• Hello everyone!

    In preparation for our first day of school tomorrow, I will be outlining a few basic practices that will help us get through these first legs of distanced and hybrid learning. Hopefully these tips will help soothe any fears or confusion about what to expect in the next few weeks. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me or send me a message on Remind at any time and I'll get back to you as soon as I'm able!

     

    DIGITAL ACADEMY STUDENTS

    How to Access Canvas:

    • Log in to Leon County School's Classlink site
    • Select the Canvas App
    • Navigate to your desired class
    • Begin Module

    *Leon County Schools has created a comprehensive guide on how to use Canvas from your student portal! If you're having any issues with your account, or using the features of Canvas, I highly recommend checking out the student academy! Follow the link below for more details:

    https://www.leonschools.net/Page/48872

    Attendance Expectations:

    • In anticipation of technical difficulties, I will be conducting attendance for digital learners via daily quizzes on Canvas. Each quiz will only be available from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm each day. If you have not completed the one-question response in that time frame, you will be marked absent for that day. Please contact me as soon as possible if you are experiencing technical difficulties preventing you from accessing your online resources!

    Art Supply Pick Up:

    • Throughout the duration of distanced learning, you will be expected to pick up supply packets from Rickards with all the tools you will need to complete your assignment. Respect and take care of these tools! You will not receive replacements. I have spent at least $500 of my personal funds to equip you with supplies for this semester, and there's been at least an additional $500-$800 donated directly from our community to cover the rest. I want you all to have a meaningful art-making experience, so I'm happy to contribute where I can, but know these supplies are expensive.
    • Supply pick ups will occur every 3-4 weeks as we move through different assignments.
    • Your first supply pick up will be available Tuesday morning, September 1st. I'm waiting on confirmation from administration about where you will be able to retrieve your supplies and will send an announcement as soon as they're ready!

    Communication:

    • I will be using Remind as our primary means of communication for quick messages and announcements. If you have a quick question, Remind will get you the fastest response.
    • If you have an in-depth question or feel you would benefit from face-to-face instruction for a particular technique or concept, please send me a message on Remind to schedule an appointment for Zoom office hours where I can work with you one-on-one. I will have Zoom live during your scheduled class, but know I may not be able to answer your question fully with the demands of hybrid teaching.

    BRICK AND MORTAR STUDENTS

    Covid Procedures:

    • Students are expected to line up 6 feet apart on the entrance ramp to building 13 to have their temperatures checked before entering for every class period. 
    • Upon entering the class room, you will wash your hands and wipe down your assigned seat. 
    • After your station is cleaned, you will be expected to take out your laptop and supplies (each student will have their own set, the same provided to distanced learners) and begin working on the assigned module. I will help guide you through these modules and provide assistance and instruction as needed.
    • For the safety and protection of myself and my family, I will be teaching from behind a glass window in our glassblowing annex. I will have an intercom system installed that will allow us to communicate directly, but I will be holding very high standards for student behavior since I am unable to be directly in the room with you. Understand, if you are acting inappropriately or creating a safety hazard, I will enter the room and act accordingly, even though it means putting my high risk family in jeopardy. 
    • We will begin clean up 10 minutes before the end of every class. During clean-up, students will be expected to store their supplies, wipe down their tables, and wash their hands before leaving.

    Mask Policies:

    • MASKS ARE REQUIRED TO BE WORN PROPERLY, OVER THE NOSE, THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF CLASS! If you need a mask break, you are expected to consult with me first. I will set a timer and you will have 5 minutes to exit the classroom and breathe freely outside, or use the restroom. Only two students will be allowed to take a break at a time. When your five minutes are up, I will have a classmate retrieve you from outside if you have not come back on your own.
    • Failure to wear your mask will result in dress code referral. If this continues to be a problem, your parent/guardian will be contacted along with administration. Remember, in this communal space we value and prioritize taking care of and protecting each other. Wearing a mask properly is a gesture of your care and respect for your community!

    With all of that out of the way, I want to welcome you again and say how incredibly excited I am to meet and work with you all this year. Things will certainly be different and challenging, but with patience and understanding, we'll find a way through. Stay safe and I'll see you soon!

    All my love,

    Ms. B
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