Parent Information

FAMILY SUPPORT AND SCHOOL COUNSELING

Please don't hesitate to reach out to our counselors for support at home. They are ready to assist.

Additional resources can be found at our School Counseling page

School Counselors

Meredith Mitchell meredith.nash@sigsbee. org 1-786-505-4968

Melinda Labbe melinda.labbe@sigsbee.org. 1-918-978-5065

Military Family Life Counselors

Dawn Hudak (kindergarten- 2nd grade). dawn.hudak@sigsbee.org 305-563-1828

Kathy Estlund (third-fifth grade) kathy.estlund@sigsbee.org 305-849-8826

Ann Adams (middle school) ann.adams@sigsbee.org. 305-563-1829

TIPS FOR PARENTS

Prioritize your child's mental health. The most important thing is your child's well being and health. Everything else is secondary. Remember that they are watching and listening. Your emotions will guide their reactions so stay positive.
Capitalize on the opportunity for personal interaction. Children will be missing their social interactions at school and in the community. They will need your attention more now than ever before. Starting March 30th, teachers will be scheduling check-ins. This is also a good time to FaceTime with friends and relatives and stay connected. Exercise, family walks and bike rides have not been canceled.
Be realistic. This is new territory for everyone. Teachers are working hard to create a new system of learning., often balancing their own families at home. Parents are working hard to navigate their responsibilities and preparing to take on a teaching role. Don't expect perfection.
Be flexible. Things are likely changing as I am creating this list. Remember to stay flexible (hint- you really have no choice in this matter).
Set appropriate routines. You don't need to wake your children at 6 AM to start online learning. However, set some boundaries and routines because this is how they will be productive and feel settled in this new situation. Schoolwork will not last 7 hours each day and can be completed in pajamas. You'll have plenty of time to play games, cook together, exercise and watch quality television. Just make sure the assignments are prioritized.
Be honest. Your children will have questions. It's best to be factual without scaring them. This is where resilience comes to play. Our counselors will be available to help should your child experience heightened anxiety at this time.
Wash your hands! We've been trying to get students to take this seriously for a long time. Make sure they are washing their hands often, with soap, for at least 20 seconds. Teach them NOT to touch their faces (good luck).
Include them in practical life. This is a great time to teach children how to cook, clean, do the laundry and help with the yard work. Jobs make students feel capable and important. These responsibilities will also help them to maintain the level of independence required at school.
What about screen time? This is probably not the best time to eliminate gaming and Netflix. However, I would imagine that social isolation can lead to excessive screen time. Make sure you are allowing for some down time and then providing alternatives when enough is enough. Look at code.org and codecombat.com for some educational coding experiences that can be done without adult assistance. Watch documentaries together. Take a virtual field trip! (see resources on the Home Learning page)
Remember you are your child's first and most important teacher. They will learn more from watching and listening you than we can ever hope to teach them. Don't panic. You've been teaching them since you met them.

FAMILY EXPECTATIONS FOR ONLINE LEARNING

During prolonged school closures, Internet access is required in order to complete online assignments. Students must understand that the Internet should be used in a responsible, safe and legal matter. The students are required to follow the guideline from their signed Acceptable Use Policy. Below are some important guidelines for both parents and students.

Guidelines for students

BE RESPECTFUL- use appropriate language, dress respectfully, focus on the work, and treat your teachers, classmates and their families with respect. You are being invited into everyone’s home; be an awesome guest.

BE RESPONSIBLE- leave time to access the live lessons on time, follow your teachers’ instructions, complete assignments in a timeline manner, attend all live lessons. Keep track of your schedule. This is school, not a vacation. Follow our Code of Conduct. For example, if you are not allowed to bring it to school, don’t bring it to the screen.

BE RESILIENT- be flexible, try your best, persevere, communicate when you need help. This is an unusual time and we all need to exercise some patience, kindness and grace toward one another. You will get through this.

Guidelines for parents/guardians

SUPPORT your child. See the guidelines above. Online learning requires encouragement and patience. Being on a screen is not the same as being in a classroom; the teacher cannot monitor what your child is doing around the small window that he/she is able to see. Even though your child is working on protected platforms, you must MONITOR your child to be sure they are not accessing other sites, sharing personal information with others or downloading other apps. Don’t let them work in another room if you want to be sure they are doing what they are supposed to. Take their cell phone away while they are in a live lesson.

COMMUNICATE. The staff is constantly doing wellness checks at school, when we evaluate students’ emotions through our interactions. We need you to tell us when things are: not working, too difficult, or too confusing. If your child is unable to access the learning, tell us why. Let us help. We have a full staff of teachers, paraprofessionals, support services and counselors available.

ENFORCE the rules. Students need to be on time, prepared, ready to learn. They should be following the safety guidelines they were taught in regards to Internet safety and our Code of Conduct. Since we cannot be fully present with them, we need your help. We highly recommend that parents collect students’ devices when they are not involved in live lessons and that you monitor their participation.

What happens if I lose connectivity?

When you are reconnected, reach out to your teachers and explain what happened. If we lose connectivity for most of the school day, use this time to read, keep a journal, take a walk or bike ride, do a puzzle, create an art project, set up a scavenger hunt, cook a meal, help your parents or design a community service project. Don’t forget to follow the rules about social distancing! Use your imagination.

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