Virtual School

Virtual school guidelines

OVERVIEW AND GOAL OF VIRTUAL SCHOOL

The goal of CAG Virtual School is to ensure learning continues in the event of school closure. Our goal is to provide an enriching learning experience through a virtual format where the teacher facilitates the direction while students independently extend their learning, ensure continued progress toward established learning targets for all our students, and to minimize future calendar disruptions. In keeping with CAG’s commitment to exceptional education, Virtual School experiences are developed to be robust and meaningful.

ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE OF VIRTUAL SCHOOL

Google Classroom is the official and universal online platform for Virtual School at the American School of Guatemala and is already in use for most grade levels at CAG.  Google Classroom is accessible online through your computer, laptop, and handheld device as long as you have internet connection or cell service. If using a cell phone or tablet to connect, please make sure you have downloaded the Google Classroom app and sign in using your CAG email.

In Grades 2-12, Virtual School classes, small group meetings and assignments will be posted and scheduled on Google Classroom or via Google Hangouts/Meet by the teachers. Please expect students to interact with learning in a variety of ways, including videos, activities, discussion threads/posts on Google Classroom, creation activities, or other online tools they are already using in their classes such as FlipGrid, Epic, Khan Academy, etc.

Parents of students in Grades Prek-1 will receive emails from their teachers with links and/or directions for students and their parents to guide the virtual learning experience.  Teachers may also arrange video formats for content instruction to support the work and projects to be completed on See-Saw and FlipGrid.

SETTING UP FOR/SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS AT HOME

Students will need:

● Their laptop or tablet and reliable internet access. Parents should contact the teacher and school principal in the event that there is no device available for student use at home. 

● A dedicated place to focus on their learning, free of distractions.

● Breaks & opportunities for social engagement, exercise, creativity, family time and fun (as would happen in school!) 

● A responsible adult to support learning; this may include providing structure to the day, general encouragement, or assistance in processing learning. Students may need varying degrees of support in accessing and approaching the learning tasks. An adult may need to facilitate much of the child’s learning, such as being at the child’s side to read, talk about and encourage learning. The younger the student, more adult support will be necessary to fulfill learning tasks. 

● To understand the expectations for participation and work completion. Please allow for time to reflect at the end of the day on what worked and what were the challenges.

● To communicate questions or challenges directly to teachers and specialists. It is not expected that parents have the knowledge of teaching strategies, so please direct all questions to the teachers. We are here to support students all along the way, and know that there may be challenges to overcome. Please be patient, flexible, and communicate openly and positively with us so that we can best support you and your student in their Virtual School experience.

To ensure that all parents and students are clear about expectations on how to conduct themselves in CAG’s online environment, we have developed a code of conduct that all parents and students are required to follow. 

Student Expectations

• Students are responsible for displaying positive behavior during virtual school, just as they do inside the classroom. 
• During virtual school, students should address teachers in a courteous manner. They are to use both the appropriate title (Mr. or Ms.) and last name only. No other form of address is acceptable.
• Since our virtual school is a learning environment, students are expected to use appropriate language for school and avoid using excessive “slang”.
• All communications with teachers and other students in any forum, discussion, etc., must be polite, courteous and respectful. Students are not allowed to chat or interrupt others during class time unless the teacher asks for their participation. 
• Students are not to use obscene, threatening, or disrespectful language, gestures, or images in any communication with teachers or students. Doing so could be considered an act of disrespectful behavior and/or bullying and thus will be addressed by the teacher and/or administrator according to the expectations of student conduct and school values as stated in our Family Handbook.
• Students are expected to refrain from sharing any unwanted pictures, videos, or text to social media platforms of any kind from any individual who does not otherwise give consent.
• The integrity and authenticity of student work is something that we take seriously. Copying the work of others, allowing others to knowingly copy a student’s work, and/or misusing content from the Internet is not acceptable. Please review our Family Handbook for what constitutes plagiarism at CAG.
• Do not collaborate with other students on assignments, unless instructed to do so by your teacher. Parents should not complete assignments on behalf of the student. 
• Present yourself in a professional manner. You will be judged by the quality of your writing, so keep the following tips in mind:
  • Always check for spelling and grammar errors
  • Know what you're talking about and state it clearly
  • Be pleasant, kind, respectful, and polite. Always greet!  
  • Do not use all capitals when you write, as its connotation implies yelling. 
  • Do not continuously send chat messages to someone who does not reply. 

• Students are expected to be properly dressed to interact on-screen with others

• Students should designate an appropriate work space during virtual school. This does not include a bed.

Be Respectful:

• Always treat others in a respectful and considerate manner. Treat others as you would like to be treated. 
• Respect the channels of communication in the institution when expressing concern or opinions about your child’s education. In all communication, seek first to understand and ask for clarification where needed, and start all conversations directly with the teacher or advisor. Should further concerns arise, seek counsel with the Dean of Students or the counselors. If the issue is still not resolved, raise the concern directly with section leadership, the deputy director, and finally, if needed, the last point of contact should be the General Director. 
• Represent yourself and the school responsibly, honestly, and in ways that align with the values of the school on all school associated social media, virtual platforms and communication channels. 

Be Confidential:

• Do not publish or post information that is considered confidential. Online conversations are never private. 
• Respect the confidentiality of any academic or behavior discussion related to your family and that of other children.

Click on the buttons below to obtain helpful resources for online learning.

academic and social-emotional support

 

student life & athletics virtual content 

 

virtual field trips

 

parent connect: Excellence in virtual school (recording)