A Note from our Principal
I hope everyone is safe and well. When I got the news that school was going to be closed for the remainder of the year I was crushed. I know that I am not alone in feeling this way. As hard as this was to hear, I know it is for the best for everyone and I have faith that we will work through this and make it the best that we can together. Walker students, families and staff are amazing! We have the determination and the strength to get through this challenging time. We need to stay strong and show Walker PRIDE.
As we continue our work around embedding Deeper Learning, we want to take this time to capture some of what our learners have become interested in at home. Starting on May 4, we will begin to discover what our learners are doing at home and connect it to the skills we know are essential to success. Students throughout the entire school district will be working on passion projects. These passion projects will be driven by students’ interests, while teachers and other staff members will work to connect academic standards and other skills into the projects with the students. I am extremely excited to see what our students are going to create and share. Passion Project Support for Families
In order to support students and their families with what tools students can use to share the learning from their Passion Projects Mrs. Hart has created a Wakelet (see below) with screencasts that will walk families through how to use various apps. Our Walker students are VERY tech savvy and many of them are very independent in making a choice and creating something to share their learning. This Wakelet collection was created to support our parents and any students who may have forgotten how to use our creation apps. If you are not using a school device, or are using a computer, please note that your easiest options will be to use Google Slides, Google Docs or Pic Collage as they are compatible across most devices. An external link to the Wakelet can be found HERE.
Safe Search Sites for Student Research
As students begin to do research for their Passion Projects we wanted to share with families some safe search websites that we use at school. These search engines are more kid friendly and safer than using google.
https://www.kidzsearch.com/ https://www.kiddle.co/ If your child is looking to add photos to their presentations they can access copyright free photos from Britannica Image Quest. There is a link on all student iPads, however if you are not using a school device students can access Image Quest using the information below. Quest.eb.com Access ID: wawm Passcode: image Teacher Appreciation Week May 4 - 8Returning to Walker 2020-2021
Walker School will soon begin the process of planning for the 2020-2021 school year. Please complete the following Google forms:
Plans for your student for 2020-2021 School year: https://forms.gle/6VRn8VKWCnPsVy3z9 **Parent Questionnaire is OPTIONAL** Parent Questionnaire for team planning 2020-2021: https://forms.gle/yt4hLcG9BmDUn3FWA A Note from Ms. Brownell
Hello Walker Families,
We understand during these uncertain times families are experiencing additional strain and stress as we try to navigate this “new normal” and the challenges that come from finding a way to function between remote learning, working from home or continuing to work at risk out in the community, and all the moments in between. Even though we are apart we would like to continue to be a source of support for you and your child. Please consider utilizing the following resources as needed, and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have additional questions or concerns for the social emotional well being of your child. We are here for you. Thank you for your continued work and support, we could not continue remote learning without you! Stacey Lange - Principal - [email protected] Kristyn Brownell - School Counselor - [email protected] Hoping you are all healthy, happy, and safe, Ms. Brownell Resources for Students and Families
Community Resources
Virtual Book Fair
Unfortunately we are unable to have our spring book fair. However, Scholastic has offered the option for schools to host Virtual Fairs. Our Walker School Virtual Fair will be held from Monday, May 4 - Sunday, May 17th. You can shop at any time during that time frame using the link below. All orders will ship to your home and all orders over $25 will ship for free! The profits from this fair will be used to purchase books to help fill Team Integrity’s Little Libraries next fall. We understand that these are difficult times for many, so please do not feel obligated to purchase books, we wanted to still offer the option for families that are looking for books to keep their readers busy! Thank you in advance for your support!
https://www.scholastic.com/bf/walkerelementaryschool19 The link above will not include a shopping link until Monday, May 4th. |