Wednesday<<April 1, 2020>>11am
Tomorrow, Thursday April 2nd is the start of WOLCA’s Spring Break. Our first day back to distance learning is Tuesday April 14th. The current status of being back in the building is April 15th-however that is likely to change. We will update you all as we hear more news. Our teachers are prepared and ready to continue distance learning for as long as we are asked to do so. You may be receiving packets from your teachers over Spring Break. Please know those packets are for continued learning after we are back from break.
Monday<<March 30, 2020>>
The Baldwinsville school district announced it will continue to provide and require distance learning for its students throughout spring break in compliance with the state mandate.
As of the information we have today- we as a private school, are not required to ask our students to continue working during spring break. We are proud of the hard work our students, teachers and parents have accomplished since day one of required distance learning. We are hoping that all involved will be able to enjoy a well-needed break.
Monday<<March 16, 2020>>11am
As you may already have heard, Onondaga County has called for schools to close today at 4:00.
We will remain open for extended hours. Please do all that you can to pick students up in a timely manner.
1. If you have not already done so, please sign up your child for google classroom before the end of the school day.
2. We will be sending home as much as we can with students today to prepare them for learning at home.
Thank you for your patience as we all adjust to changing information.
Carmen Durst M.Ed
School Administrator
Sunday<<March 15, 2020>>12pm
A few families have reached out to me with questions regarding this coming week. Here is some information to ease any of your concerns:
1. We will continue to do our best to sanitize, encourage hand washing and healthy habits. We know many families are counting on us as they try to get alternate childcare in place for next week.
2. Any absences this week be excused.
3. Teachers are ready with work on google classroom for all students who choose to stay home this week.
If you choose to keep your students home, we request you do the following:
1. Make an appointment with your teacher to pick up any textbooks or hard copy materials.
OR
2. Send your students to school on Monday, and we will put materials for learning at home in your child’s backpack. (Please communicate with your teacher ahead of time so she can get the material ready.)
If you choose to send your child to school this week:
1. Please take comfort in knowing your child is in a safe place this week. If there is any indication that we need to close before Friday to keep our students, families and staff safe, we will not hesitate to do so.
2. We will work hard to teach students how to navigate google classroom. This is a new way of learning for our students. We will do all that we can to equip them for success.
3. If you are having trouble with your device, feel free to have your child bring it in to school and we will troubleshoot with them.
Whatever you decide for your family, it is important that you set up your child’s google classroom account so that you can set up your child for success. Continue to reach out to me or your teacher with any concerns. Please know we are praying for all of our WOLCA families and we are here to be a support!
Carmen Durst M.Ed
School Administrator
Saturday<<March 14, 2020>>6pm
In compliance with Onondaga County’s State of Emergency, our last day of face-to face classes will be this Friday, March 20th and will resume on April 14th after our spring break. Please read the following steps we need parents to take as soon as possible.
The following information is for students in grades Begindergarten through 4th grade:
Teachers and staff have been working hard to plan and prepare to provide a virtual education. Each teacher has created or updated an existing google classroom. Many of you may already be familiar with google classroom. It is a useful way for teachers to be able to post assignments, teaching tools including materials and videos. In order to roll out this method of teaching we had to assign each student in our building a gmail in our google education suite. This gmail is for parent use only and gives you access to teaching materials and assignments for your child. (Our 5th and 6th grade students already have an email and already have access to google classroom.)
Here is what we need each parent to do to help us find any kinks or bugs in our system before we have to use it across the board.
1. Sign in to your child’s assigned gmail account. Your child’s gmail account is their First Initial and last name @wordoflifeacademy.org. ex. John Smith: jsmith@
Your child’s password is:wolca123. (Feel free to change your password as soon as you sign in)
2. Once you sign in to your child’s email, you will see an email invitation that will get you into your child’s google classroom.
3. After you are successfully signed into your child’s google classroom, there is nothing else that you need to do. You may explore and make yourself familiar with the site if you would like.
Here’s how to sign into your child’s gmail account:
1. Go to gmail.com (Preferably using google chrome)
2. If you already have your own gmail account you will have to sign out of your gmail account and click add new user to sign in.
3. Type in your child’s new email: example: jsmith@
4. Type in your child’s password: wolca123 and click NEXT.
5. You will see a welcome message from Google and terms of service. Click Accept.
6. You will be asked to protect your account by providing a recovery email or phone number. It is up to you if you would like to do this. If you would like to click update. If not click confirm.
7. At this point you should be into your child’s account. You may be asked questions to choose a view. You can choose whatever preference you wish.
Here’s how to sign into your child’s google classroom
1. Once inside your child’s email: Click on the email that says CLASS Invitation.
2. Once in the email click Join.
(If you already have your own google account you may have to click on switch user if it says no classroom has been found. You may have to resign in using your child’s email and password.)
3. Success you are in your child’s google classroom!
If you cannot sign into your child’s account: email administration@
If you have questions regarding your child’s google classroom: class dojo your teacher or email.
Thank you for your help. Again, as of the most recent information, our last day of face to face classes will be this Thursday, March 19th and a return date of April 14th. Please note things are changing day to day. We will keep you posted!
Friday<<March 13, 2020>>10am
Word of Life recently posted information regarding closing the building for large gatherings through Thursday. This comes at the Governor’s request to limit all group gatherings over 500 people. As of right now that does not affect WOLCA in any way. We will continue as normal unless otherwise instructed by the state or the local education agency. For more information regarding WOL’s plan for this weekend’s services go to: wordoflifeag.org/corona.
Please note we are prepared with contingency plans in the event that we are called to close schools as requested by the state. We will do all we can to continue to provide education for our students remotely through internet based systems. In the meantime, we are asking parents to please plan ahead by doing the following:
1. Solidify a plan for childcare in the event we are forced to close for the time being.
2. For students who do not have internet or devices we will do the best we can to provide packets of educational material to be sent home. If you are one of those families who does not have access to a device (smart phone, tablet, chromebook etc.) or internet service, please reach out to your teacher.
I am thankful we serve a God who is bigger than our current circumstances. We will continue to plan and prepare for the worst but in hopeful expectation that we will be able to continue as planned. Please know, our plan is to stay in session for as long as it is safe and healthy for our students, staff and families.
Carmen Durst M.Ed
School Administrator
Thursday<<March 5, 2020>>3pm
Student Safety and Health Reminders
We are working hard to keep our students and staff healthy. Here are some ways that you can help:
1. Keep sick students home. Please observe our 24 hour symptom free policy. Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or do not have signs of a fever, without using fever reducing drugs.
2. Encourage hand washing. Teachers are asking students to wash hands throughout the day, especially before eating and after visiting the restroom. Using soap and water for 20 seconds is recommended.
3. Know the symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath.
4. Send in extra Lysol/Clorox wipes in for your teacher. The staff is wiping all hard surfaces including hand railings, desks, door knobs and cubbies multiple times throughout the day. (We are following the Interim cleaning and disinfection guidelines for Primary and Secondary schools for COVID-19 issued by the New York State Department of Health).
Thanks again for your help in keeping our students and staff safe and healthy!
—
Carmen Durst M.Ed
School Administrator