4. Distance Learning Enhancements

LOWER SCHOOL

We recognize that beginning our school year with distance learning delivering upon our mission to high-quality educational and nurturing

requires a more robust model than we were able to offer this past spring. With that in mind, we have made several changes to improve our plans for distance learning at the Lower School this fall.

We will continue to focus on providing our students:

Smaller class sizes with cohort configuration

More opportunities for small group interactions with teachers

Strong connections to their peers and teachers by leveraging the Zoom platform

Live and interactive instruction that follows the predictable rhythms of the regular school day

Schedules that allow access to specialist classes, including daily physical education, digital citizenship and

Our entire team is focused on student engagement and to ensure students have access programming in a balanced social-emotional learning classes

environment. -Emily Brown

We utilized the feedback from students and parents about the distance learning program to make modifications to this fall’s program. Currently, our faculty is engaging in professional development to help enhance the virtual experience and I am confident that all of this work will produce a hallmark program in distance learning. - Jill Bergeron

MIDDLE SCHOOL

This fall we will build off the successes that we had with the distance learning program last year and make changes to improve upon our areas of growth. Chandler’s greatest asset is its teachers and the relationships they have with our students. When school starts, we plan to:

Accommodate smaller cohorts of students that remain together throughout the day

Add longer blocks for art and music

Provide a later start time

Keep to a static schedule instead of a rotating schedule to reduce confusion about class times Tips for Distance Learning While keeping true to our mission of providing an academically challenging curriculum during distance-learning, we understand the impact it may have on family life at home. The guidelines below are intended to help families think about how they might help their children with distance learning and maintain a sense of well-being for the whole family.

;Establish routines and expectations ; Define the physical space for your child’s study time ; Monitor communication from your children’s teachers ; Begin and end each day with a check-in with your child ; Encourage physical activity and exercise ; Remain mindful of your child’s stress or concerns ; Monitor how much time your child is spending online

Technology Upgrades on Campus To support our faculty’s distance learning instruction, we have upgraded our technology - both software and hardware in classrooms. New Swivl cameras will make it easy for teachers to record and share video with students to provide essential support.

Professional Development Teachers have enrolled in a number of courses this summer from workshops offered by the California Teacher Development Collaborative (CATDC) to those supported by the Global Online Academy. Likewise, we are in the process of coordinating on-campus meetings to share best practices among teachers. In the end, we expect to provide our students with an enhanced program based on our shared knowledge.