Principal's Message, September 18, 2020

Dear Bolinas-Stinson Families,

I hope that the first couple weeks of distance learning have been going well for you! As I walked around both campuses this week, I was able to see what teachers were doing behind the scenes. Even though I couldn’t see the students, it filled my heart with joy to hear their voices and excitement as they answered questions, danced, and participated with their classmates and teachers. 

Please remember to reach out to your child’s teacher if your child needs additional support in order to fully participate in distance learning. We know that it is not a one-size-fits-all situation and want to work together to find what works best for your child.

Thank you for your feedback!

Teachers and I have been receiving a lot of good feedback about how distance learning is going and questions from parents about how they can best support their child. Here are some pointers teachers shared with me:

  • When your child is struggling with something during a zoom session, please encourage them to ask the teacher for help. Fight the urge to jump in and assist them. This helps your child to build a stronger relationship with their teacher and become an independent learner. We want students to develop the skills to take charge of their learning. 

  • Encourage your child to send a private message through the zoom chat box to their teacher if they don't want everyone to see their question or need help during zoom sessions. While it is important for students to experience “productive struggle,” sometimes students don’t want to share this publicly.

  • Please help your child to stay focused by asking them to put away their phones, gaming controls or anything else that may be distracting during class.

  • When in doubt about what to do to support your child (both online and off) check in with your child’s teacher. This builds a strong partnership and open lines of communication.

  • Give teachers a chance to grow and find their rhythm and develop a rapport with their class/individual students - please understand that this process takes time.

Back to school Night Schedule Next Week, September 21st-25th - Looking forward to seeing you there!

Teachers will be sending zoom links to parents soon! Teachers will be sharing important information and answering questions about curriculum, schedules, expectations and more!

Date

Time

Grade levels

Monday, September 21st

4:00-5:00 PM 

  • Pre-K Tech Training

Monday, September 21st

5:00-6:00 PM

  • 1st Grade with Lauren Pollak

Tuesday, September 22nd

4:00-5:00 PM 

  • Kindergarten with Karen Buckenmeyer

  • 3rd Grade with Anna Tosick

Wednesday, September 23rd 

4:30-5:30 PM 

  • 2nd Grade with Willow Regnery 

  • 6th Grade with Ilie Watterson

Thursday, September 24th 

4:00-5:00 PM 

  • 4th/5th Grade with Mary Lynn (ML) Bryan

Thursday, September 24th 

5:00-6:00 PM

  • 7th/8th Grade with Gohar Yervandyan

Friday, September 25th 

4:00-5:00 PM 

  • 3rd Grade with Rachael Dressler

In-Person Learning Update

We are on day four in the “Substantial” (Red) Tier according to the new State metrics for countywide reopening criteria. Schools may not reopen fully for in-person instruction until the county has been in the “Substantial” (Red) Tier for two weeks (14 consecutive days). All BSUSD staff are working hard to ensure that your children come back to school safely. We are still working on getting the following pieces in place for in-person learning.

  • Facilities: mobile classroom furniture for distance learning, updated windows in some classrooms, air purifiers with HEPA filters for all classrooms.

  • Planning: School Site Specific Protection Plan approval from MCOE, BSUSD Reopening Plan with stakeholder input.

  • Health and Safety Protocols/training for all staff, students and families.

If you have any specific questions about our school re-opening, please reach out John Carroll. He is looking forward to answering any questions you may have.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any suggestions, questions or concerns. As always, I wish you and your families much love and laughter. 

Warmly,

Michelle Stephens

Bolinas-Stinson School Principal