Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope everyone is doing well. I would like to remind everyone that the
building will only be opened during the following times during the next ten
school days for you to retrieve your students’ belongings:
Monday, March 16 9:00
am – 12:00 pm
Tuesday, March 17 11:00
am – 1:00 pm
Please also remember that the nurses will be in the building
during the following time period for you to retrieve any medication your
students may need:
Monday, March 16 9:00
– 10:00 am
Please make sure you plan accordingly because the building will
not be open and the nurses will not be available at any other time.
The teachers and staff will be emailing out distance
learning information starting tomorrow.
Please make sure you ask your students to check their school email accounts.
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for all
families to establish set routines for your students during the next two weeks of
school closure. Many of the teachers will
provide more recommendations about this matter in their messages to you and the students about distance
learning. I came across the following graphic created by Jessica McHale regarding setting schedules for students during the "COVID-19 Days". I hope you
will find it useful.
In addition, I urge everyone to please monitor the students’
screen time. Most of the social
media and gaming apps popular with our students are designed to be addictive, so the kids will need adult
supervision and intervention limiting their time spend using electronic
devices. I am attaching the following
resources for your reference.
From Common Sense Media:
From Psychology Today:
Please note that the Common Sense Media website is a
wonderful resource for all families who are looking for guidance on how to help
students navigate the digital world.
Please also note that I, along with my administrative staff, will not be physically present in the building except during the time periods listed above during the next two weeks since we are also practicing social distancing. The administrative assistants will not be in the building at all until school opens back up later this month. However, I will check my email frequently so please do not hesitate to reach out if you need to contact me.
I will leave you with something I found out through my Twitter feed. Some of you may know Lauren Benanti, Broadway actress, sent out a tweet recently inviting all student performers who had their shows cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak to send her videos of their performances. Why? Because "the show must go on" despite the circumstances. This performance of "Moon River" sent to her resonated with me because it shows me we are all capable of doing something beautiful and uplifting during times of sadness, fear and anxiety.
Thank you, and I wish everyone good health.
James Lin
Principal
McCall Middle School
