• In Lower School, teachers will post assignments to Seesaw by 10 p.m. the previous evening before work is to be completed. Teachers will post communication in Seesaw. Students are not able to message teachers within Seesaw but can comment on assignments if they have questions.

• In Middle School, teachers will post assignments to RenWeb by 10 p.m. the previous evening before the work is to be completed.  

Additionally, individual teachers may choose to use other platforms or apps to extend student learning. Those may include tools such as IXL, Membean, Khan Academy, Reading A to Z (RAZ) and Reflex Math, depending on a student’s grade level.

Yes, but not the typical 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. school-day experience. Virtual School days will require a different kind of dedication, attention, and work from both students and teachers. Attendance will be taken through each student’s continued progress within the online class environment. We appreciate you supporting your child’s effort in this regard. Similar to a traditional school day, your child will have an age-appropriate amount of work to complete each day with clear due dates, lessons, instructions, feedback, help mechanisms, and assessments. As noted above, the anticipated time required to complete this work will not fill all of the hours of a traditional school day. 

Students will have class each weekday. As noted above, our goal is to continue the learning process without overwhelming students or families. To that end, students will not have assignments in every class every day. Each division (Lower School and Middle School) will share its daily schedule with families. As students, faculty and families acclimate to virtual learning, we may find it necessary to adjust schedules.

Virtual learning takes many forms depending on grade level and subject area; learning experiences vary in ways that are developmentally appropriate and instructionally feasible. These experiences look and feel very different than a student’s typical in-class experiences. For example, as teachers modify their content to fit a virtual learning framework, students may be assigned to read books, work on independent projects, meet via video conference, watch online videos, write blogs, complete activities with family members, physically exercise, create art, and so forth. We work with families so that they know how best to support their children in their learning. 

Functions like grading, assessment, attendance and homework may be different than the typical in-class framework. Participation and effort are key factors in the grading process, and our objective is to help students focus on fully participating to the best of their abilities rather than on grades.  

We appreciate that St. John’s parents and caregivers understand this responsibility and support regular attendance. Once we implement our Virtual Learning Plan and begin delivering lessons through the virtual framework, teachers will track daily attendance and participation. Teachers track attendance in a variety of ways, including monitoring student work submissions in Lower School and daily advisory check-ins in Middle School. It is possible for teachers to identify who is in attendance during a live video session, by checking whether students have signed into their virtual learning platforms (Seesaw or Teams) and completed assignments, or by noting who has uploaded a work product documenting a learning activity. When learning occurs virtually, teachers will log assignments and activities to verify attendance so this can be input into our attendance tracking system.  

As with physical school, if a student is ill, we prefer for the student to rest and recover. If your child is sick during virtual learning, please email the homeroom teacher or advisor and attendance@stjohnsschool.org each morning of the illness. 

Our art, music, PE, world language classes, and other similar classes are incorporated into our weekly Lower and Middle School schedules. 

• In Lower School, teachers will communicate with parents via Seesaw and Microsoft Outlook. Regular wellness checks will be scheduled at the same time each week and conducted via phone.  

• In Middle School, teachers will primarily communicate with parents via RenWeb and Microsoft Outlook. If circumstances warrant an individual phone call, the teacher or advisor will schedule one at a mutually acceptable time during the school day. 

• In Lower School, teachers will post assignments to Seesaw by 10 p.m. the previous evening before work is to be completed. Teachers will post communication in Seesaw. Students are not able to message teachers within Seesaw but can comment on assignments if they have questions. 

• In Middle School, teachers will post assignments to RenWeb by 10 p.m. the previous evening before the work is to be completed. Advisory check-ins will be scheduled at the same time each day, and students will receive the hours during which teachers will be available to provide assistance. To facilitate teacher/student communication, middle school students should use their St. John's student email address (student@stjohnsschool.org). That email address can only be used to communicate directly to St. John’s employees. Students are not able to send or receive emails to other students or to email addresses outside the St. John’s domain. 

Yes. We want to understand which aspects of our Virtual Learning Plan are working and which should be adjusted to improve student/family experiences. Short parent feedback parent surveys are used to provide valuable feedback information.

We are committed to supporting you. Much like a regular school day, if you have questions regarding technology, contact our tech support staff. If you have a question about your child’s assignment, you or your child should contact the teacher. If you have questions of a general nature, they are best addressed to the Division Head, Dr. Johnson (Lower School) or Mrs. Jordan (Middle School).

As much as possible, the School continues to provide the academic or organizational support a student receives.

• A Lower School student who has a student support plan on file at the school will be supported by their homeroom teacher.
• A Middle School student who has a diagnosed learning difference and who has a student support plan on file at the school will receive regular contact from our learning specialist, academic support coordinator, or another designated faculty member.

Parents who contract with third-parties for tutoring or lessons are responsible for making alternative arrangements directly with the tutors or instructors. 

Yes, Dr. Bloom is available to assist students and families. Please complete this contact form to receive support. See our COVID-19 resources in the box to the right for suggestions on how to talk to children about the virus.

When St. John's students are asked to engage in  online learning due to circumstances that require physical school closure, we recognize this can be a hardship for families. During virtual learning, parents and caregivers support students’ meaningful engagement in learning through online means. The tips and tools offered here identify specific actions parents and caregivers can take to promote continuous learning when away from the physical school. 

Ensure your child has access to technology and a comfortable space to work: St. John’s recognizes that families have different resources available at home. We will work with students and families individually to ensure that all learning opportunities are equitably available for all of our students. If you have specific concerns about your family’s technology resources (computers, Internet access, etc.), please email VLSupport@stjohnsschool.org. We will do our best to respond within 24 hours.

Establish realistic expectations and school-like routines: Your child may view this as a vacation and avoid completing work. If so, this could become a frustrating experience as he or she falls behind academically and views schoolwork as optional. While there will be more flexibility within a given day, weekdays will still very much be school days with expectations for engaging in learning. For health and academic reasons, ensure appropriate bedtimes, sleep, nutrition and exercise. 

Anticipate frustrations and celebrate growth: The early days of virtual learning may have their challenges. Technology may fall short on speed and connectivity; assignments may be lost or need further clarification; lessons may not work out as expected. Virtual learning will require patience and self-regulation from all of us – adults and students alike. Please help your child navigate the new process by planning ahead for daily work time.  As we progress, give your child time to reflect, express feelings, and grow comfortable with the process.

Faculty created units and lessons that allow students to be as self-directed as possible. We anticipate that younger students will need the most assistance, but their work will also be the least time-consuming. If you are having trouble balancing the support needs of multiple children, please reach out to your child’s division head, Dr. Johnson (Lower School) or Mrs. Jordan (Middle School).

We recommend that each family create a schedule and maintain a routine. There are many formats being shared online (example 1 | example 2 | example 3) that families can use as starters. Common Sense Media™ offers suggestions on How to Keep Kids Learning When They’re Stuck at Home, and below is a post written by Cathy Schaefer, a school psychologist from LAUSD, that may help your family craft a schedule.

For those of you who grew up in the colder regions, all of these school closings may be bringing nostalgia about snow days - the joy of sleeping in, spending the day in your pajamas, and running outside to play in that fresh powdery goodness. 

This is not the same. Different from other school breaks, we don’t have the luxury of filling the days with activities and vacations. What lies ahead is weeks of unstructured time for your kids. As the saying goes, “Idleness is the root of mischief,” (Chaucer, 1386) and in my years of practice, I have found that to be true, particularly of gifted and high achieving children. 

Children benefit from the cognitive stimulation provided through academic learning. When that suddenly disappears, they will start to grow restless. Spending the day as a Youtube zombie isn’t going to cut it for their brain cells, and eventually they will start to seek some sort of stimulation elsewhere. Then, we have to factor in the added complication of extended physical proximity to each other. If you have ever attempted a cross-country road trip with your children, consider that as your practice round for what is about to come. 

Time and time again, as the summer break dragged on, I’ve seen my clients turn toward their favorite source of amusement, pressing the buttons of everyone around them. You know what I’m talking about: bickering between siblings, challenging everything you say or suggest, constant whines of “I’m booooooooored.” It isn’t a conscious decision. Your child isn’t actively seeking to drive you insane, although it might certainly feel like they are. We are social by nature and so it makes sense that when other stimulation is lacking, our brain first looks to relationships to fill that void. You are about to embark on unprecedented amounts of family time together, and there are ways to structure that time so that you can actually enjoy it, along with providing your children with a continued sense of stability. The most important aspect is to continue to structure each day as if it is a school day.

1. Wake up at a set time every day. No, you don’t have to try and get up in the dark hours of the morning, but don’t let them sleep until noon either. 

2. Get ready for the day. Everyone needs to change out of their pajamas. Staying in pajamas continues the mindset of a lazy day. 

3. Set a schedule for the day that incorporates academic time, leisure activities, physical activity, and alone time. 

• Academic time: It seems that most schools have given out packets of assignments to complete over the next few weeks and “academic time” is the best time to start working on those. This is a time that could be filled with reading, educational apps, or educational computer games. While the public libraries are now closed, you can still access e-books through their websites. 
• Leisure activities: Remember how everyone lamented the loss of play in schools? Now is your opportunity to bring it back! Research shows that playtime actually leads to improvements in concentration and academic achievement. It also builds creativity and problem solving skills. Try to stay away from the allure of screen time and focus on activities. Time to dust off all of those board games! 
• Physical activities: Fairly self-explanatory. If you have a particularly active child, you might want to build this into your schedule twice a day. Take advantage of going on neighborhood walks while we are still allowed to, while keeping your social distance of 6 feet of course! 
• Alone time: This is especially important for all of the introverts out there, and for all the parents who are missing the quiet time that the school day provided. Remember that your self-care is equally as important as your children’s. 

4. Write or print the schedule where everyone can see it. Just as important as making the schedule, is making sure that everyone knows what to expect for the day. Routine gives children a feeling of stability in what is arguably, a very unstable time. It also eliminates constant questioning of what they need to do next or interruptions when you are also trying to complete your own work at home. 

5. Put away the phones during academic time. Putting it face down on the desk isn’t good enough. Everyone needs to put their phone into a basket or cabinet so that they can concentrate. Check out this great article by Yale’s Child Mind Institute about how multitasking with phones affects executive function skills, especially for people with ADHD.

• If your child is using a St. John’s-issued iPad, we have set restrictions on the device to help manage online access. We encourage parents to establish the habit of checking online activity each evening by looking at search history in the browser, if enabled (e.g., Safari). 

• If your child is using a family-owned device, we recommend setting restrictions and monitoring search history and screentime.  

• Some Middle School teachers will use Microsoft Teams for class video conferences. In those instances, only the teacher will be viewable during the video conference; student audio will be heard, but we have turned off student video in Microsoft Teams, so students will not be viewable. We will continue with this approach until further notice.

• Common Sense Media™ provides a number of resources for families, including these tips on How to Keep Kids Learning When They’re Stuck at Home.

Use of technology resources provided by St. John’s – whether that use occurs on or off campus – is a privilege governed by the Responsible Use Policy (RUP). We expect all students and their parents to understand and abide by the RUP. Violation of any aspect of the RUP may result in disciplinary action, including expulsion from school and civil and/or criminal prosecution, to be determined by members of the SJES administrative team. 

Through our digital citizenship curriculum, we have taught students that all online communication should be thoughtful and polite. Communication with others during virtual learning is considered academic in nature, and as such, we expect that students’ academic communication will be respectful and written using age-appropriate language. Online behavior should be guided by our St. John’s Code and our RUP.