Upper School Distance Learning

In Upper School, distance learning provides students a continuity of our academic program while also providing flexibility for students and families. All Upper School courses will provide a combination of synchronous and asynchronous experiences for students to continue their learning. The Head of Upper School will increase communication, so that students and families have clear and detailed instructions around logistics and expectations.

Technology and Resources

Channel

Email mySANFORD HUB Google Meet Zoom Topics Pages Library Resources US Sanford Connected Website

Users

Faculty, Staff, Students,

and Families Faculty, Students, and Families

Students and Faculty Students and Faculty

Students and Faculty

Students

Students, Faculty, and Staff

Description

Email will be used for all major announcements from the school, including the Head of School and Head of Upper School. Faculty and staff will continue to use email to communicate with families. Students may use their school email to reach out to teachers with questions or to submit work, and teachers may use it to communicate academic instructions to the class.

mySANFORD HUB will continue to be the central location for students to locate class agendas and materials, assignments, grades, and attendance. Parents may also access resources and information here.

Each class, advisory, club, team, and other student group will have a Google Meet group that includes all members. Students will communicate through Google Meet with advisors for attendance purposes. Faculty will send reminders or quick updates through Google Meet. Students may use Google Meet to ask questions or provide information to the class.

Zoom may be used for synchronous classes, meetings, and for delivering one-on-one support.

All faculty will utilize Topics pages in mySANFORD HUB to provide all teaching plans, materials, links, assignments, and instructions for submitting student work on a weekly basis. Students should start each week and each day by consulting the Topics pages for each course.

Students will continue to have home access to digital library resources. This includes the UDLib/Search program with over 50 databases and eBooks. See Sanford School Library Digital Resources for login information and all of the digital library resources available through mySANFORD HUB.

The US SanfordConnected website contains all messages, information, schedules, activities, videos, and community challenges and events to support our sense of social connectedness.

Roles

Upper School Leadership Team (US Head, US Dean of Students, US Counselor and Learning Services Coordinator, Director of Student Activities, Director of College Counseling, US Administrative Assistant)

Upper School Faculty

Advisors

Health and Athletics

College Counseling Team

Upper School Counselor and Learning Services Coordinator

School Nurse

Technology Team

Responsibilities

› Establish clear communication channels to all constituencies › Provide ongoing updates to families and faculty/staff › Support all constituents in shifting to our distance learning plan › Provide guidance, models, and/or examples of strong distance learning units, lessons, feedback, and projects

› Collaborate with other members of teams and departments, as appropriate, to design distance learning instruction for students (see later section for more details) › Foster a sense of community and connectedness between and among students › Provide students with timely communication and feedback › Offer office hours three times per week › Create ways to continue to collect information and provide feedback that will allow for grades to be reported for report cards/transcripts

› Check in individually with each advisee on a regular basis › Meet weekly as an advisory group › Communicate regularly with parents about student progress and wellness › Monitor student progress and communicate with teachers of advisees when needed

› Conduct regular Health classes for those students enrolled › Stay connected to students athletes through virtual coach-team member interactions and suggested sports activities to engage in › Communicate athletics season information from DIAA as we learn it › Be a model of flexibility, optimism, creativity, and openness

› Support seniors through the admissions process, including advising and responding to questions from students and parents, making calls to college admissions offices, etc. › Guide juniors through the College Class, including the student autobiography, researching college options, directing students to online resources, advising on financial aid, offering advice on standardized testing, academic courses, and extracurricular activities › Stay in close communication with the Upper School administration › Upload senior transcripts into SCOIR and ensure that senior transcripts are sent to colleges

› Communicate regularly with classroom teachers to provide support for students › Support teachers in scaffolding/modifying assignments › Communicate regularly with students who receive accommodations and support learning › Make referrals for students who may benefit from additional practice to shore up skills/gaps › Provide faculty/staff and families resources to help them guide students during this time › Monitor the wellness of students and family and provide interventions or resources as needed

› Be accessible to all community members › Proactively send community-wide tips, strategies, and updates to support health and wellness

› Develop tutorials for faculty/staff about how to use the tools provided › Develop tutorials for students to problem-solve common technology challenges › Be available as a help desk for all faculty/staff and students to provide on-demand support › Continually monitor the needs of faculty/staff and students and provide ideas, inspiration, and troubleshooting support

Student and Families

All students are expected to participate in distance learning. Any learning activities or assessment not completed will need to be worked on outside of the scheduled time. Parents of students who are unable to participate in distance learning for a given period of time should notify the Assistant to the Head of Upper School as they would for any school absence.

Student Roles and Responsibilities

› Establish a daily routine for your schoolwork › Find a comfortable, distraction-free place in your home where you can work › Check email and Topics pages each day to learn about the expectations for your work for each class during the day › Perform tasks as outlined by teachers in Topics pages and seek clarification from teachers on any assignments as needed › Follow the Honor Code at all times regarding the integrity of your work › Follow the norms of online communication as set out by the Responsible Use Policy signed at the beginning of the school year and by teachers for a given class › Review and follow Upper School SanfordConnected expectations › For classes meeting “live,” log in to real-time (synchronous) video services designated by your teacher (Zoom) when classes would normally occur for dialogue with teachers and members of your classes. Students must have video on and faces showing unless a teacher directs otherwise. › Put forth your best effort and communicate with your teachers whenever you have academic questions or if you believe you are not meeting class expectations › Communicate with classroom teachers, US counselor and learning services coordinator, administrators, and/or your advisor if you need any support

For questions about… Reach out to…

A lesson, assignment, etc.

A technology problem

A social-emotional concern Your teachers

The technology department webhelp@sanfordschool.org

Ms. Satinsky, Upper School Counselor and Learning Services Coordinator

Any other questions Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Spencer, Mr. Waterman, Ms. Satinsky, or Mr. Zimmer

The use of the most effective technological tools for teaching and learning in the classroom is not new to Sanford School. At all grade levels, our teachers are accustomed to using technology to advance learning goals for students.

Family Roles and Responsibilities

As we implement our distance learning plan, we ask that families play a role in ensuring that their children engage in meaningful learning and reach out proactively should they run into any challenges.

› Establish routines and expectations for your child › Establish beginning and end-of-day check-ins with your child › Help your child create a comfortable, distraction-free place to work › Help ensure that your child is checking email and assignments daily › Monitor communications from the school › Help your child to plan out their work for the day and check in to keep them focused and on task if needed › Establish clear expectations that your child’s work must be their own and that they should abide by the Upper School Honor Code › Encourage your child to stay connected to friends, both through talking about academic work and questions, and also in other ways › Provide opportunities for your child to find time in the day to engage in physical activity › Be mindful of your child’s physical and emotional health › Reach out to counselors, advisors, and administrators as needed › Monitor your child’s screen time and help them build in breaks › Think about ways to relax or take breaks that do not involve screens › Be a calm, non-anxious presence for your child › Be a supportive partner of teachers and the school › Remind students that they should not expect to spend significantly more or less time on their studies. Attention to academic studies should remain as high as when students are at school.

For questions about… Reach out to…

A lesson, assignment, etc.

A technology problem

A social-emotional problem

Any other questions Your child’s teachers (but encourage your child to be the first point of contact)

The technology department webhelp@sanfordschool.org

Your child’s advisor or Ms. Satinsky, Upper School Counselor and Learning Services Coordinator

Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Spencer, Mr. Waterman, Ms. Satinsky, or Mr. Zimmer

Classes and Activities

All Classes (Core, Visual & Performing Arts, Electives)

Office Hours

Advisory

Community Activities

Sunday email

Approximate Time Per Week

Synchronous: 60 minutes per class, 2x/week Asynchronous: › Core Classes: 60–90 minutes additional per class/week › Honors/AP Classes: 90–120 minutes additional per class/week › Visual & Performing Arts: 60 minutes additional per class/week

Teachers offer 3 blocks of 30 minutes during which they are online and available to help

Mandatory Zooms: 1x/week Student Attendance Check-ins via Google Meet 4x/week Regular 1:1 check-ins with each student

Optional activities created to support social connectedness, available to students 5x/week and lasting 30–45 minutes Activities might include clubs, meet-ups, class challenges, class meetings, social media challenges, yoga, mindfulness, group workouts, self-guided activities done independently, etc. Information about the weekly schedule of options is distributed by Monday morning, and all events can be found on the Upper School SanfordConnected website.

Every Sunday, all students receive an email with updates, information, and events for the week ahead plus a video from an US faculty member. This expected reading helps students navigate the week ahead.

“Although I missed being on Sanford’s campus, I am grateful for SanfordConnected. It was so nice seeing my teachers and friends every day. My teachers made the lessons interesting by teaching in new and different ways. We also had fun projects to do. I enjoyed interacting with my friends on Zoom in small groups or as a class. We even had fun with Weekly Challenges and a virtual Field Day! Sanford made the best of an unusual situation and gave us a new Sanford experience. We are Warrior Strong!”

–Jana Wa hington ’26

NO TALENT LIES LATENT

6900 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, DE 19707 .

302.235.6500 . www.sanfordschool.org

Acknowledgments We are grateful to our peer institution Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC, for sharing their resources and plans for distance learning.

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