BSUSD Office

Dear Bolinas-Stinson Families,

I hope this message finds you and your family safe and well. I am keeping a close eye on the Woodward wildfire and the evacuation warning. I will continue to send  out notifications  as soon as I receive any updates from the authorities. Please keep your family safe and stay informed by signing up for alerts through www.alertmarin.org.

The Bolinas-Stinson School staff is hard at work getting ready to welcome your child(ren) back to school next week in spite of the pandemic, extreme weather, power shut-offs, and most recently, wildfire threats. I will keep you updated in case we need to change any dates because of the many challenges we are facing together.

Next week, we are planning to welcome students with a gentle start, to introduce students to their teachers and get families ready for distance learning. Your child’s teacher will be reaching out to you later this week to introduce herself and schedule an in-person orientation meeting (if possible) with you and your child. I will be sending out zoom meeting invitations to meet with each grade level cohort to discuss the year ahead and how best to support families this year.

As we return to school, our students' social and emotional well being is of paramount importance. We will continue to offer counseling services to students, as well as ongoing social emotional learning opportunities and support. Room parents will also be reaching out to families within grade level cohorts to help build a network of support, both within and outside of school. Please talk to your child's teacher about how we can best support your family.

In-person Student Orientations

Teachers will be sending a link in their welcome letters this week for families to sign up for a 20 minute in-person or virtual orientation meeting next week. This is a time for your child to meet his/her teacher in person, learn about the instructional program, and share important information. Be sure to check in with your child’s teacher about the following points:

  • Share any special needs your child may have and what he/she is most looking forward to this year.

  • Let us know about any technology issues or tech questions you have.

  • Identify any obstacles or successes your child experienced last year during distance learning.

New Health and Safety Protocols ~ Help us all stay safe and healthy! Please read the following recommendations before coming on campus

  • Please fill in the Student Health Screening Form for your child on the morning of your orientation. Teachers will include a grade level link to this form in their welcome letter.

  • Please be sure that you and your child(ren) always wear a face covering when in public areas and on campus.

  • Please try to keep siblings at home for the in-person orientation meeting if possible. We ask that only one parent and the student be present for the meeting.

  • Please try to use the closest access point to your child’s classroom, teachers will be sharing their room location and meeting spot with you in their welcome email.

  • Keep a minimum of 6 feet in between your family and other families/students that are on campus.

  • Please keep your class/campus visit brief and avoid gathering in groups.

  • Play structures and the playground are closed at this time - Sorry!

Distance Learning Calendar - Important Dates!

  • August 25th-28th Gentle Start introductions and student orientations begin.

  • August 31st-Distance Learning Kick-off! Stay tuned for fun activities planned by your child’s teacher. Teachers will share the distance learning schedule for the week.

  • September 1st - Distance Learning Program begins.

Distance Learning Overview

We learned a lot from last year and have used parent and staff feedback to build a more robust, student centered distance learning model for the year ahead. Below is an overview of the different aspects we will be using to support your child’s learning. Teachers will be sharing detailed grade level schedules with embedded zoom links to provide families with a more streamlined format for easy access.

  • Live Zoom Meetings (synchronous instruction)

    • Whole group: used for welcome, daily agenda and short mini lesson 30 min. Or less

    • Small group: focused instruction or support in math or reading, flex groups for social-emotional learning

    • One on One: check-ins, focused support or intervention, IEP minutes, 504 support

    • Drop in office hours: check-ins for students and parents as needed

  • Recorded Lessons (asynchronous instruction) Used to deliver content

    • Screencast Recordings

    • Swivl Recordings

    • Access to pre-made libraries/lessons/tutorials to support instruction eg. Khan Academy, Math & ELA

  • Independent Student Study Activities

    • Teachers will assign scheduled pick-up and drop-off

    • times for materials and student work

    • Assignments~Materials will be sent home by classroom teacher and specialists

    • Projects~Materials will be sent home by classroom teacher and specialists

    • School will provide learning kits to support student work at home

    • Outdoor education activities - exploring a partnership with Lawrence Hall of Science Beetle Program & Local Partners

  • In Person Learning

    • Orientation for students

    • Assessment

    • Intervention

    • IEP support, 504 support

    • Technology support

  • Phone Communication

    • Check-Ins with students and parents

    • Reminders and follow up if student is absent or doesn’t turn in work

  • Blogging using Google Classroom Platform

    • Online class conversations overseen by teacher

    • Provides a way for older students to collaborate and communicate with each other and the teacher

  • Planning Days ~ Wednesdays

    • Wednesdays reserved for teacher planning, staff meetings, individual student/family check-ins, Student Study Team Meetings, IEP Meetings, 504 Meetings

    • Viva el Espanol to provide Spanish instruction on Wednesdays for all grade levels

    • Teachers will briefly check-in with student to clarify student tasks for the day

  • Family Support - Monthly check-ins

    • Grade level room parent meetings to build class community and family support

    • Grade level principal check-ins to identify needs and provide support

  • Daily Attendance & Student Support

    • Teachers will be taking attendance daily and staff will provide additional check-ins to help support participation

    • Additional support for students who are struggling and do not participate in the above activities

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions.  Be well and stay safe,

Michelle Stephens

Bolinas-Stinson School Principal

mstephens@bolinas-stinson.org