GISNY Lower School eNewsletter April 24, 2020Dear Parents of the Lower School,
I would like to start today's newsletter with a message from our resource specialist teacher, Ms. Kirsten Sträter.
We are all spending more time at home than usual at the moment and face many new challenges. In order to give you some suggestions for things to explore while at home, we have created a collection of helpful links and apps for the family on our school website under the heading "Community". There you will find cultural, educational, and athletic ideas for the whole family and much, much more. If you have any ideas, tips, or recommendations, please email them to kstraeter@gisny.org.
We wish you happy browsing at https://www.gisny.org/community.
Here is a brief update on our Lower School blended learning plan.
As I had pointed out last week, the blended learning approach in our Lower School means that we combine online educational materials and activities with traditional best classroom practices, as well as utilize non-electronic materials such as workbooks, handouts, and printed texts. The success of our blended learning endeavor is a partnership and dependent on careful planning by our dedicated staff, appropriate student motivation and participation, and strong parent support for this alternative mode of instruction. The result of such learning experiences will expand our students' academic progress and foster student social and emotional well-being. While this is a time of uncertainty and challenge, it will also open new and innovative opportunities to connect ideas and engage with classmates. Our blended learning approach is a new journey for us all and we have spent hours as a team to narrow down the best available learning platforms for our age groups. Here is an overview: Furthermore, our teachers are aware of Zoom security issues and therefore, we are following the below procedures recommended by our IT department:
Now a brief update on testing and / or grading in the Lower School (grades 1-4): These topics will be will discussed by the Heads of Lower School together with Mr. Torsten Steininger (Educational Consultant for German Schools Abroad in North America) next week. I will provide details in our next newsletter. We are stronger together and we are in it together. Gemeinsam sind wir stark und halten zusammen. Liebe Grüβe Simone Brümmer
German International School New York 50 Partridge Rd White Plains NY 10605 914 948 6513 |