Dear Parents & Guardians

Dear Parents & Guardians,

I hope this post finds you healthy.  I want to be sure your student has given you the updates on his/her expectations regarding my class.  We have no idea how long school will be closed but "virtual school" is open!

First & foremost, please know that education is not stopping.  In fact, we are doing everything we can to ensure this is a constant in your student's life right now.  Their HW was posted as usual before the closure, and they are expected to do it (how it will be collected or graded has yet to be figured out but I'm working on it!)  Test had moved online before the break, so Castle Learning will be fully used for that.  There are options for online vocabulary quizzes that I am finalizing.  I am posting review videos at least daily for them of me lecturing to watch in conjunction with their notes.  As of now these are all pre-recorded & cannot be done "live," but your student has been encouraged to post ANY questions he/she may have about the content below that video for me to answer for all.  IF there are other questions, my email is always available & checked frequently throughout the day as this is the way we are receiving updates from school & administration.

Currently, your student has the following available & will be using until we are back in the school building:

• Our blog, where everything has been posted all year.  I will continue to post assignments & due dates there.  I will post new handouts here as well, thought have had some trouble with it.  If that continues, I will post the handouts in TEAMS.
• Office 365 TEAMS - prior to the unexpected closure & just as a precaution, students were advised by Admin on all levels to know their username & passwords.  I am posting video lectures for the kids to listen to while reading their notes & highlighting, just as if we were in class.  I am making these myself.  Students are encouraged to post questions about content there for me to answer, and this also shows they are doing classwork as well.  Student content questions should not be emailed.
• Castle Learning - we started using this for all content exams, and that will continue
• Quizlet - will remain active & open - students are encouraged to study here, and use it with their notes to answer the questions on their online exams.
• Email - if students have a question not related to content, they are welcome to continue emailing me.  But again, all content-related questions must be posted in TEAMS.
• Thinkwave - is still our online grade book.  All assignments will be recorded there as usual.
• Vocabulary.com - for vocab & quizzes.

We're all trying to figure out this very unusual situation.  Personally, I think many of you know that I am not the best with technology so figuring out how to teach by computer has been my own challenge.  I spent Monday & Tuesday trying to figure it out to best get the kids through their courses.  I think I have come up with a plan that best works within the guidelines I have been given, and will update or change them as becomes necessary.  For now, other than using TEAMS & online lectures, nothing is changing for us.  Homework & videos are posted & it is expected that students will do them, and be able to submit proof of that moving forward.  We'll address that if & as it becomes necessary.

If you should have any questions, please feel free to email me at dramo@bufsd.org. If you never requested a parent code for your student's online grade book, please email me & I will be happy to get that to you ASAP so you can monitor his/her progress while home.

These are difficult & scary times.  I believe it is important to have as normal a day as possible for all kids, & I hope my interaction with them will do that.

Please stay safe & healthy!