**Please check the Meeting Schedules (in the sidebar) and the calendar at the bottom for information regarding this week's meetings and events. Laptops are not required unless requested. Thank you for leaving them in your classrooms.
***Please bookmark the Mindset link so you can access it easily.
May
5- Faculty ZOOM (2:30-4:00)
11-15- Overviews & LI Comments need to be uploaded to Veracross
25- June 2- Report Completion, Buddy Review, and uploaded to Veracross
~from the ES BBE
~from Krista
Happy end of week 7! I hope to see you at today's 5:00 pm ES social hosted by Heather S. with an art exhibition showcasing ES faculty and student art recreations. See Shawn's email for the link and further details.
Senior Support Survey Due Today
Please be sure to complete the survey today if your team wants the support of our seniors. We are aware from our conversations with you and being Bcc'd on your emails that we have families that are struggling and students that are struggling. This is our chance to provide support for them and alleviate the emails and added pressure on you.
Report Dates- Cushion Embedded
As we move into the final week's of school, until we have more clarity on what learning will look like we have added a cushion week to the report due dates. These are posted above in the important dates and can be found in red in the semester 2 timeline for report writing found in the Report Guidelines. Please note that the cushion, in this case, means the due dates have been moved forward by one week. This is to counter the challenges of distance learning screen time with the addition of writing report comments and having a peer proof comments from a distance. The early deadline is meant to support everyone (writers, buddy readers, and final reviewers) to feel less pressured during the final weeks as they review and respond to report feedback. Consider adding 30-60 minute time slots to your weeks and start writing now. You will find a definite decrease in stress and anxiety come the end of the month, whether or not we find ourselves on campus, in distance learning, or somewhere in between.
The Happiness Lab
Looking to bring some happiness to your days? Check out this podcast created by Dr. Laura Santos examining the latest research on happiness through story. The episodes have kept me smiling. There is a Coronavirus bonus section that you can access to support yourself and share with families as we navigate the unique challenges of this situation. If you have already listened or you decide to give it a listen, I would love to hear your thoughts. Enjoy.
Happiness Lab-Season 1
Happiness Lab-Season 2
~from the ES Librarian
I have some very exciting news. Get ready for the Everywhere Book Fest! Book Fest is a virtual gathering of kidlit authors, illustrators, and books that will bring the book festival experience to young readers everywhere.
They are opening their virtual doors on May 1-2, 2020. Click here to get the schedule. Click on the schedule and you can choose to attend a presentation from Newbery award winning medalist Meg Medina to multiple #herstory authors who will share their stories on feminism and what it means to champion this narrative for children. If you can’t make it on May 1 or May 2, all of the presentations will be available on their YouTube channel. If you have more questions, click here.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. READ!
~from What on Earth? CBC News
This Week:
- Will COVID-19 change our food habits?
- Comparing the current drop in carbon emissions to historical ones
- How climate change helped uncover a massive cave in B.C.
~from the Innovation Team (Nate, Paul, and Vlad)
Thanks all for your continued commitment to excellence as we move into week 8!
Padlet is Back. Maybe, Possibly, Fingers are Crossed.
Chris Zavits is looking into the possibility of purchasing a school license for Padlet - a nice platform for creating visual organizers and information sharing, among other things. We had a few teachers in the ES pilot the platform a few years ago, but at the time it didn't take. If you are interested in using it, let me know and I can let Chris know. If we reach a certain number of interested teachers, we will get the full school license.
Sharing Zoom recordings to Seesaw
Please be sure you are up to date with the new way of sharing your recorded Zoom meetings in Seesaw. This document will guide you through the steps.
Zoom Update
Chris Zavits also sent out an email about a new Zoom update. He has recommended that we all run the update, as it not only improves some functionality but also beefs up security. If you haven't already run it, here is the link to the update.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to your technical support designee should you have any problems.