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Teachers and students from the Western Academy of Beijing and Zurich International School - both schools that are back in session with in-person classes - discussed the realities of implementing COVID-19 strategies for classroom and hybrid education: what's working, what didn't work as planned, and how they have handled unexpected changes. 

Resources and articles of interest shared during the webinar include:

Teaching Social-Emotional Skills Amid COVID-19 (EdWeek, 2 September 2020)

How to Support Teachers’ Emotional Needs Right Now (Greater Good Magazine, 30 April 2020)

Reunite, Renew, and Thrive: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Roadmap for Reopening School (casel.org, July 2020)

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Planning for a successful start: Preparing for back-to-school during COVID-19
Part 1 - Elementary and middle school focus

For this webinar, we invited teachers from public, independent, and international Pre-K–8 schools to share some practical tools and tips they are implementing to get their classrooms — virtual, in-person, and/or hybrid — ready for what looks to be a very unpredictable school year.

This session is focused on working younger students. Part 2, to be held on August 25th, will focus on high school teachers.

Panelists:

David Barton - Teacher, Grade 5 
Falmouth Elementary School - Falmouth, Maine, USA [public school, K–5] 
Fall 2020 Reopening Plan - Falmouth Public Schools, Maine

Abbie Calvert - Teacher, Pre-kindergarten 
The Friendship School - Waterford, Connecticut, USA [public magnet school, PK–Kindergarten] 
The Friendship School COVID-19 updates / LEARN

Jolene Cummings - ELA Teacher, Grades 6–8 
Next Generation School - Dubai, United Arab Emirates [international, K–12] 
Protocols for the Reopening of Private Schools in Dubai (pdf)
MBRU online course/"community immunity" ambassador program for COVID-19  (best for middle schoolers)

Heidi Freeman - Teacher, Grade 2 
American School of The Hague – Wassenaar, The Netherlands [international, PS–12] 
American School of the Hague Learning Roadmap (Fall 2020)

Lori Özmay - Teacher/Coordinator, Grade 3 
Bilkent Laboratory & International School (BLIS) - Ankara, Turkey [international school, PK–12] 
BLIS Pandemic Response | BLIS Elementary School Reopening Plan

Kristin Roberto  - Teacher, Grade 5 
Mercymount Country Day School - Cumberland, Rhode Island, USA [private, Catholic, PK–8] 
Mercymount Reopening Plan (Draft 17 July 2020)

Webinar poll results:

• Teacher Poll 1: Which model is your school reopening with? Today's webinar participants answered: 30% in-person; 19% fully remote; 51% hybrid
• Teacher Poll 2: The remote learning platforms most used by our webinar attendees today are Google Classroom/G-Suite, Zoom, Seesaw, Kahoot, and FlipGrid
• Teacher Poll 3: How are you feeling about going back to your classroom in-person (full time or hybrid)?
  • 48% of webinar participants "Have concerns, but think the benefits are worth the risks"
  • 29% are "Excited to go back"
  • 14% selected "Unable to go back to the classroom, but wish I could" 
  • 9% selected "Unwilling to go back; do not think the risks are worth it"

Resources and articles of interest shared during the webinar include:

Discovery Education: Virtual Field Trips

COVID-19 Back to School PlayBook: Guiding Principles to Keep Students, Teachers, and Staff Safe in K-12 Schools (unmc.edu)

Teaching English Online (free online course, Cambridge University) 

ShowMe 

theminglemask.com (clear face masks)

Some COVID-19 questions to ask your class (provided by Jolene at NGS):

• In what ways do we need to think differently about health and well-being as we address challenges such as the global pandemic?
• How might a global pandemic present opportunities and possibilities to create a better society for all?

Some specific tips shared: 

• Have each student bring in the device(s) they will use for remote learning (if they can) in the first week of school so that teachers can help learn to navigate online work from the actual device they will be using at home.
• Use yoga mats for lunch outside, small group spacing in the classroom, etc. (a clear and fun way to create appropriate physical distancing).

Q&A with the panelists:

Q: Have any of you had the students do a “training” day at your school and sign off for taking part in the solution.
A: No

Q: Any circle time seating ideas for early years?
A: Each student will bring a beach towel for floor sitting. Also, drawing circles for each student, on rug, with chalk.

Q: Are any of you doing live streaming of your lessons when you are teaching to multiple spaces for smaller cohorts? If so, what tech are you using?
A: No. stay in same seat for the day. teachers move. if they move, it will be strictly with social distancing in place and frequent cleaning; but we are using the library. (Jolene) 

Q: Do one way traffic patterns infere with fire exit movement?
A: Probably follow similar movement to the fire.

Q: Can you talk about some of the "anxieties" that were mentioned?
A: The anxieties that I mentioned have to do with the ever present 'unknown'. I work well in routine and when I know what is happening.  In my situation, we are still unclear how we will be moving forward 100%, this is causing my anxiety.  Also, this situation is asking teachers, students, family and administration to all trust one another.  This means that I am required to give up a lot of control that I would normally have, and trust other people, not only about physical health, but also about emotional health, limits and potential for burnout etc.  I am also worried as a parent for my own children, of course I trust my colleagues but again, there are two more trust circles (I have two children) that I must give up control to, and trust.  These are some of the anxieties just around school, of course I am also worried about my older parents and inlaws etc etc.  (Lori)

Q: Any ideas for managing a safe recess time?
A: We are only allowing two grade levels out together at break time and have divided that playground up into areas and students will go to the area with their class and at least one of their teachers only.  We are to encourage them to not touch one another, to keep their masks on, and to wash their hands before and after each break. (Lori)

Q: Request to throw some light on what norms should teachers follow - in classrooms, labs, library , dinning hall, hallways.
A: Teachers will be social distancing as per governent requirements. Likely we wont have much down time as there will be a lot more hyper-vigilant supervision needed. As we're blended, non-contact time will logging in and checking in on students who are working at home. We will have to force ourselves to take a break.

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The directors of several athletic programs and associations in the US and abroad discuss the challenges facing schools and districts that are restarting or planning to restart school athletics and other activity programs.

Panelists:
Carol Dozibrin, Executive Director, New Hampshire Athletic Directors Association (NHADA)
Martin Halpin, Athletics and Activities Director, Western Academy of Beijing, China
Mike Lunney, Incoming Executive Director, Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL)
Karissa Niehoff, Executive Director, National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
Lamar Reddicks, Athletic Director, Milton Academy, Milton, Massachusetts, USA
David Utterback, Athletic Director, Brewer High School, Maine, USA

Resources and articles of interest shared during the webinar include:

Summary and links to "return-to-sports" guidance published in each state (NFHS)

NFHS membership survey - "return-to-sports" plans (spreadsheet)

Guidance for State Associations to Consider in Re-opening High School Athletics and Other Activities (NFHS, May 19, 2020)

Considerations for Youth Sports (CDC)

School Reentry Considerations (SHAPE America)

NHADA Return to Play Task Force COVID-19 Guidelines and Supporting Documentation (June 24, 2020)

Health/PE/Coaching Resources for all grade levels, Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD)

Globetrottin' ADs Summer Conference - July 22, 2020

Brewer athletic administrator proposes a switch in high school sports seasons (Bangor Daily News, 12 June 2020)

Alternative Options to Traditional Sport Seasons (David Utterback, Athletic Director, Brewer High School, Maine)

National State of the Game (David Utterback, Athletic Director, Brewer High School, Maine)

Sports Advisory Task Force that consolidates the traditional calendar for scholastic athletics (Bridgewater Courier News, 9 July 2020)

The Ivy League cancels football and all other sports for the fall semester (CNN, 8 July 2020)

COVID-19 Pandemic: Tips for Athletes, Coaches, Parents, and the Sport Community (Association for Applied Sport Psychology’s (AASP))

How to clean your gym (National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM))

COVID-19 for Coaches and Administrators (free online course, www.nfhslearn.com)

COVID-19 Return-to-Sport Considerations for Secondary School Athletic Trainers (National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA))

Massachusetts Safety and Reopening Standards for Businesses and Other Entities Providing Youth and Adult Amateur Sports Activities (6 July 2020)

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We invited state representatives to join us for a conversation about the status and plans for reopening schools in New England. The process each state is using to determine reopening guidelines, what supports will be made available for schools, how states are dealing with budget shortfalls in the wake of rising costs to operate schools safely, and concerns expressed by constituents are a few of the issues covered.

Panelists:

CONNECTICUT - Desi Nesmith
Deputy Commissioner, Connecticut State Department of Education
CT Department of Education COVID-19 Resources

MAINE - Daniel A. Chuhta
Deputy Commissioner, Maine Department of Education
ME Department of Education COVID-19 Resources
Working Draft: Maine Schools Return to Classroom Instruction Framework

MASSACHUSETTS - Robert Baldwin 
Superintendent, Fairhaven Public Schools
Incoming President, Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents
MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education COVID-19 Information and Resources​
DESE Return-to-School Working Group

NEW HAMPSHIRE - Frank Edelblut
Education Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Education
NH Department of Education COVID-19 Resources 

RHODE ISLAND - Kristen Danusis
Project Manager for the Re-entry Schools Taskforce, Rhode Island Department of Education
RIDE COVID-19 Updates and Resources 
RIDE unified calendar for the 2020-21 school year (pdf)

VERMONT - Please note that, unfortunately, the Agency of Education in Vermont was not able to participate, but we hope you find the following resources useful:
COVID-19 Guidance for Vermont Schools

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We invited the heads of several boarding schools in the US and abroad to discuss the unique circumstances faced by their schools due to COVID-19 school closures and to share ideas and innovations under consideration in order to safely reopen their campuses.

Panelists:

Brad Bates, Head of School, The Dublin School, Dublin, NH, USA
Independent boarding and day school; Grades 9-12; 163 students | 72% residential

Kathy Giles, Rector, St. Paul's School, Concord, NH, USA
Coeducational, preparatory boarding school; Grades 9-12; 536 students | 100% residential
St. Paul's Response to COVID-19

John Kerney Chief Executive Officer / Executive Director, The Winchendon School, Winchendon, MA, USA
Coeducational, preparatory boarding and day school; 2 campuses, one in MA, one in NY; Grades 9-PG; 333 students | 64% residential (Winchendon campus)
Winchendon's reponse to COVID-19

Pelham Lindfield Roberts, Principal, UWC Changshu China
International boarding school; Grades 10-12; 577 students | 100% residential
Status: Re-opened on May 6th for Pre DP and DP1 students who can reach the campus in China; extended AY to 20th June

Marc-F. Ott, Ed.D., Head of School, Leysin American School, Leysin, Switzerland
International boarding school; Grades 8-12 | 100% residential

Dr. Kate Windsor, Head of School, Miss Porter's School, Farmington, CT, USA
Private college preparatory school for girls; Grades 9-12; 331 students | 68% residential

Dr. Jennifer Zaccara, Head of School, Vermont Academy, Saxtons River, VT, USA
Coed college preparatory boarding and day school; Grades 9-12, plus a postgraduate year; 210 students | 76% residential

Resources and articles of interest shared during the webinar include:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for educational settings (gov.uk)

COVID-19 (coronavirus) Resources for Schools (NH Dept of Education)

COVID-SAFE CHARTER for boarding schools (Boarding School Association)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Schools (National Association of Independent Schools)

5 actions boarding school leaders should consider when navigating COVID-19 (EAB)

Deerfield Academy COVID-19 Updates and Information

Making the Most of COVID-19 School Closures (Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents/NESCA)

Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc. Resource Library

COVID-19 Memo #18 Youth Camp Guidance (CT Office of Early Education)

Camp Operations Guide Summer 2020 (American Camp Association)

Return to Play: COVID-19 Risk Assessment Tool (Aspen Institute)

Guidance for Opening Up High School Athletics and Activities (National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC))

13 Everyday Habits That Could (and Should) Change Forever After Coronavirus (rd.com)

How The COVID-19 Pandemic Will Change the Way We Live (discovermagazine.com)

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For this webinar, a diverse group of teachers from independent, public, and international schools joined us to reflect on the last several months of working remotely to support and maintain learning opportunities for their students during the global COVID-19 crisis. Panelists shared lessons learned, personal strategies for reaching struggling learners and delivering their content, how this experience has affected their current/future approach to teaching.

Panelists:

Susan Bralower, 8th Grade Science Teacher/Middle School Science Chair
St. Luke's School (private/day), New Canaan, Connecticut, USA  | @StLukesSchool

Adam Chapa, Elementary Music and Band Teacher
Shanghai American School, Pudong Campus, Shanghai, China | @SASchina

Caitlin Harrison, Year 5 Classroom Teacher
Bishop Mackenzie International School, Lilongwe, Malawi | @BMISworld

Lisa Leaheey, High School English Teacher
North Providence High School (public), Rhode Island, USA | @LisaPas220

Kristina Lewis RN-BSN, Medical Occupations Instructor/Registered Nurse
Westbrook Regional Vocational Center (WRVC) Westbrook, Maine, USA) | #MaineCTE

Dr. Carl Reid, High School Science Lead Teacher
Jeremiah E. Burke High School (public), Boston, Masschusetts, USA | #jeremiahburkehighschool

Laura Thevenin, Prekinder A Teacher (4 year olds)
Puntacana International School, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | @puntacanainternationalschool

Resources and articles of interest shared during the webinar include:

Boomlearning (Boom Cards)

Edpuzzle

Noredink

Parlay

5 Ways to Motivate Kids During COVID-19 Distance Learning

6 Tips for Teaching Remotely Over the Long Haul of the Coronavirus

7 Ways to Maintain Relationships During Your School Closure

Coronavirus: 11 tips for using Google Classroom

Counselors and Educators Should Check-in With Students, Prioritize Mental Health and Well-being During Coronavirus (COVID-19) School Closures

Exhausted and Grieving: Teaching During the Coronavirus Crisis

How Nevada teachers can cope during coronavirus crisis

How will schools look different this fall? Here are some options being considered

How Technological Innovation In Education Is Taking On COVID-19

Staying in Touch: Why Kids Need Teachers During Coronavirus School Closings

Teaching lab sciences and the fine arts during COVID-19

What can COVID-19 teach us about strengthening education systems?

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School administrators at independent, public, and international schools joined us in a round table discussion about wrapping up the school year and planning for end-of-year celebrations in a virtual world, and a few thoughts and concerns about the summer and months ahead.

A special 30-minute live Q&A answering questions submitted by attendees concluded the session.

Panelists:

Kai Bynum, Head of School, Hopkins School, New Haven, Connecticut USA
COVID-19 Updates

Charles "Charlie” Cahn, Head of School, Suffield Academy, Suffield, Connecticut USA
COVID-19 Planning

Andreas Koini, Director, Antwerp International School, Antwerp, Belgium 
AIS’s Virtual Visual Arts Diploma Exhibition

Madeleine Maceda Heide, Superintendent, Asociación Escuelas Lincoln, La Lucila, Argentina
Quarantine Wellness Hacks

Anna Mahon, Principal, Amity High School, Amity, Connecticut USA
COVID-19 Updates and Off-site Learning Resources

Kevin McCaskill, Executive Director, Madison Park Vocational Technical High School, Boston, Massachusetts USA
School-Community Partnerships

Alex Zequeira, Headmaster, St. John's High School, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts USA
Stronger Together

Resources shared during the webinar include:

Great End-of-Year Lessons

37 Awesome End of the Year Activities

Calling for Volunteers for Wellness Opportunities!

Teachers and Students Thrive with Online Learning

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In this webinar we will discuss effective assessment strategies for students in a digital environment as well as the implications for grading during COVID-19 school closures. We will be responding to questions posed by participants in our previous webinars such as: How do we know what students know and can do in a virtual environment? What are all the considerations in determining how student performance will be recorded and communicated during this time? What types of assessment practices will be most successful in a digital environment? What are some suggestions for alternative or non-traditional assessment pathways in the Covid19 era? 

Panelists:
Abby Benedetto @AbbyBenedetto
Deeper Learning Coach, Envision Learning Partners
presentation slides

Stacy Caldwell @MastTranscript
Chief Executive Officer, Mastery Transcript Consortium
presentation slides

https://mastery.org/mtc-insights

Dr. Julie Hackett @lexingtonsuper
Superintendent, Lexington Public Schools
Lexington Public Schools Remote Learning Webpage

Resources shared during the webinar include:

Grading Students During the Coronavirus Crisis: What's the Right Call? (Education Week, 04/01/2020)

The Promise and Practice of Next Generation Assessment (David T. Conley, Harvard Education Press, July 26, 2018)

Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools (By Michael B. Horn and Heather Staker, October 15, 2014)

Performance Assessment: 4 Best Practices (Education Week, 02/05/2019)

Learning Refitted: A Pop-Up Guide for Schools and District Leaders/Assessment practices during emergency distance learning (Center for Collaborative Education):

What Does a Performance Assessment Look Like? Here Are Six Examples (cce.org)

EL Education (formerly Expeditionary Learning) Resources

Performance Assessment Bank

Maintaining Rigor Through Distance Learning

Envision Design: Portfolio Defense  | Defense of Learning | Defense Design

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Sustaining Virtual Learning
In this session, we will hear from colleagues at international schools that were some of the first to make the transition to emergency distance learning in the wake of COVID-19 school closures. They will share their experiences, respond to questions gathered from participants in the March 31st Forum session, and provide insights from some of the lessons learned - and mistakes made - on the front lines of the pandemic. We will specifically discuss strategies for teaching younger children and children with special needs, as well as, supporting the social-emotional health of students and the school community.

Panelists:

Anne Gardon @AnneGardon
Head of Primary, Chinese International School, Hong Kong

• Primary Online Learning Guiding Statements 
• Primary Online Learning Zoom Lessons & Meetings Schedule 
• Primary Online Learning Plan Sample #1 (Reception)
• Primary Online Learning Plan Sample #2 (Year 3) 
• Primary Online Learning Plan Sample #3  (Year 5) 
• Primary Online Learning Guidelines For Synchronous Meets with Students 
• Primary Online Direct Instruction By Year Level 

Stephen Taylor @sjtylr
Director of Innovation in Learning and Teaching, MYP Coordinator and High School Science Teacher
Western Academy of Beijing

Stacy Stephens @curriculumstace
Director of Learning and Strategic Planning
International School of Beijing  |  eLearning Resources