October 15, 2020
Dear 7th and 8th Grade Families,
First of all, I would like to thank each and every one of you for the support you are
giving to your children and to the school in these very challenging times. I know
how hard this must be on all of you, and I appreciate your patience and
understanding as we continue to move forward in the work of educating your
children! This is a stressful time for everyone. In addition to everything you do,
here are some tips that may help your child feel less stressed and be better prepared
for school.
Rhythm- a daily rhythm is so helpful for kids! Try a regular bedtime and a regular
time to wake up- even on distance learning. Kids need about 9-10 hours of sleep a
day (sometimes more!) to be well rested.
Screen time- screen time is hard on students. It drains their energy and can be hard
on the eyes. Consider keeping screens put away from 8-8 each day so students are
not playing video games late at night. Sometimes gaming can interfere with
motivation and learning. Put limits on their gaming time and allow it after their
work is done for the day.
We are moving into a new phase with some students returning and others
remaining on distance learning. All students will need to be present to check in
at 8:45 each morning. Distance learners will have to wake up and be ready for
school just like the students who are attending. We will be doing Language Arts
each day at 9am and Math each day at 11am. At home students will be present
and participate online along with the students at school.
This plan may need to change and I will provide an update each day. If you have
email, please join our Google Classroom so you can see what the students are
doing each week and monitor your child’s progress. Send me an email at
dosell@loleta.org and I will send you the invitation to join! Together we will get
through this very unusual year!
For families that are returning to school:
Your child needs to bring their chromebook to school every day . 7th grade
attends in person on Mondays and Wednesdays, 8th grade attends in person on
Tuesdays and Thursdays. The first week 8th grade will attend on Friday, October
23. On their distance learning days they are still expected to complete all assigned
work and attend via Google Meet.
Please have your students return with their boxes of supplies including:
color pencils
scissors
notebooks
rulers
pencil sharpeners
Do not send your child to school if anyone in your family unit is sick, or if they
have any symptoms such as:
cough
sneezing
fever
lethargy
body aches
headache
diarrhea
shortness of breath
Students will wear masks at all times unless eating outdoors with 6 feet of
distance.
Thank you for doing your part to help keep us all safe and healthy!!
For families that are remaining on 100% distance learning:
It is critical that your child shows up and works each day Monday-Friday. The
minimum amount of work is:
One Language Arts assignment
One Math assignment
30 minutes of reading
We also have History, Art, Science and P.E. which all students should be working
on weekly.
Please help your child stay on top of his/her work. It is critical for their continued
success in school. Middle school is an important time where they develop habits
that will carry over into high school and beyond.
I am here to help all of you on this journey and am available M-Th from 1:30-3:30
and Friday’s from 8:30-12:30 for meetings. Please reach out if there are concerns,
problems, or anything I can help with! Your children are important to me and
deserve the best education I can give them. I greatly appreciate all your help and
support.
Thank You,
Daphne Osell
707-296-3196
dosell@loleta.org