School is out, virtual learning is in!

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education announced a nationwide closure of schools and universities, effective from 10 March 2020 to prevent the spread of the virus.

At Hamiliton International School online resources are already a part of our teaching and learning, so because our students and teachers are confident users of technology, we were able to implement distance learning immediately.

We use two online platforms as our main means of communicating with parents and sharing work; Class Dojo for our Primary students and Tapestry for Pre KG – KG 1. Our students post work to their e-portfolio and teachers mark and send work back. We have had amazing videos made by both the
students and teachers, which has brought a smile to everyone’s face and showcased amazing learning.

At Hamilton, our community feel, culture and connectedness are paramount. Daily welcome messages from our teachers start the school day. Our teachers are so creative in the way they have expertly tailored lessons to meet the needs of our students. It is critical to get the mix right for the distance learning work. Follow-up feedback to and from our parents helps with getting the balance right. To understand what the experience of our teachers have been, we have asked them to write articles aboutwhat they are experiencing with distance learning, for our website.

Here are several online learning resources for students to complete from home to keep up the learning:

• 123 Homeschool4me: Get printable worksheets and other resources for homeschooling.
• Bedtime Math: See math as part of your child’s daily routine.
• BeeLine Reader: BeeLine Reader helps students of all ages and skill levels improve their reading skills.
• Dr. Seuss to the Rescue: Who doesn’t want to read and play games with Dr. Seuss?
• Fun Brain: Activities, games, reading and more are available for grades pre-K through eighth grade.
• Games, videos and Math: ABCya offers activities for students grades pre-K through sixth grade.
• Mystery Science: Video lessons science lessons that will inspire kids to explore our world.
• National Geographic for Kids: Look for games, videos, lessons and “cool stuff.”
• PBS KIDS daily newsletter: Sign up for a free daily newsletter from PBS KIDS.
• Scholastic Learn at Home: Scholastic Magazine is offering four learning experiences each day.
• Vizzle: If you have a child on the autism spectrum you can get specialize lessons from Vizzle.
• Wonderopolois.com: Learn about 2,000-plus wonders of the world

Terry Senior

Principal