On behalf of the staff at LKS we hope all of our community is safe, healthy, and well. As a parent myself I can safely say one week into this self-isolation, I have come to the conclusion that it is easier to keep 660 students engaged and learning than my own two at home. Amazon is my new best friend as we have outfitted our garage with hockey floor tiles, passing gadgets, and our a hockey net. There is nothing wrong with 5 hours of physical education a day during these unprecedented times!
In all seriousness though, as we are about to start our second week of school closures, here are some strategies that may help you at home.
- Create a Daily Routine: Create a schedule for the day. Wake up at a consistent time, eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together. Include time for chores, reading, writing, math, singing/music and some of your favorite activities.
- Set Goals: Set a goal for the day. At the end of the day reflect upon your success in achieving the goal and set another for the next day.
- Connect with Friends and Family Virtually: Connecting with friends can be done through technology such as Facetime, Skype or texting or just by phone. Grandparents who are isolated would really enjoy a phone call each day.
- Learn Something New: Try to draw, create or build something that you have not done before and put it on display in the window for others to see.
On Monday, your child’s teacher will be reaching out to you. Please be sure to check whatever means have been used throughout the year for messages. We have met virtually as a staff this past week and will continue our discussions as a whole school and in grade-level/divisional teams. Also as we continue to await further direction from the Ministry of Education and TDSB, all staff will be participating in professional development this week in a variety of topics around online learning. As I have said to some of the staff this week, what we are about to embark upon will never replace what was going on at LKS but it is an opportunity for some new learning for all of us – staff and students. Our job will be to make the best of it and keep connected to our students that best we can.
In the meantime, please continue to use the Ministry of Education’s Learning at Home website as well as the additional online resources (also available on the home page of TDSB, Director’s Update, Continuation of Learning if this link doesn’t work) provided by the TDSB that will support the Ministry’s Learn at Home initiative, covering a range of grades and subjects that may be helpful for students and parents during this time.
It is important to remember our number one goal is to ensure that our students and your children feel safe and secure. The impact of Covid-19 is something that we have not experienced before and young people may demonstrate their emotions in different ways. That means that reading together, watching movies, baking and cooking, playing board or card games, building with lego, listening to our children is more important than ever. Don’t be overly concerned about your children falling behind academically. Please know that we are working hard to get your children on the right path when school returns.
As always, take care of you and yours, and if you have any questions/concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us … we are all isolated together!
Take care,
John and Kimm
LKS Parent Council 