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Welcome to Chinook Cyber School! We're excited to be working with you and your child this year. 

Fall

First teacher contact - September 2 and 3​. Watch your email.

Classes begin - September 7

February

​​Teacher contact with new students - January 31 - February 1

Classes begin - February 2​

Below are a few tips and tricks to help you support your child:

• ​Scheduling - we've set up a timetable to help you with time management but we need your help to get your child there. Older students will sometimes think they can set their own schedules but very often, students will tend to work on the courses they really like and "ignore" the others. Try to remind your child that all learning is important and a little time spent every day will help them reach their end goal successfully.
  
  If students are unable to attend during the scheduled time, all videos and activites will be posted to Google Classroom for completion at a later time. Please let us know how we can help if you are finding difficulty following our schedule.​
  

• Growth Mindset - learners of all ages can become fatigued when learning in an online environment. If your child starts to get frustrated because something isn't working or not making sense, responses like "we'll figure it out", or "let's see what the teacher thinks" helps students to build that stick with it attitude. The older the student the more important it is to have them reach out to us. As they move on in their schooling advocating for their own learning needs and working together with the teacher is an excellent skill to have. Online learning is different - not necessarily harder. 
  

• Designated workspace - if you are lucky enough to have a space your child can make their own little learning space then great! If you're using the kitchen table and having to pack up everyday consider having a colourful tote or basket for your child to use as their "locker". One of the greatest time suckers our current students have shared with us is the getting going part. If supplies etc...are all over the place this just drags this time out even more.
  

• Getting moving - speaking of time suckers. If you're able, it's great if you can be there at the start of each class. Have your student who you what they are working on today and what kinds of activities will be involved. Although students may have a live lesson, a video or a set of instructions to follow, that face to face prompt is something that kids are so used to that when it's gone, they can have trouble figuring out where to start. We'll be here to help with that too.
  

• Quiet spaces - some of you may be juggling a bunch of at home learners at once. While students are engaging in their live classes or while watching an educational video or set of instructions, try to provide quiet spaces. It can be distracting when too much is going on around the learner. If earbuds or headphones are available those can help. ​Any time your student is live with us please try to provide a common space in the home for that work to be done - the kitchen table, counter top, and office space.
  

• Ergonomics (the study of people in their workspaces) - ​the keyboarding teacher in me is coming out now. Although laptops are named as such because you can hold them on your lap, that is not the best posture for kids (or anyone) while they work. Students will be spending a fair bit of time at the screen over the course of the year. If you can start them with a routine of being in a good fitting chair with their device on a table or counter that will go a long way to avoiding aches and pains. Good lighting is also important. We'll be designing lessons to get them up and moving as well.
  

• ​Support the school - call the courses by name (ie: Math instead of just saying online course) and know the teacher's name and use it when discussing school with your child. The more we help kids see this is learning, just like face to face, the more they draw connections back to the more familiar setting of the school. Those connections help students make meaning of this new learning environment. 
  

• Stay in touch - our teachers are here to support each one of our learners and their families. Please stay in touch with us. Maybe you want to share exciting news from your family or maybe your struggling - either way, we're here for you.
  

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