MFS@Home Summary

MFS @HOME In an effort to provide students and families with maximum flexibility during this unique school year, Moorestown Friends School is offering MFS@Home, a remote learning option for those wanting to continue their education from home. For the duration of the 2020-21 school year, MFS@Home will be available as a parallel option whenever the campus is open for in-person learning. We invite you to learn more about MFS@Home in order to make an informed choice about which mode of learning best suits your family's needs this year.

MFS@HOME LEARNING OPTION In the 2020-21 school year, Moorestown Friends School offers students the option to learn remotely when the school campus is open. This option will be known as MFS@Home. It is important to note that MFS@Home students will automatically transition to Virtual MFS if we must pivot to All Virtual Learning at any point. All students are eligible to participate in MFS@Home for any reason (personal preference, medical, etc.). MFS@Home will be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning, using various platforms including Zoom, Google Meet, Seesaw, myMFS, and Google Classroom. Students opting to start the year in MFS@Home must remain in this mode for six weeks, at which point families will have the option to change to MFS@School. Students opting for MFS@School may switch to MFS@Home at any time by submitting a transfer form to the divisional office.

MFS@HOME Students choose to learn remotely when campus is open.

MFS@SCHOOL Students choose to learn in person when campus is open.

VIRTUAL MFS All learning and teaching happens remotely when campus is closed.

MFS@HOME LEARNING OPTION Depending on the division, grade level, and subject area, MFS@Home will take different forms, but all remote learners will remain connected to their teachers and peers through class time and community events. While this parallel track of learning will be different from MFS@School, students will follow the same curriculum and be poised to advance to the next grade level with their peers. For details, see the divisional sections below. Our faculty have focused their professional development this summer on strentghening specific competencies and skill sets related to remote learning. This professional development, in combination with a redesigned daily and weekly schedule, and previous Virtual MFS experiences, will allow for the creation of a robust and engaging academic environment for students regardless of whether they are learning at home or at school.

MFS@HOME: LOWER SCHOOL Lower School MFS@Home is the bridge to the classroom experience. The design of the program follows these guiding principles: Consistency - of communication, platforms, and schedule. Community - staying connected to teachers and peers is important for learning and socialemotional well-being. The program provides time to connect to the classroom as well as time for targeted virtual instruction with a teacher. Continuity - Virtual teaching is an extension of our in-person teaching. Similar to in-person instruction, students will submit work to teachers for review and feedback. Teachers will also conduct formative and summative assessments with students.

MFS@HOME: LOWER SCHOOL Technology The Lower School will use several platforms for communication and tracking of assignments: Seesaw, myMFS, and Zoom. All students will have a school-issued Chromebook loaded with the apps they will use this year. Additionally, students will have links to virtual classes preloaded onto their Google calendar located on their myMFS page.

Remote Learning Support Lower School students benefit from both connection to their peers and consistent support from teachers. The MFS@Home Teaching Team is a group of experienced lead teachers who will provide instruction to students learning at home. They will be in constant contact with the gradelevel teachers to make sure students are progressing through content and staying connected to their @School community. The lead classroom teacher and the @Home teacher will work collaboratively to assess students, ensure their progress is moving at an appropriate pace, and that they are reaching important milestones.Â

Schedule Students will have asynchronous work assigned by classroom teachers to complete and turn in via Seesaw. Classroom teachers will interface with students at home throughout the week either individually or in small groups. Each day students will have two live instructional classes with an MFS@Home Teacher. They will also be able to tune into their homeroom for specific social or community activities as well as Lower School Meeting For Worship and assemblies with their MFS@School peers. A sample Lower School @Home schedule is on the next page. Schedules will vary by grade level and from classroom to classroom depending on the @School schedule.

MFS@HOME: LOWER SCHOOL SAMPLE SCHEDULE MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

8:15-8:45

Morning Meeting Live with Class

Meeting for Worship (8:30)

Morning Meeting Live with Class

9:00-9:30

Live Lesson with MFS@Home Teacher

Asynchronous Work and Breaks

9:30-12:00

Check in with Classroom Teacher (11:20-12:00)

Assembly (11:20-12:00)

12:00-1:00

Lunch and Recess

1:00-1:30

Live Lesson with MFS@Home Teacher

Asynchronous Work and Breaks

Nap/Rest (PS/PK)

Closing Meeting Live With Class

1:30-2:00

2:30

***This is a sample schedule. Specific times will vary by grade level.***

MFS@HOME: MIDDLE/UPPER SCHOOL Middle and Upper School students electing MFS@Home will continue to receive the highquality instruction, academic support, and community connection that distinguish the MFS experience. Our chief priority is the continued support of students’ academic and personal growth as they progress through Middle and Upper School.

Technology An investment over the summer in technology to support audio and visual access to the classroom means that MFS students can seamlessly participate in their learning from home. Each classroom will be outfitted with a webcam, which allows @Home students to “sit" in the room and be part of the class. Shared screen features on interactive whiteboards and laptops will allow students to follow instruction, while lapel microphones for teachers will provide high-quality audio. We are also offering every student the opportunity to use a school-owned Chromebook this year, and are prepared to work with families to address any challenges students may have in accessing our program from home. Assignments and resources will continue to be posted and graded on myMFS, making it a consistent hub for MFS@Home and MFS@School students alike.

Schedule Students who choose to learn @Home will follow the same schedule as those who are physically present @School, and myMFS will be the primary platform from which students access all course-related materials. A notable change to the daily and weekly schedule this year is the creation of a five-day rotation and the increased use of longer, 85-minute class periods. Using a schedule that has longer class meetings and fewer classes per day creates greater flexibility for teachers and fewer preparations and transitions for students. Although assessments may look different @Home for some classes, students will continue to be assessed and receive regular feedback on their mastery of the academic material. As is the case when all students are on campus, @Home students will be able to arrange for one-onone meetings with their teachers outside of class time to ask questions and/or receive additional support. These connections will be essential to students’ academic success and emotional well-being.

MFS@HOME: MIDDLE/UPPER SCHOOL SCHEDULE MONDAY 7:45 Drop Off 1 8:00 Drop Off 2

B BLOCK 8:15 - 9:40 85 Minutes

C BLOCK 9:50 - 11:15 85 Minutes

US AI BLOCK 11:25 - 12:50 85 Minutes

LUNCH 12:50 - 1:50 60 Minutes

E BLOCK 1:50 - 3:15 85 Minutes

TUESDAY 7:45 Drop Off 1 8:00 Drop Off 2

F BLOCK 8:15 - 9:40 85 Minutes

G BLOCK 9:50 - 11:15 85 Minutes

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

7:45 Drop Off 1 8:00 Drop Off 2

E BLOCK 8:15 - 9:40 85 Minutes

F BLOCK 8:15 - 9:40 85 Minutes

B BLOCK 9:50 - 11:15 85 Minutes

D BLOCK 9:50 - 11:15 85 Minutes

B BLOCK 8:15 - 8:55 40 Minutes E BLOCK 9:00 - 9:40 40 Minutes D BLOCK 9:45 - 10:25 40 Minutes US MFW MS C BLOCK 10:30 - 11:10 40 Minutes

US AIII BLOCK MS ADVISOR 11:25-12:07

US C BLOCK MS MFW 11:15-11:55

US AIII BLOCK MS LUNCH 12:12-12:54

US AII BLOCK MS A BLOCK 12:00-12:40

MS ACT US LUNCH 12:59 - 1:50 51 Minutes

LUNCH 12:45 - 1:45 60 Minutes

D BLOCK 1:50 - 3:15 85 Minutes

G BLOCK 1:50 - 2:30 40 Minutes F BLOCK 2:35-3:15 40 Minutes

US AII BLOCK MS A BLOCK 11:25 - 12:50 85 Minutes

US AI BLOCK MS ADVISOR 11:25 - 12:07 US ADVISOR MS LUNCH 12:12 - 12:54

LUNCH 12:50 - 1:50 60 Minutes

MS ACT US LUNCH 12:59 - 1:50 51 Minutes

C BLOCK 1:50 - 3:15 85 Minutes

G BLOCK 1:50 - 3:15 85 Minutes

MFS@HOME: MIDDLE/UPPER SCHOOL Schedule (cont.) The weekly schedule will continue to include time for Meeting for Worship and advisory, and students who choose MFS@Home will participate fully in these two important moments of community each week. Activities, clubs, performances, assemblies, and other community-building events will look different this year, but will continue to be an integral part of both the MFS@Home and MFS@School experiences. Middle and Upper School athletes electing to learn @Home are invited to attend sports practices/games after school, should these continue as planned.

Remote Learning Support In order to provide scaffolded support to our Middle School students who may need additional structure in a remote setting, MFS has hired an MFS@Home Coordinator. This teacher will check in with learners and help them stay organized, focused, and productive. While direct instruction will be provided by the classroom teachers, the MFS@Home Coordinator will serve as an additional liaison between the student, teachers, and advisor. Upper School students, who are naturally more independent, will continue to use their advisor as their primary support, although both the school counselor and the learning specialist are available for extra support when a need is identified.

TRANSITION TO VIRTUAL MFS In the event that MFS transitions to All Virtual Learning, the @Home students will seamlessly transition with the rest of the school to Virtual MFS. Since the spring, we have been enhancing our Virtual MFS experience. Our teachers have prioritized online learning in their professional development over the summer and are ready to offer dynamic virtual classroom experiences. We have created schedules that allow for regular live instruction from teachers, asynchronous learning, ample opportunity for community events, and time to focus on social-emotional well-being. Virtual MFS in 2020-21 will incorporate all the digital platforms from the MFS@Home plan.

MFS@HOME LEARNING OPTION Next Steps In order to plan for instruction and provide a consistent educational experience for students, we are requesting that families select a learning mode over a six-week time block. All families are asked to select a learning mode (MFS@Home or MFS@School) for each child for the period from the start of school through October 9 by Friday, August 14 using this form. While we can accommodate changes from MFS@School to MFS@Home at any time, we cannot move students mid-block from MFS@Home to MFS@School. In order to change learning plans, families will complete a simple form that will be available on each divisional page on myMFS. If a student is home for two weeks or fewer, it is not necessary to complete the form; instead they should communicate with their teacher(s) and follow along with assignments as posted in myMFS. For planning purposes, the learning blocks are as follows:

Start of School - October 9 October 13 - November 24 November 30 - January 22 January 25 - March 5 March 9 - April 30 May 3 - June 11

We hope you will join us for a live webinar on Wednesday, August 12, at 7 p.m.Â to hear Division Directors describe the details of MFS@Home for each division. Whether you select MFS@Home or MFS@School, your student will have access to the academic excellence, extracurricular offerings, and community events that make MFS so unique.

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook