Dear families,

Today I just want to pass on a few information and tips for you and your family to get ready for doing school work at home. Keeping a routine will be helpful for you and your children.

Replicating a school type schedule at home is not realistic. A home environment and the familiarity of family creates a new dimension when trying to institute learning at home. Instead, working to establish some commonsense and doable routines will be more effective and helpful for students. In this way, the learning times will be more effective and easier to implement. 

Below is an example of a schedule that can be implemented at home with some recommendations: This will look different in each family of course.

Daily Routines During School Shutdown
7:00 – 9:00	Wake up, wash up, breakfast
9:00 – 11:00	Academics with wiggle breaks
11:00 – 12:00	Free play/socialize/outdoor time
12:00 – 12:30	Lunch
12:30 – 1:00	Silent Reading/nap time
1:00 – 2:00	Academics
2:00 – 3:00	Free Play
3:00 – 3:30	socialize/outdoor time
3:30 – 4:30	Chores

Tips for you:

• enjoy breakfast time together. This is often a rushed meal for many and now having time and not being pulled out the door can make for some more peaceful mornings and will set the stage for your day. Take time to do a family devotion together, review bible memory verses as family, kids might want to share a dream they had in the night, pray together (popsicle stick prayer, spin a wheel prayer, roll a die prayer are just a few fun ideas to get everybody involved- ask me for more details if you want)
• Get a spot ready for school supplies. This can be a drawer, a bin, a shelf, a card board box, whatever you have available. So that you and your student have a specific spot to find the needed supplies. I am getting various supplies from school ready that will be available for pick up. A letter with more details will come from the office.
• make work area available– depending on your space, having a designated work area is helpful as well. This can be the kitchen table, island, desk or whatever you have available, so that the students know where to go.

I’m planning to check in with each of you by phone tomorrow just to touch base. Also I plan to set up a weekly schedule with each family for a 15 min. video conference starting on the coming Monday. Start thinking what time would work best for you. Monday- Wednesday between 10-12 am and 1-3pm.

Idea for you:

Here is a cute activity that I was going to do in the class leading up to easter. A resurrection garden.

Do not feel you have to make one, I’m just sharing a picture in case you are interested.

This picture is from the internet that inspired me and I have made it for several years with my kids. Fill a planter or plate with dirt, lay a flower pot in it and cover it with dirt as well. If you want to sow grass seeds, spray it with water, and watch it grow. A bigger rock can be used to cover the flower pot/ tomb and small pebbles can be used in the front. Small sticks can be made into crosses and stuck into the dirt. On Easter Sunday you can open the tomb to symbolize that Jesus is alive! If you do this step by step you can incorporate the easter story into it.

This is my version. We have so much moss in our yard, so I chose moss instead of planting grass (although grass is funner as kids can watch it grow :). The Vedder River provides so many nice rocks to use.

Hope to reach you all tomorrow