REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING
High School Parent-Student Handbook 2021-2022
High School Parent-Student Online Handbook 2021-2022
Chapel’s Guiding Statements Mission In a caring and academically challenging environment, Chapel provides an American-style education to an international student body. Through Christian values, students learn to make informed decisions, to own responsibility for personal actions and community needs, and to respect life and cultural diversity.
Vision Engage. Challenge. Support. Care. Prepare students for life.
Motto Faith in Education.
Chapel’s Definition of Learning Learning is a unique and lifelong process sparked by the interests, curiosities, interactions, and experiences of the individual. It builds on previous knowledge and leads to making meaningful connections. It is the process of understanding and acquiring knowledge, skills, and dispositions as well as being able to apply them to different settings and contexts. It involves learner development as a whole addressing social, emotional, cognitive, and physical dimensions. Learning has a higher purpose to positively impact society.
Chapel’s Definition of Internationalism Chapel School is an accepting and inclusive environment that respects and embraces cultural uniqueness and diversity. We seek to create an open-minded community while making connections among different perspectives, beliefs, and nationalities to promote a sustainable future in all its dimensions.
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High School Parent-Student Online Handbook 2021-2022
Child Protection and Wellbeing at Chapel School Policy Statement Chapel School believes that because children can be vulnerable to different forms of abuse, great care must be taken in ensuring that all our students are protected and advocated for. To guide us in this most important mission we refer to international recommendations from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children as well as Brazilian laws stated in the Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente. At Chapel School, all adults are responsible for not only protecting all children enrolled but also working towards their ultimate wellbeing. To do this, we will take all measures necessary.
Foundational Beliefs For all effects and purposes, the term child refers to any human being under 18 years of age. Our core child protection beliefs are based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) These beliefs are rooted in the natural rights of the child and include: • all adults are responsible for preventing abuse, • children cannot consent to abuse, and • children have a right to agency and to voice their opinion.
The guiding principles The duty to protect and advocate for children takes precedence over all other duties. We will spare no efforts in order to keep children safe both at school and elsewhere. This includes working with all children that may be at risk or have been affected, ensuring the continuity of education delivery, and providing support services, always taking actions that are truly in the best interest of the child. We will take into account the child’s wishes, whenever possible in making decisions. We also recognize that the ultimate decision lies with parents and/or guardians and will work with them closely unless to do so might jeopardize the welfare of a child. When needed we will work across agencies and go beyond institutional boundaries to protect and advocate for the wellbeing of children.
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High School Parent-Student Online Handbook 2021-2022
Statement of Philosophy Chapel School is a Catholic, value-centered international school. We bring together students and staff from many countries and religions with respect for all. Our diverse student body thrives in the three-fold curriculum we offer: American, Brazilian, and International Baccalaureate. Our curricular structure and pedagogical approach are especially geared to prepare learners for universities and life in the United States, Brazil, and the world beyond. To achieve this, we have developed rigorous, multidimensional curricula and provide a variety of activities that support the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical growth of our students. Additionally, we invest heavily in professional development and support teachers and staff so they are able and confident in promoting learner success. We work collaboratively and foster an environment that is positive, always assuming good intentions. Chapel believes that beyond striving for academic excellence, parents, administrators, teachers, students, and staff should come together to reach out and enable others to grow to their full potential as well. We believe in shared humanity and see each and every person as unique and valuable. Stakeholders are called upon to make a personal contribution to the building of a more just and peaceful world. We are committed to education that instills social responsibility, ethical behavior and respect for all beliefs. At Chapel School, we take on the challenge to prepare young men and women so they are both willing and able to make the difficult choices that can diminish social inequity and promote world peace. Concerned with moral leadership, we hold as our vital role the development of knowledgeable and critical minds which value humanity.
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High School Parent-Student Online Handbook 2021-2022
Introduction Our goal is to provide the best possible experiences and opportunities for learning. Chapel School strives to enhance hybrid and online learning by using a variety of online learning resources. Taking advantage of innovations in technology we can grow as both individuals and community members. We are fortunate to have the means to deal with the current situation, including the resources, expertise and the motivation to meet the challenges posed by these uncertain times. Our mission and vision statements remain as relevant and applicable as before. We continue to prepare our students for life through online or on-campus instruction.
School closures have become a reality for schools in Brazil and around the world. The coronavirus pandemic has impacted over 1.5 billion students worldwide, including about 53 million students in Brazil according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This ongoing situation has enjoined schools to implement remote learning technologies and hybrid learning techniques. Such tools have enabled schools to minimize the impact on students of a reduction in-person teaching brought on by the pandemic. After 18 months of online and hybrid instruction, students and educators alike have learned new skills that will enrich and ultimately change the way we learn and the way we teach. The following supplement to Chapel’s High School handbook (see below) aims to bring into focus the expectations we have for students when we are fully online or in hybrid learning modes. Whenever students are on campus, the rules and expectations outlined in the High School handbook and in the “Chapel School Re-Entry Plan” will apply. It is important to highlight that this document is complementary to the “HS Parent-Student Handbook” which has the most comprehensive description of Chapel High School’s procedures and regulations. The “HS Parent-Student Handbook” already addresses the use of technology. However, Chapel feels that the sharp increase in the use of technology brought on by the pandemic justifies the inclusion here of more detailed guidelines for our students. Chapel students obtain internet access on campus after completing the “Digital Citizenship” training at the beginning of every school year. After that, they sign, along with their parents, the “Acceptable use of internet policy”. During periods of home learning, expectations about appropriate online behavior are the same as they are when students are on campus. As this online learning environment has now become a fixture of school, we expect that all the reflections and discussions about digital responsibility that Chapel has promoted will continue to be applied. We will continue to update policies and procedures for student success as new technology becomes available.
Online Teaching and Learning Until the covid pandemic is resolved, we will continue to use online instruction. We will abide by the official regulations put in place by the São Paulo state and municipal authorities.
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100% of students online This is the scenario in which all students are taking online classes. This will happen when the City of São Paulo recommends full school closures, or when a grade-level or group may need to self-quarantine as a preventative measure. Students and teachers will follow their regular schedules and will share daily activities to be completed and delivered during class time. In this context, the primary resources are Google Classroom (one per course) and Zoom. Google Classroom is used to deliver content in various formats (text, videos, links, etc.) and also collect student work. Zoom is the ‘meeting tool’ that Chapel uses to provide face-to-face contact, direct instruction, and discussions. Teachers will communicate with students about the format of each specific lesson. Teachers are also always available online during the class period via email or Google Hangouts.
Hybrid Mode For students who are unable to attend on-campus classes due to health issues, online classes will be available so long as the government allows them. Once on-campus classes are declared mandatory, we will cease the online/hybrid program.
Safety During On-campus Learning Safety Protocols Wearing a mask and observing other safety protocols designed to limit the spread of the coronavirus is essential. In order to safely return to on-campus learning, both students and teachers must comply with these protocols. Unfortunately, the actions of a few can affect many. Therefore, in order to ensure a safe learning environment, everyone who enters the campus will be required to wear a mask and follow other safety guidelines. Anyone found not following these protocols, or acting in a manner that puts others at risk, will be asked to leave the campus. They will be readmitted when they demonstrate a willingness to adhere to safety protocols.
How to support your child The shift towards remote and hybrid learning has presented us all with new challenges. Students, teachers, parents, and administrators have all shown tremendous adaptability, even though these learning formats can sometimes foster anxiety, frustration, and even anger. Patience and empathy have been our coping mechanisms, enabling us to evolve as a community. The need to maintain a physical distance from one another has underscored how
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important we are to each other. Together we can rise to the challenges of the pandemic without compromising our community trust. The partnership between Chapel and our families has never been more important for promoting the best educational outcomes for our students. Communication between parents and Chapel has been vital as our teachers, counselors, and administrators strive to deliver an optimal learning environment even when students are not on campus. The following section discusses some online and hybrid learning scenarios and how the use of technology influences learning.
How does home learning impact relationships and human connections? We have been adapting to a learning environment in which students and teachers are not in the same physical space. To varying degrees, students’ ability to concentrate and willingness to participate in online classes have been affected. At Chapel, we implement learning strategies that are student-centered and collaborative. Although we continue to replicate this experience using online tools, home learning does pose additional challenges. For example, teachers can take fewer cues from students’ body language that they could otherwise use to check for understanding. Therefore, it is vital that students learn to self-monitor and request guidance and support from their teachers during classes. As parents, please encourage your children to maintain open communication with their teachers and to seek help and support when it is needed. In short, parent interaction and communication with teachers and administrators is very important during home learning. If you identify an issue or have a concern, do not hesitate to contact your child’s teachers. They are the ones that best know your child’s development and specific needs. You also always have the support of our counselors and the principal.
How does the physical environment affect learning? The physical classroom helps students realize they are in a learning environment and focuses their attention on the learning activities. At home, it is very important to ensure that students have an appropriate space dedicated to learning. They should be sitting at a desk in a well-lit space free of distractions. Although their bedrooms might seem like an appropriate workspace, the absence of supervision might impede concentration. Students should not be lying in bed during classes.
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High School Parent-Student Online Handbook 2021-2022
The importance of routines, frequent check-ins, and a clear set of expectations During hybrid learning, high school students will follow their regular schedule. Although it might seem challenging, this is a strategy to guarantee that students maintain their regular routines. Beyond the school schedule, parents should monitor how children are using their free time and establish a bedtime. Also, your child will benefit from scheduled breaks for physical activity and ‘timeouts’ from devices, including phones. Assist them in following the regular Chapel school day schedule for breaks and lunch. Many teenagers avoid conversations about personal issues and tend to say that everything is fine. That is the reason why frequent check-ins are so important. Here are some suggestions for questions that can help your child to identify what is important and kickstart a conversation. For example: ● ● ● ● ●
Tell me one thing that you’ve learned today. What was the best class you had today and why? What was the most challenging class you had today and why? Did you help or support any of your classmates today? How? Did you learn something today that you can apply outside school?
Nowadays this strategy is used by teachers in place of the traditional question, “Do you have any questions?” Whereas before students typically responded with an evasive “No”, these more specific questions require students to reflect on their learning and articulate more thoughtful responses.
Communication, attendance, and grading PlusPortals PlusPortals is the main communication tool and gives students and parents access to grades, attendance, schedules, as well as school information. Passwords and accounts are created by the registrar when students join the school. It is crucial that your contact information is kept up to date so communication can be fast and effective. Whenever you need to update your contact information, please contact the Registrar's Office or the High School office through email. https://plusportals.com/ChapelSchool
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Online learning tools Exam.net Exam.net is one of the platforms available to teachers for assessing student work. Teachers can monitor students while they are working so that the experience of doing an individual timed assessment can be maintained even when students work from home. Teachers usually require that students remain visible on Zoom while during the exam.
Google Classroom Google Classroom is the main platform teachers use to post materials, school assignments, and homework. They also use it to communicate with students. Google Classroom makes teaching more productive and meaningful by streamlining assignments, boosting collaboration, and fostering communication. Educators can create classes, distribute assignments, send feedback, and see everything in one place. Google Classroom also seamlessly integrates with other Google tools, as Google Docs and Drive. Parents do not have direct access to Google Classroom but they can receive weekly or daily updates on tasks and announcements when their children first join the High School. The easiest way to follow your child’s assignments on Google Classroom is by checking Google Calendar (connected to the Classroom account) at any time.
ManageBac IB students in Grade 11 and 12 use ManageBac to help them organize the Extended Essay and CAS components of their diploma program. Students receive the login and password when they first join the IB program in Grade 11. During the IB DP program students, teachers, and advisors use ManageBac to upload essays and record interviews, reflections, and logs with evidence of activities done remotely. At the end of the senior year, teachers and advisors use ManageBac to upload and submit Internal Assessments to the IB system. (https://www.managebac.com/about)
Turnitin Academic integrity is expected of Chapel students in all grades. Turnitin is a platform that analyzes students’ written work and compares it to resources available online, including those previously submitted by Chapel students since it also uses Chapel’s accounts to check originality. Turnitin generates an originality report for a student’s submission. It detects plagiarism and also identifies each of the sources used by the student. (https://www.turnitin.com/)
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Zoom Zoom is the main tool used by teachers and students for the delivery of live lessons during remote learning. It offers an online classroom environment in which students and teachers interact through video conferencing. Teachers and students are able to share presentations and screens. Teachers are able to share classroom whiteboards at Chapel with the students via the Zoom platform. (https://zoom.us/education)
Online Assessments Formative and summative assessments At Chapel, learning takes place through experiments and feedback. Every learning activity is a step towards grade-level learning goals and provides evidence of the student’s learning at that stage which, in turn, is used as a reference to help them improve. This is the principle of formative assessment. Each assessment demonstrates where the student is in relation to the primary learning goal. Formative assessments are chances for both students and teachers to analyze understandings and redefine learning strategies. A long-term project may be designed with a series of intermediate steps and checkpoints. Every checkpoint is an opportunity for students to reflect on their learning, as well as an opportunity to redirect efforts and understandings. Such steps are usually graded but the checkpoints are assigned a smaller weight since students receive feedback from teachers. The final product is the summative assessment, for which students should apply the feedback they have received in the formative steps. Summative assessments happen at the end of units or at the end of a learning cycle. They are usually designed as final products that require the students to connect and process all the previous knowledge explored through the formative assessments. Examples of summative assessments include podcasts, videos, essays, infographics, interviews, creative writing assignments, exams, and so forth.
Standardized assessments MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) MAP tests are used to assess student development in relation to grade-level goals, while also comparing that development to student performance in the United States and in international schools in other countries. In school, MAP tests are supervised to ensure that the data obtained from the test is reliable. In our current situation, MAP scores become even more important as there is an increased need to measure student learning during the remote learning lessons.
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High School Parent-Student Online Handbook 2021-2022
Whenever students take the MAP test from home, please support them with the following actions: ●
Provide a quiet space for the test. Students have 100 minutes to complete the assessment.
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Help your child to test their devices for running the system before the test. Please use this link to test your device before the assessment begins. It will inform you of any technical issues that might prevent the MAP Assessment from starting.
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Try to ensure that they are well-rested.
Online Academic Integrity “Academic integrity is a guiding principle in education and a choice to act in a responsible way whereby others can have trust in us as individuals. It is the foundation for ethical decision-making and behavior in the production of legitimate, authentic, and honest scholarly work. (...) . Expectations should be clearly communicated and modeled at an age-appropriate level so that all IB students understand: ● ● ● ●
their responsibility for producing authentic and genuine individual and group work how to correctly attribute sources, acknowledging the work and ideas of others the responsible use of information technology and social media how to observe and adhere to ethical and honest practice during examinations” (Ibo.org. 2020, p.3)
“All coursework—including work submitted for assessment—is to be authentic, based on the student’s individual and original ideas with the ideas and work of others fully acknowledged. Assessment tasks that require teachers to provide guidance to students or that require students to work collaboratively must be completed in full compliance with the detailed guidelines provided by the IB for the relevant subjects.” (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2019, p.4)
Academic integrity is a core value at Chapel. From Elementary School onwards our students are taught the importance of honesty and integrity in academic work. It is part of our curriculum to teach students how to properly cite and use sources, how to evaluate the information for its reliability, and how to leave a digital footprint for verification of sources. Every year students and parents sign the “Chapel Code of Conduct” and also the “Acceptable use of internet policy”. All students attend the “Digital citizenship” training at the start of the school year which is a requirement for obtaining internet access while on campus (see above).
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High School Parent-Student Online Handbook 2021-2022
It is important to highlight that academic integrity goes beyond copying material without citing the source. We live in a knowledge society where all sources of information are available online. The current academic process no longer requires the memorization of dates and facts. What teachers look for nowadays is evidence of learning, which means students are able to collect, evaluate, and identify the proper information, process it, and, through reflections and connections, demonstrate authentic reasoning. Below are some key concepts to help you guide your children in maintaining their academic integrity.
Collusion Any work for an individual project to be graded is considered an examination paper, so students should work independently unless otherwise instructed by their teacher. Students should not share their work with one another.
Copying This includes obtaining information by looking at the answers or work of another student. Cribbing This means taking prohibited material (such as notes or a cellphone) into an exam.
Sabotage This means destroying the work of another student.
Substitution This means taking an examination or writing a paper for someone else. Theft This means the stealing of an exam paper and any related materials.
Plagiarism This means passing off the work or ideas of another as one’s own without crediting the source.
Citation All sources used in assignments must be properly cited in the format required by the teacher.
Remote Learning and Online Procedures 1. Chapel Student Account and Access to Online Platforms a. Students must log in to every platform used by Chapel with their Chapel account user name. b. Students must use their names in every platform used by Chapel.
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c. All online platforms are monitored by Chapel and infractions will be dealt with as if they had occurred at school.
2. Attendance a. Teachers will record attendance according to students' delivery of activities through Google Classroom and/or participation in video conferencing; b. Students must turn in their tasks within the class period in order to be considered present in that class. c. Students must keep their cameras on during video conferencing otherwise they will be marked absent. If students do not turn on their camera when prompted by the teacher, they will be removed from the classroom and marked as absent. Absences can be excused due to: i. sickness with a doctor’s note; ii. documentation appointments. d. In order to be excused, absences that fall under the previous conditions must be documented. Please continue to send the documentation to the High School office as usual. e. PlusPortals is the official resource to monitor students’ attendance. Please refer to the table below to observe the limit of absences. f. During the hybrid/online learning, if students exceed the number of allowable absences they will be required to make up the classes missed during after-school support labs. The labs will be offered both on-campus and online. Until their absences have been made up, they will not be eligible to participate in any Chapel after-school activities such as clubs and sports teams. Once on-campus presence becomes mandatory, the opportunity to make up for absences through support labs will no longer be available. g. According to Brazilian law, students must attend at least 75% of their classes Annual Courses Periods A, B, C, D E, F, G that meet everyday E, F, G that meet every other day
Semester Courses
Maximum number of absences 23 per year 45 per year 23 per year
Periods A, B, C, D E, F, G that meet everyday E, F, G that meet every other day
Maximum number of absences 14 per semester 23 per semester 14 per semester
3. Zoom meetings The expectations for behavior during Zoom sessions are the same as in an on-campus class. Furthermore, online classes require a few additional expectations for student conduct. These are highlighted below:
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i. ii. iii.
iv. v.
vi.
vii. viii. ix. x.
Students should not under any circumstance share Zoom meeting links and passwords with anyone. Students must always log into Zoom meetings with their Chapel account and student name. There should be only one student per device. Having multiple students attend a Zoom meeting together using the same device is not permitted. Students must keep their cameras on for class attendance during Zoom meetings and assessments. Students should log in to Zoom classes according to the regular fixed schedule. Students will connect to the link and be placed in a “waiting room” until teachers admit them into the meeting. Students should communicate with teachers and counselors about any challenges they may be facing to join sessions (using Google Hangouts or email). When muted by a teacher, students are not supposed to unmute without the teacher’s authorization. Students should connect to a Zoom meeting respecting the Chapel’s dress code. Students should connect to a Zoom meeting from an appropriate location. If the above expectations are not met, the student will be removed from the class for the whole period and will need to deliver activities by the end of the period. If a student falls short of any of these behavior expectations, a warning letter will be placed in the student’s file.
4. Student-Teacher Communication a. Students can contact teachers during classes through: i. Google Hangouts ii. Emails iii. Other online platforms such as Zoom or per the teacher’s specifications. iv. Teachers are not expected to be on call beyond school hours. Emails are the only appropriate way to contact teachers outside of regular school hours. Students can send teachers emails at any time, but outside of classroom time teachers will respond according to their availability.
5. Online Classes a. For each class, teachers will post: i. The learning goals for that lesson ii. At least one presentation or guiding text or video iii. At least one activity to be delivered by the end of the class period
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iv.
Zoom meetings, chat activities, peer review, and group work may be assigned at teachers’ discretion
6. Student tasks a. Students must deliver their tasks through Google Classroom. b. Students must only use Google Classroom and the tools embedded in our systems to produce all their tasks, so the school can verify their editing steps. c. Teachers will use Turnitin to verify the authenticity of students’ work.
7. Academic dishonesty a. Academic dishonesty results in a letter for the student’s file. All work delivered by students must be authentic and adhere to “Chapel’s academic integrity policy” according to the “HS Parent-Student Handbook”. b. All of the work submitted by students must be their own. There should not be collaboration from other students or tutors for final activities. Every source used must be properly cited. c. All documents must contain an editing history. Students will only be evaluated on the final product but may be called upon to demonstrate the history of their work as well.
8. Student support system a. We will continue to observe individual students’ performance and offer individual support.
9. Resources a. Chapel Library remote access ■ ○
Click on this link here to visit Chapel’s High School Library,
Students can log in with their Chapel username and password. It gives access not only to the library catalog but also to many of our magazine and journal subscriptions.
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List of contacts High School Principal: Ms. Paula Moro pmoro@chapelschool.com Dean of Students Mr. Colin Weaver cweaver@chapelschool.com High School Counselor: Ms. Thalita Thomé tthome@chapelschool.com Middle Years Counselor: Ms. Erika Ferreira eferreira@chapelschool.com High School Office: Ms. Yumi Mitake highschooloffice@chapelschool.com Chapel’s Registrars: Ms. Andressa Costa Ruiz aruiz@chapelschool.com Ms. Gabi Torino gtorino@chapelschool.com High School Library: Ms. Fernanda Caires fcaires@chapelschool.com
References 2021-2022 HS Parent-Student Handbook 2020-2021 HS Parent-Student Handbook https://wabisabilearning.com/blogs/critical-thinking/25-self-reflection-questions http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/dec19/vol77/num04/Involving_Famil ies@_A_Relationship-Centered_Approach.aspx
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Ibo.org. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.ibo.org/contentassets/76d2b6d4731f44ff800d0d06d371a892/academic-integrity-p olicy-english.pdf> [Accessed 27 June 2020]. International Baccalaureate Organization. Mathematics: Analysis And Approaches Guide. International Baccalaureate Organization, Geneva, 2019, p. 4. Accessed 28 July 2020.
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