact the Firbank Parent Helpdesk, [email protected], and a Firbank IT Team member will be in contact.
IOS OR APP SOFTWARE ISSUESFirbank iPads are remotely managed, allowing us to make changes to apps or configuration as or when required, as well as resolve most app or iOS-related issues remotely. If you are experiencing issues on your Firbank iPads that can’t be resolved however, Firbank IT can step you through resetting and re-enrolling the iPad, as well as logging in apps.
HARDWARE ISSUESIf you experience hardware-related issues, such as:• iPad not turning on• Screen not workingPlease contact the Parent Firbank Helpdesk for directions.
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o 00140K LA
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KEY CONTACTSFor queries about Who to contact
A subject, learning task or resource Classroom or Specialist teacher
A technology-related problem or issue [email protected]
A personal, academic or social/emotional issue
Classroom teacher, PYP Coordinator: [email protected], Head of Campus: [email protected], School Psychologist: [email protected]
Other issues related to Virtual Classroom Head of Campus: [email protected]
51 Outer Crescent, Brighton Vic 3186 • ELC - Year 12 • Girls Campus 45 Royal Avenue, Sandringham Vic 3191 • ELC - Year 6 • Co-educational Campus
firbank.vic.edu.au • CRICOS Provider No 00140K