Dear Central Lyon Families & Staff,

It has been a busy two days at Central Lyon Schools. Staff has been hard at work in preparation for the delivery of Distance Learning Resources (DLR), and I’m happy to report our teachers have progressed to a point that we’re ready for a preliminary roll-out of materials to students and families.

Learning Resources Pick-Up

The elementary gym has been transformed into a “post office” that will be open for students and families from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 25, and Thursday, March 26; and on Friday, March 27, from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Visitors should enter the elementary gym using the south entrance (bus drop-off and pick up lane). Central Lyon administrators will be onsite to enforce the following “stop the spread” strategies and social distancing techniques in order to protect the health and safety of all:

1. Only 10 individuals will be allowed access to the gymnasium at any one time.
2. All visitors will be restricted to the gymnasium.
   1. If necessary, school staff will gather materials from classrooms or lockers.
   2. Students and families may be asked to return later in the day to pick-up needed/requested resources.
3. Families will be limited to one (1) adult per family for collection of materials.
4. Student drivers (those with school permits or licenses) should attend by themselves.

Check Email, Canvas Account, and Download Microsoft Teams

Students in grades 5-12 are encouraged to check their school issued email and Canvas account to read messages from teachers and discover what resources they need to accelerate their learning. Many middle school and high school students will find that they will not need textbooks to engage with the lessons teachers have developed. However, if your family has limited or no access to the internet, please inform staff so materials from the classroom or a locker may be gathered.

Parents/guardians of students in grades PS-4 should check their email for similar messages from teachers. If you have not yet received a message from your student’s teacher, verify that your contact information in JMC is accurate. Call the school with updates. Students and families in grades 2-4 will utilize their school issued email and Canvas account to obtain educational resources to continue their learning at home; while paper packets have been created for learners in grades PS-1.

Beginning Monday, March 30, teachers will follow-up with students and families to schedule 15-minute sessions to check-in on each student’s unique social-emotional/mental health needs, help solve accessibility concerns, and assist in the development of academic routines that will empower students to reconnect with classroom content. Teachers have been trained how to use Microsoft Teams to collaborate with students to further their learning at home; students are encouraged to download this application by first logging into their Central Lyon Office 365 account.

Expectations & Accountability

Central Lyon’s commitment to excellence, integrity and empowering students, means families should expect:

1. Students will reconnect with their teachers and peers using their school email, Canvas account, and Office 365 tools.
2. Students will spend one (1) to two (2) hours engaged with learning resources each day, based on the recommendations listed below:

• Elementary students should spend a total of one hour (1) of study, 30 minutes devoted to Literacy and Math each day.
• Middle school students will have one to one and a half hours (1 -1.5) of learning daily.
• High school students will be expected to engage in a total of one and a half to two hours (1.5 -2) of learning daily.

Note: Families are always encouraged to invest more time in learning.

3. Teachers will develop two lessons, per week.

• PK-4 teachers will develop lessons for literacy and math.
• 5-12 teachers will develop lessons for each class they teach.

4. Teachers will maintain eight (8) hours of “office hours” daily (Monday-Friday) in which students and families may schedule 15-minute video-chat sessions, phone conversations, or instant-messaging chats to continue their learning.

Elective Activities

While core teachers have developed learning experiences for students centered around reading, writing, math, science and social studies; teachers of fine arts, physical education, music, career and technical education, and student services have been collaborating to enrich the learning resources available to students and families. Students will find that by accessing Canvas, these electives teachers have uploaded, and will continue to provide, numerous enrichment activities that seek to help students identify their interests, strengthen their skills, and unleash their passions.

While some of these teachers do not have their own DEAR group, advisory, or homeroom, they will still be available to work with students in 15-minute segments. If teachers haven’t already done so, students and families are encouraged to email these teachers directly to discuss personalized learning plans or video conference to discuss the needs of students.

Similarly, Kari Van Oort and Jessica Harman, Central Lyon’s school counselors, are available to support students during this stressful time. As students reconnect with their teachers and peers, if you would like to schedule time to meet with a counselor please email them directly.

Limited or No Internet Access

As shared on Friday, if your family has limited or no internet access, continue to engage your children in the following activities:

• Talk to each other & stay connected to friends. Pick up the phone, call a family member or friend. Write a letter to a relative living in a nursing home or across the country to learn what is happening in their region of the United States.
• Read 30 minutes daily. Fiction or non-fiction, print or electronic, novels or magazines … library books are available for check out in the elementary gym and will continue to be available during the school closure.
• Write for 30 minutes. Send Grandma/Grandpa, a cousin, or a friend - a letter. Start a daily journal about what’s happening in our world. Write creatively about any topic that interests you.
• Stay Physically Active. Go for a walk around the block, ride your bike, or run on the treadmill. Do some jumping jacks, burpees, pushups, or crunches. Create your own work out based upon what you have at home.

If your family needs a computing device, students can check one out at the elementary library.  The school’s wifi is available from the school’s parking lot or activity center parking lot. Materials can be emailed, downloaded, or video-chats can be arranged at  times that are convenient for the student, family, and teacher – all by simply sitting in the school’s parking lots.

Free Meals Continue

We are happy to report that more than 150 students were served meals today, up more than 30 meals from Monday. Central Lyon will continue to provide FREE meals to all children/students 18-years of age and younger for grab-and-go service at the following locations:

Central Lyon School                                                                Doon

Bus Drop-Off Lane / Entrance (south side of school)                Public Library Parking Lot (look for the white school van)

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.                                                             11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.