BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Our Learning Continues… As needed during  the Covid-19 pandemic, our pupils are able to move to online learning with our ‘Beyond the Classroom‘ programme – an effective learning programme that honours our curriculum; ensures all pupils are able to engage and progress in skills and interest with individual needs supported; and keeps the indispensable human connections alive between us. As the whole world has adjusted and changed during the pandemic, we have looked on this as an opportunity to apply creative solutions and keep alive a tangible sense of the School to which we all belong. We have been open in building throughout the pandemic to nursery age children, children of essential workers and vulnerable pupils.

WELCOME

A very warm WELCOME to all our families. We enjoy connecting with everyone in ‘Beyond the Classroom’. Here’s a little welcome gift from our teachers. See if you can guess who is reading you ‘The Daffodils’

STUDENT SHOWCASE

What does experiential learning look like outside of the classroom? Our students and teachers rise to the challenge of distance leaning – adapting and working creatively with the curriculum and linking learning concepts to wider experiences.

USING ‘Beyond the Classroom’

Our ‘Beyond the Classroom’ curriculum uses G Suite for Education as a learning platform.

G Suite for Education

G Suite for Education is a set of education apps and tools from Google – including Google Classroom, Calendar, Docs and more, used by many students and teachers around the world.

It provides a secure learning intranet for our pupils and staff. Pupils/parents are issued with a safe and secure login and are able to access their learning at home. Our pupil/parents accounts have a tailored set of security settings to reflect the fact that the system is being used by a child or young person.

Technology Requirements

G Suite for Education is available from any other computer with internet access. It is also available on other devices such as smartphones, iPads, etc.
A Bluetooth keyboard that is compatible with iPads is available for £16.99 on Amazon

Video Introduction

We have made a short [18mins] video to introduce you to the new platform. You can see this at  https://vimeo.com/401115066  Please email gadmin@cardiffsteiner.org.uk to request the password to view the video.

How to Log In

See our G Suite Help Page to find out how to Log In and more.

ACCESSING LEARNING CONTENT

Older students (Class 7/8 up) can use their G Suite accounts to access learning content, complete assignments, communicate with their teachers, and learn digital citizenship skills. Parents of our younger pupils (below Class 7/8) help their child access and manage their learning using their child’s log in.

Learning content is approached differently in each Class as appropriate to the age of your child/ren. For example, Kindergarten recognise that the most profound influence on young children comes through the attitudes of the adults around them, and therefore their main focus is to support parents.  Rather than ask parents to replicate the Steiner early childhood program at home, this focuses on activities that can be integrated into family life. Kindergarten offer families learning resources and support for keeping things simple and rhythmical at home, with activities and experiences that support young children’s development.

In Lower School and Upper School we combine synchronous and asynchronous learning.  A weekly timetable with daily lessons is provided in Google Classroom for each Class. The lessons are delivered in a coordinated daily plan that adapts the regular Class timetable.

The Timetable includes Live Face-to-Face Lessons with the teachers in each subject. Lessons can include written assignments, activity instruction, live video lessons and pre-recorded audio or video lessons available through Google Classroom. Teachers support this independent work and students may ‘Check in’ and ‘Check out’ in Live Face-to-Face Google Meets with their Teachers as part of this.

IMPORTANT USER INFORMATION
 

  • Parents and relevant students must read the Student IT Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) prior to using the online platform. Use of the platform after this is taken to be agreed acceptance of this policy by student and parent.

PARENT WELLBEING

The sudden change to remote working for so many, and the demands of supporting our children at home, throws up a lot of challenges.  One way we support your wellbeing is to give you opportunities to connect in real time with each other  – giving you virtual access to those at the ‘school gate’ where you have an opportunity to engage or just smile at each other.

We offer the following weekly online sessions for parents.

Tuesday Movement at Six

Mindful movement and stretching for all. A chance for you carve out a special time and place apart from daily preoccupations and allow the mind to calm through attention to simple movement. Led live by Miranda this includes guided stretching, breathing and visualisation.  Lower stress and anxiety by allowing yourself to be in an intentionally sustained mental state of focused attention and concentrate on you, being you, standing and moving with your feet on this earth.

Wednesday Virtual School Gate at Four

Keeping the indispensable human connections alive between us and a sense of the School to which we all belong, until we stand in each others’ company again… Open drop in to say hello. Anyone is welcome, you set your own level of involvement and there is no pressure to ‘share’ or be visible if you’d prefer to just listen in and drink tea with us. Just make yourself a cup of tea and pop in and say hello.

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