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Dear Stenwood Families,
We continue to be in awe of our amazing community! Thank you for all of the pictures and well wishes that many of you sent in response to our request yesterday! We love seeing all of the Stingers! I have put together a slideshow for our staff to watch - they are going to love it!
We know that this is a very hard transition for most of our families, so let’s do a quick reality check. In the last two weeks, we have gone from our normal routine to something none of us have ever experienced. We know many of you are concerned about your children’s loss of instructional time. I have read many things on social media, but there is one that sticks most in my mind. I can’t find the exact one, but if I do, I will tweet it out, this one is very similar:
“Don’t worry about them regressing in school. Every single kid is in this boat and they will be ok. When we are back in the classroom, we will all course correct and meet them where they are. Teachers are experts at this! Don’t pick fights with your kids because they don’t want to do math. Don’t scream at your kids for not following the schedule. Don’t mandate 2 hours of learning time if they are resisting it. If I can leave you with one thing, it’s this: at the end of all of this, your kids’ mental health will be more important than their academic skills. And how they felt during this time will stay with them long after the memory of what they did during those 4 or more weeks is long gone. So keep that in mind, every single day.” -Unknown (tweeted by Michael Young @MikeyY626)
As much as you can with your own teleworking responsibilities, slow down, play board games, go for walks, prioritize your mental health and the mental health of your children. And know, you are not alone in those moments where you feel like you are failing at it all. My YouTube videos are for your kids (and you) to get reassurance, you will also notice that they are all very dark… my house is sleeping when I record them! Here is a picture of my daytime reality, below is my son Jacob, hitting me in the face with a toy during our virtual staff meeting yesterday (sent to me by a staff member). This is going to be a marathon AND we are here to support you.
Further communication is forthcoming from Dr. Brabrand, reiterating and providing more details to the message from March 19th. The plan is for distance learning to begin for our students either online or by learning packets beginning on April 14th. Until then, focus on your family’s self-care, stay connected, and look for the silver linings during this confusing time. Stay healthy and keep reading! Keep sending us pictures of our Stingers, we love seeing them!
Erica Riley esriley@fcps.edu
Twitter @esriley1
Meredith Mitchell mamitchell@fcps.edu
Sincerely,
Erica Riley, Principal
Meredith Mitchell, Assistant Principal
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YouTube
Mrs. Riley’s YouTube channel will continue to be updated. We hope to have some guest readers soon! If you have topics you need tips on, let Mrs. Riley know.
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Field Trips
We have received a few inquiries on field trip refunds. We hope to have some definitive answers soon and we will send out specific emails to each grade level with information. Thank you for your patience.
FCPS 24-7 Learning Resources
Students can participate in optional, self-directed learning activities on FCPS 24-7 Learning (Blackboard). FCPS is also sending out a mailing to any parents who still have not set up their account.
Please reach out to Meredith Mitchell (mamitchell@fcps.edu) or Jackie Krum (jekrum@fcps.edu) if you are experiencing difficulty in accessing your or your child’s account.
This website also has help for requesting assistance with your ParentVue accounts.
This video from the FCPS website provides an excellent tutorial on how to access these resources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzly26oPcUM&feature=youtu.be
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Food Resources
FCPS continues to expand the number of locations for food sites. Please use this link as it will continue to be updated.
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How to Talk to your Child about COVID-19
It is important that you have conversations with your children about why they are out of school, and that everyone is doing their best to make sure that they are safe and healthy. As you begin to plan these conversations consider reading Talking to Children about COVID-19.
ParentVue Accounts
This weekend, you should receive an email from FCPS if you do not already have a ParentVue account.
We implore you to please sign-up for an account. A ParentVue account makes it possible for parents to access the FCPS 24-7 (Blackboard) portal.
If you already have an account, you can log-in here. This is where several of the resources for students will be located in the coming weeks. If you need help setting up your account, please call. We will happily walk you through the process.
Cable Channels - Continuity of Learning
FCPS is currently creating instructional learning programs that will air on your local cable channel. Finally, a time when we suggest you let your kids watch TV!
Additional instructional videos are being developed/recorded and will be added into the lineup as they are available. Please check this week for programs that will benefit your children at home.
COX
Channel 21/ 1021 (HD) is Elementary Programming
Channel 25/ 1025 (HD) is Middle School Programming
Channel 99/ 1099 (HD) is High School Programming
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Positivity Project: Fairness |
This week we are focusing on Fairness. You believe that all people have value. You approach situations with an unbiased mindset and treat everyone with respect.
“Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.”
~Oscar WIlde
Since we haven’t had the opportunity for our daily lessons, here is more information:
WHAT DOES FAIRNESS MEAN?
Fairness is the product of moral judgement- the process by which people determine what is morally right and what is morally wrong. Moral reasoning has been explored and analyzed in two main traditions: the justice reasoning approach and the care reasoning approach.
Justice reasoning emphasizes the use of reason and logic. In justice reasoning, fairness is determined by objectively weighing what is right or wrong, as determined by a group, society, or universal ethical principles. Care reasoning, by contrast, emphasizes care and compassion. This approach uses concepts like empathy- an understanding for the needs, interests, and well-being of another person - when making decisions.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
For individuals, cultivating the character strength of fairness is correlated with highly desirable developmental outcomes. It helps people to become trustworthy friends, responsible citizens, and generally moral people.
Fairness is also essential for the good of the group. As individuals develop the capacity for moral reason they often find a strengthening of the aptitude for self-reflection, self-awareness, self-awareness, self-confidence, and perspective taking. When taken together, these skills significantly enhance a person’s ability to solve interpersonal and group relationship problems.
Here’s a quick video you can watch at home about fairness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqPeMprcEDw&feature=youtu.be
Questions you might enjoy talking about:
• Do you consider yourself a fair person?
• Would you say that fairness is important to you?
• What would you do if you saw someone being unfair?
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Buy Your Yearbook Today!!!
Yearbooks are sold ONLY online; they can be purchased for $16.25 using a credit card or PayPal account. Yearbooks and order options will be delivered to the school at the end of the school year.
DEADLINE IS APRIL 30, 2020 FOR ALL YEARBOOK ORDERS
Simply go to yearbookforever.com and enter our school name.
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Keep up to date with all the wonderful things happening at Stenwood on the March Memories gallery! Photos are added throughout the month! |
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