Letter to Parents:2021-2022

Dear Parents,

We, at Balsam, believe that there is nothing more important to us than the well-being and safety of our children. With schools closed and continuation of unprecedented times, we need to stay calm more than ever, be resourceful and do what we do best: focus on supporting each other and meeting the changing needs of our Balsamites. The world is changing around us, but what has not changed is our whole-hearted care for children and parents.

We have continually refined and improved since our first pilot of online classes in June 2020. We are making adjustments to improve the effectiveness of virtual learning for the academic year 2021-22. The information contained within this letter is the result of that work and will provide the details of our program as we have to consider virtual school option for the 2021-22 school year. Please spare time to read this letter completely and talk with your child about the importance of continuing their education during this time.

What you can expect from us

1. Each student will be given an organisation account ID to access online sessions for security reasons
2. Orientation program for parents and students to understand the virtual learning program
3. Online scholastic and co-scholastic sessions through google classrooms as per the Class Time Table.
4. Projects and subject enrichment activities with rubrics, assignments with due dates, varied videos, chapter based or concept-based content, documents, notes, worksheets, Google forms and meeting links to join online sessions shall be shared on google classrooms. All materials shall be accessible with organisation ID only.
5. Regular meetings and follow up calls will be made as and when necessary for effective monitoring and mentoring.
6. Respective teachers shall take calls or respond to messages from Monday to Saturday between 4 pm and 5 pm. We think it is necessary they have a quality time with their families during weekends.
7. School-Home communication shall be made through one google classroom only.

What we expect from parents:

1. Establish a regular routine at home. Ensure enough sleep and regular exercise. This is a great opportunity to shift focus to School-Home collaboration for learning.
2. A reliable internet connection and a device must be provided by parents. We recommend a desktop or laptop so students don’t strain their eyes
3. The number of online sessions are more than what was offered last year and so siblings must have their own devices to attend the sessions according to the Class Time Table
4. Remote Learning Schedule shall be shared each week and parents must encourage students to follow the schedule.
5. Refer the school calendar on the website and make note of assessment schedules. Motivate children to maintain grade-level performance or show adequate growth toward grade-level with intervention or support as evidenced by periodic assessments.
6. Students will be required to be on-site for the completion of mandated testing. Please make arrangements to drop and pick as transport shall not be provided.
7. Students and parents will also be required to attend on-site mandated services /requirements that may arise. Please make necessary arrangements when required.
8. We recommend that one adult member in the family who takes the responsibility of working with the student to attend calls and online meetings. This will allow the school to remain connected to the student, receive feedback and update the child’s progress.
9. We request parents to collaborate with us in co-teaching, guide the children to complete and turn in the assigned tasks shared on Google classrooms regularly. Please login to the Google classrooms with the mail ID created by school (for security reasons) to access the materials uploaded by the teachers.
10. Your display of responsibility by making timely payments to school means a lot to the school operation. So, be prompt and avoid reminders.
11. Comprehend all school policies and encourage children to adhere too
12. Learning Materials are required for learning so kindly procure before 5th June 2021. Label and colour code the notebooks for quick access as mentioned by school.

What we expect from students:

1. Organise learning materials for quick access. Ensure they are colour-coded as recommended by school.
2. Ensure your device is charged and you attend the online sessions in a quiet place to focus.
3. Download and save the class time table and remote learning schedule for easy access. Print and post on your study wall if required. Follow the Remote Learning Schedule carefully.
4. Use school provided mail ID to join google classrooms. Avoid using sibling ID. Do not share your login ID or password with anyone.
5. While attending online class, microphone to be on mute and for clarity of sound, use headphones. Camera to be left on at the start of the session and turned off once session starts
6. To ask a question, raise your hand or use the chat box and wait for teacher’s response. Be polite and respectful, pay attention to the speaker.
7. Establish record of strong attendance throughout the year.
8. Establish record of completing work and turning in assignments on time. Your assessment marks are based on the quality of work in assignments, projects, subject enrichment activities.
9. Refer the school calendar and make note of assessment dates. Be fair during online assessments and do your best to progress each time.

Click here for Book Label and Colour Code

Click here for School Calendar – June

June session commences from 10th June for G6-10 and 14th June for LKG-G5

Important dates to be noted:

1. Parent Orientation Program – Date/Day: 04.06.2021, Friday Time: 9:00 am to 9:40 am

Meeting link: //meet.google.com/lookup/a4m2msll5

2. Student Orientation Program – 10.06.2021, Thursday

Remote Learning Schedule and Class Time Table shall be shared two days before the sessions begin.

“Old ways, won’t open new doors. It takes travelling outside our comfort zone to discover our

abilities, we never knew we had.”

As we work based on the theme – The Story of Change, let us write the best story for our children.

Stay strong! Stay healthy!

School Heads,
Balsam Academy.