Remote Learning

This fall, some of our classrooms will be designated as blended learning classes, as recommended by the NYC Department of Education. This means that children will be attending school in person and learning from home the rest of the time. 

The blended learning classes will be divided into two groups who will attend school in person on separate days. This will give them the opportunity to enjoy the classroom experience part of the week and still continue their learning on their “home” days. 

In addition, one classroom will be designated as a remote-only class, with students receiving all of their instruction online. 

Remote learning will take place using private Facebook groups specific to each classroom. We have found this is a safe and effective way to offer your children educational content. On each “at-home” day (either alternating for the blended classes, or every day for the remote-only class), the teaching team will be creating a group of videos equivalent to a full day’s instruction, including a morning and afternoon class meeting, book read-aloud, activities that can be done from home, songs and dances, etc.  

There will also be scheduled full-class remote meetings using Google Meet, which will allow students and teachers to interact in real time. 

Our Remote Learning Guidelines explains what the remote schedule looks like and how you can help make this a successful experience for your child.

Our remote learning plan offers the same high-quality instruction as our in-person classes. Our teaching teams will be posting videos of morning meetings, read-aloud and shared readings, and learning activities that families can do with their children. The videos are the equivalent of a full day’s instruction in school. We will also have opportunities for remote learners to interact in real time with their teachers and classmates. 

For parents who have requested either a blended learning or a remote-only class, we have some simple but important requests:

• Understand that remote learning is a commitment. Families who choose a remote-only or blended-learning class are committing to give their child a rich pre-K experience using our video instruction. We understand the challenges of balancing remote learning and other responsibilities, but it is still important that your child participate daily by watching the videos and working on the at-home activities. These activities are designed to help your child gain the skills needed for kindergarten.  Families who do not have access to a computer may request a free loan of an iPad for the school year from the NYC Department of Education. Click here for more details. 

• Make sure you have our platforms set up before the first day of school. Each classroom that offers remote learning will have two Facebook groups: an Instructional page containing video lessons, and a Social page where families can post their children’s work. You will be asked to install Facebook on your computer or iPad, and then to join both of your child’s classroom pages. We will not accept “join” requests from anyone other than a student’s legal parent or guardian, nor will we share our pages with anyone outside of school. You will also need to access the Google Meet platform for real-time class meetings. If you have trouble accessing either Facebook or Google Meet, please contact our Office Manager as soon as possible. 

• Minimize distractions. Whenever possible, set up a quiet area where you and your child can watch our school videos without interruptions. 

• Enforce a “no TV/cell phone” policy during remote learning time.  Treat your child’s remote-learning days as you would any other school day. Keep the TV off while working with our videos, and don’t divide your child’s attention by letting them play games on the phone when the videos are on. Our “free play” time is also meant to be spent either working on a scheduled activity as demonstrated by the teacher, or engaging in creative play with home toys such as blocks, play kitchen, etc. Occasionally, we may post a link to an educational computer game (such as ABCMouse), but our emphasis is on learning through hands-on exploration. 

• Keep to a consistent home schedule.  Young children thrive on a regular, predictable routine. They feel safe and comfortable knowing what will happen during each part of the day, and transitioning from one activity to another is easier when they know what’s coming next. Our school day is made up of consistent scheduled activities (morning meeting, center time, outdoor play, etc.), and our Facebook videos are structured this way as well. With this in mind, we strongly recommend that you create a consistent weekday routine at home. Waking up, eating, following the remote learning schedule in order, and going to bed at the same time every day will give your child a sense of responsibility and comfort. 

This is especially important for children in our blended-learning classes, who will need to adapt to learning both in school and at home. We know it might be tempting to let your child sleep late or watch some morning TV shows on their “home” days, but this inconsistency can be confusing, and it sends the message that remote learning isn’t a priority. It may also make it harder to get your child motivated for their in-school days.

• Include outdoor play/indoor exercise in your day. Children need to get their bodies moving! Put time in your daily schedule for a game of soccer in the yard, some yoga in the living room, or a walk around the block.