Windows - Distance Learning Plan 2020

WINDOWS

DISTANCE LEARNING PLATFORM
AMERICAN NICARAGUAN SCHOOL

1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Philosophy and Methodology 4
Weekly Schedules 15
Innovation and Technology 24
Empowering Digital Citizens 26
Wellness Tips 29

2

A Window Into Learning

The ANS Teaching & Learning Framework
that allows for Right Model, Right Moment

Decision-Making

3

Philosophy &
Methodology

What is a school? Is it a brick and mortar schoolhouse, re-
plete with a chalkboard, desks and disciplined pupils?

The Industrial Revolution spawned schools that we have grown
all too familiar with.

Isn’t a school more than just a place?

It is in our hands and in our hearts to construct that answer together. Ours is a
school governed by its community, emboldened by its Mission: to develop critical
thinkers and ethical individuals capable of realizing their leadership potential by
making meaningful contributions to society.

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The 2020-2021 school year is one of unharnessed opportunities for each of us to be the best version of
ourselves. We will return to our beloved 26-acre campus and we will reconnect with our fellow classmates
and colleagues, and when we do, our identity as a school will have grown beyond its tall green walls.
Through our adaptability to virtual spaces and restricted physical spaces, we look to each other, to our core
values, in a year in which we more deeply and broadly realize our Mission than ever before. Our school is
visible through each window into the face of a future leader: taking on new challenges, setting their own
goals for learning, reflecting on what matters most to create a better tomorrow.

How might windows help me Might windows reveal Might windows hold up a mirror
reflect on what I want to learn? possibilities for creative to my true feelings and those of

solutions? others?

Might windows enlighten Might windows connect me to How might windows put me in
my understanding of others’ places around the world? touch with nature?

experiences?

As we seek each other’s company through Zoom windows and waving from afar behind our car windows,
let us remember that it is in our reflection that we can redefine our meaning. We ask the question now and
throughout the year to find out where we will go from here:

How might windows shed light on deep and powerful learning?

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Shedding Light on Distance and Hybrid Learning Models

The Right Model, Right Moment Plan for Learning Models is the first iteration of an
answer to the question: What is a school? A school is a community of learners bound
together by a shared Mission.

The ANS Faculty and Staff are ready to deliver on our ANS Mission regardless of the constraints imposed
upon us. In March 2020, we did not have the gift of time to reflect and prepare; rather, we enacted a
version of Distance Learning that allowed for the continuity of instruction and community interaction to
best serve our students in that moment. This August, we are excited to welcome back ANS Tigers by
opening windows to updated methodology and programming more fully aligned to our Mission.
As delineated in the Right Model, Right Moment section of the Tiger Reunification Plan, we may
implement a range of three different learning models this school year. All three will prioritize our
Mission-driven education anchored by ANS core values. The following sections seek to clarify the
methodology and programming for the Distance and Hybrid Learning Models.
The reader will notice that the methodology and programming are anchored in a shared philosophy
of learning aligned to our Mission. To develop students capable of realizing their leadership potential,
the reader will notice an emphasis on core subjects in synchronous sessions to ensure capability in
college readiness benchmarks. The reader will notice an expectation of students leading their own
learning: making choices from menus of learning, enrichment activities and text types.
To develop critical thinkers and ethical individuals, the reader will notice a curricular emphasis on
divergent viewpoints, multimodal content and collaboration amongst individuals. The reader may
notice how this curricular focus is contrasted with the restrained use of textbooks, worksheets and
other basal types of learning that better fit the Industrial Revolution mold of schooling. Finally,
technology is not the focus of our Mission-driven school; rather, it is a set of tools that opens windows
into learning. To make meaningful contributions to society, one must use tools fluently yet purposefully
with positive impact. The interactions your child will have necessarily will often take them to
experiences off the screen, whether at school or at a distance.

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Communicating: Partnering with Informed & Equipped Families

We value the partnership with the children’s first teachers, their parents.

Both teachers and parents share in the knowledge that actions speak louder than words and children
learn through modeled behavior. We depend upon one another to create the routines and habits that
promote positive learning dispositions. To facilitate a vibrant partnership, we are committed to ensuring
clear and timely information regarding your child’s progress and next steps in learning. We recognize
that, in addition to being informed, it is essential to equip families with essential learning materials in
order to partner for every child’s success. Communication is the first step in our teaching & learning
framework.

ANS Weekly Newsletter:

Each Friday, you will receive a highlight of schoolwide updates
and news from Primary and Secondary programs.

Teacher Planning:

The Weekly Newsletter will remind you to visit the ANS Primary
and ANS Secondary sites to access the Parent Corner. Teacher
Teams will update the learning plan for each unit with answers to
the following questions:
• What is my child learning?
• How will my child demonstrate their learning?
• How will my child learn this?
• How will the teacher give my child feedback?
• What materials will my child need?

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Google Classroom and Gmail:

For early Primary students, we will no longer rely on student Gmail accounts nor on Google Classroom.
The new Parent Corner on the Primary site will provide essential information regarding learning and links
to actual tasks. Students in Grades 3 - 12 will use those and other Google apps.

Student Learning Plan:

An icon-based document will orient Primary
Students to their weekly asynchronous
learning.

Unit at a Glance:

While Secondary students will access asynchronous learning materials via Google Classroom, parents can
access an “at a glance” document through the Secondary Site that will provide an overview of asynchronous
learning, essential question(s) and standards covered in each of their children’s courses.

Video Conferencing:

When in doubt about your child’s learning experience, reach out to a teacher with your question! While
information is made available and updated weekly through the Weekly Newsletter and on the sites, we are
committed to supporting parent engagement. We welcome your questions by email and teachers can be
available for video conferencing through Zoom by appointment.

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Learning Kits and Student Materials:

Being conscientious about the impact of the pandemic on our families’ economic situation, we will not ask
parents to purchase school materials this year. Rather, we will reuse the materials that teachers already have
in the classroom to redistribute to families in the learning kits. Learning Kits for 6th - 8th and for specific high
school courses will be prepared and announced as needed. Primary Learning Kits will follow the predictable
structure outlined in this section.

In all learning experiences; we value that learning is more meaningful when students create their own work
through drawing, writing in notebooks, drawing on big sheets of paper, generating their own examples to
share with classmates, drawing their own mind maps, building models and creating charts. To make sure that
our learning experiences are robust and student-centered, we will be intentional about minimizing the use of
worksheets, pre-printed organizers or fill-in the blank activities in our learning experiences.

The learning experiences will be pre-planned by teachers to use materials from the learning kit or from materials
at home that can be repurposed or reused such as natural materials, old socks, cardboard, jars, etc. Through
these decisions and thoughtful use of materials, we are teaching our children about our core value “I take care of
the Earth” for Environmental Stewardship.

Primary School Learning Kits will be created to pick up at the school. The components of the learning kits
include the following categories:

• Big sheets of paper • A-Z printed books (K-2nd)

• Math packet for ENY • Library books (3rd - 5th)

• Manipulatives • Reading journal

• Math journal WORD WORK

WRITING • A-Z printed books (K-2nd)

• Writing booklets (K-2nd) • Library books (3rd - 5th)

• Writing journal (3rd) • Reading journal

• Writing notebook (4th Independent work packets:
& 5th)
We recognize that parents appreciate having some
CONTENT independent work packets for their child. We will offer

•Observation journal carefully curated individual work packets for 3-week
periods:
• Field guide
• Handwriting practice (6 sheets)
• Card deck for sorting • Creative activity for cutting (3 sheets)
• Math fluency practice (6 sheets)
• Vocabulary, Grammar or Word Work (3 sheets)

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SYNCHRONOUS DURING BREAKOUT ROOMS
or
Students
practice PLEXIGLASS GROUP
key
concepts
with
feedback

GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL

LESSON WORK TIME

BEFORE ASYNCHRONOUS AFTER

Students Students check
prepare to their
participate understanding
in class and extend
activities. their learning

Teaching: Asynchronous Lessons

Asynchronous lessons allow students to review a teacher’s lesson, rewind it and generally learn from it at their own pace.
Teachers plan and present Nearpod lessons, which are interactive and which create a multimodal experience in learning.
The flipped classroom allows students to learn how to lead their own learning by experimenting with pacing. This has
advantages for both Primary and Secondary students and families. For all students, they have equitable access to the
teaching points and can attend synchronous sessions prepared with questions, ideas and generally ready to process their
learning. The technical difficulties that can complicate a student’s synchronous learning experience are not at issue in
learning a new objective when they are prepared through Nearpod and available at a student’s convenience.

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Asynchronous Lesson: Expected time for asynchronous work:

Using the flipped classroom design, the teacher plans and presents a About 1 hour per day, plus independent reading!
Nearpod lesson to teach the essential skills, concepts and strategies. Literacy:
This interactive form of learning will help to maximize the teachers’ 2 per week (Around 60 minutes per week)
time with the student to apply and practice the new learning. Independent Reading per day:
K-2nd (20 minutes), 3rd - 5th (30 minutes)
Posted by Friday night, the family can choose to use time over the Spanish:
weekend when parents may be more available or time during the 2 per week (Around 60 minutes per week)
week to review the Nearpod lesson at their convenience. Mathematics:
2 per week (Around 60 minutes per week)
Asynchronous Learning experiences: Science & Social Studies:
2 per week (≈ 60 minutes per week)
The learning experiences will be given explanation, guidance, and Project-based (Around 60 minutes per week)
exemplars during the Nearpod lesson and during the small group
sessions.

A brief description of the learning experience on the DLP Weekly
Student Learning Plan will give the child a visual reminder of the work
that they are doing for the week

Icons will be used to simplify the directions and give visual cues.

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SECONDARY SCHOOL

Secondary students are leaders of their learning and will use Google Classroom to access their asynchronous lessons
organized by modules.
Nearpod Lessons
Using the flipped classroom method, teachers prepare and deliver lessons, posted on Google Classroom, that students
can then review at their convenience and as often as are needed.
Asynchronous time has been built into the schedule both in the afternoons (Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday) as
well as throughout the day on Wednesdays to ensure that students are prepared to engage in, and take advantage of,
synchronous sessions.

Expected Time for Asynchronous Work:
Depending on the cohort, students are expected to work asynchronously in either the AM or PM time frames.

Asynchronous work during these times is approximately 2 hours.
This is fundamental time spent engaged in rich, teacher curated lessons and resources in preparation for

synchronous sessions.

Learning: Synchronous Sessions

The main goal in flipping a class is to cultivate more deeply engaged learning experiences for students when the instructor
is present to coach and guide them. Emphasis is on higher-order thinking skills and application to complex problems.
(University of Washington Center for Teaching & Learning)
Synchronous Sessions provide focused time for interaction: teacher-to-student and peer-peer-collaboration. Both Primary
and Secondary students will connect for a maximum of 3 hours of synchronous learning each day. These synchronous
sessions allow for consistency between Distance and Hybrid Learning Models. These sessions leverage the flipped
classroom to build upon what a student has learned through the modeling in a Nearpod lesson to put their skills into
practice. Zoom breakout rooms allow for collaborative discussions and construction of knowledge.
PRIMARY SCHOOL

Students enter one Zoom link for a 3- hour synchronous session with their classroom teacher and a small group
cohort (10-12 students). During that time, the classroom teacher and Spanish Literacy teacher, with the support of
Paraprofessionals will use the breakout rooms on the same Zoom link for small-group sessions (4-6 students) on each of
the following: Math, English Literacy, Spanish Literacy, Word Work/Vocabulary/Grammar.
Small-group sessions:
The purpose of small group instruction is to build a relationship and support the child in their learning work, guided
practice, problem-solving, reasoning, and expression of their learning.
An additional 30-minute session is led by the Specials teachers, on their own Zoom link for the Project-based Specials.

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Project-based Specials (Primary)

Project-based specials give students agency in making decisions about their learning for the week. We know
that interest-based learning is an essential part of an effective Distance Learning Model for students of all ages.
Project-based specials provide students an opportunity to explore a Mission, challenge, or project for the week.
Students choose one project for the week and attend that same group Monday through Thursday to complete the
project. The following week, they can attend a new project. Each season there will be a new menu of projects.

Seasons for Project-based Specials Schedule for Project-based Specials
(Monday - Thursday):

Season 1: Aug. 12 - Sept. 25 Kinder Cohort A Cohort B
Season 2: Sept. 28 - Nov. 6 1st Grade 7:30am 11:30am
Season 3: Nov. 9 - Dec. 11 2nd Grade 8:00am 12:00am
Season 4: Jan. 5 - Feb. 23 3rd Grade 8:30am 12:30am
Season 5: Mar. 1 - April 16 4th Grade 9:30am 1:30am
Season 6: April 19 - May 28 5th Grade 10:00am 2:00am
10:30am 3:00am

Examples of Project-Based Specials challenges, Missions and projects:

Making percussion instruments (Music) ANS Tiger Newspaper (Technology)
Design a friendship game (Counselor) Jump Rope fitness plan (Physical Education)
Using book creator to tell a Covid-19 story (Technology) Sensory box construction (Counselor)
Speak Out through Artwork (Art) Puppetry and Storytelling (Library)
Virtual Swimming Play Dates (Physical Education)

TTT - Teacher Table Time
Students are scheduled for a 30-minute 1:1 individual session at the beginning of each trimester:
• Goal setting and monitor progress
• Individual feedback and support
• Build a relationship
• Discuss Passion Project and Chores/Home Tasks
Once 1:1 sessions are complete, Teacher Table Time is scheduled to meet targeted skill needs:
• Guided reading to better support students who are closing the gap in their reading level.
• Targeted math support for foundational skills.
• Critical issue forums to provide students opportunities to talk about an essential question or current events.

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Showcasing: Learning Galleries

Learning Galleries help a student track their journey as a learner. By emphasizing the process, we can help students notice
when they took a risk, tried a new strategy, put in extra effort and even failed at something. These are benchmarks to stop
and notice that we are learning and growing.
In the past, portfolios most often focused on the product. These products were not always the best reflection of a child’s
effort, attempts, revisions or actual learning. Now, we know that it’s more important to make the process of learning visible
by saving that visual model that I tried and tried and tried until it worked out. Or saving that piece of writing that had tabs
and arrows to show how my ideas kept getting more descriptive. Yes, embrace the mess!

As the image of windows becomes our powerful metaphor for opening the window for learning and relationships this
school year, we can help our students capture their learning process in the following ways:

Home Learning Gallery

Guide each child to pick a
window at home that can
become their Learning Gallery.
Starting with a picture of their
family, they can begin to capture
those examples of real learning
work.

Computer Learning Gallery

Primary School

Using a shared photo album, each student will have an individual Learning Gallery on the ANS DLP Primary Site. This will
make it easier for the child/parent to share a photo of the child’s work. The teacher can add feedback by double clicking
the image, it opens and you can select the area that you would like to make the comment. The Learning Gallery is not
accessible by other students so this feedback would be private between teacher and student.

Secondary School

Student portfolios function as a learning gallery. Students are the owners and editors of their own portfolio.

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Assessment:

As stated in the ANS Assessment Philosophy: Assessment helps us to know our students and guide our instruction. Our
students become critical thinkers, global citizens, and leaders of their own learning. Students reflect on their growth with
consistent, quality feedback. Teachers use a wide range of observations, conversations and products to get to know their
students and adjust their instruction to better serve their students’ diverse learning needs.

ANS Faculty use a variety of tools to help students become more aware of their learning strengths and areas of growth.
This metacognition is the most impactful tool that a teacher can provide to help her students become leaders of their own
learning. Learning Galleries allow students to visually track their learning and reflect on it. Conferencing with the teacher
and engaging in peer feedback allows students to reflect on others’ perspectives.

Grading and Reporting:

While teachers engage in
assessment as a constant process
of information-gathering, ANS
publishes grades at specific times
during the academic year as a way
to monitor student performance,
communicate clearly to parents, and
keep record of it.

As a standards-based learning school, students are able to show their mastery of skills and knowledge in a variety of
ways, demonstrations which are manageable both at a distance and during hybrid schedules of class. By implementing
asynchronous lessons, time with teachers will be prioritized for personalized feedback cycles, conferencing and peer
feedback to ensure sufficient opportunities to assess and then grade student performance in relation to standards.

Primary School Secondary School

Standards-based grading is in effect for all subject areas Formative and Summative performance tasks will
of Primary School. be graded on an A-F scale according to mastery of
standards. Course grades are reported as percentages,
Progress reports - Sept. 25th, Dec. 11th, April 16th averaging performance tasks across each semester.

Trimester reports - Nov. 6th, Feb. 23rd, June 3rd Progress reports - Oct. 14th, Mar. 10th

Narrative reports will be written for Literacy, Spanish, Semester reports - Jan. 8th, Jun. 7th
Math and Inclusion

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Weekly Schedules

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Pathways

AS A COMMUNITY, WE HONOR NATURAL CU- Parent engagement should be personalized to ensure
RIOSITY AS THE DRIVER FOR ALL EARLY LEARN- partnership in asset-based understanding of
ING. OUR PATHWAYS MODEL IS DESIGNED TO developmental progressions.
HONOR OUR ANS COMMUNITY BELIEFS (SEE Developmental progressions (as articulated in Creative
SIDE PANEL) ABOUT TEACHING AND LEARNING Curriculum) should be prioritzed for the Distance
DURING THIS REMARKABLE STAGE OF DEVEL- Learning commitment to less is more and what is
OPMENT. KEEPING THESE BELIEFS CLOSE TO realistic.
OUR HEARTS, WE HAVE REIMAGINED TEACHING Space and relationships whould be preserved, deepened
AND LEARNING FOR OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS and never forced, to foster a deeper connection to the
WHETHER WE ARE TEACHING AND LEARNING natural environment and the family bond.
ONLINE OR CLASSROOM-BASED.

Our early learning program combines 3
and 4 year-olds in the same classroom to
provide rich opportunities to grow and
learn together. Children entering as 3
year-olds will stay with the same teacher
for two years, providing the child and
parent the opportunity to create a strong
partnership that best supports the child’s
growth and development.

Morning Messages:

You can find a special morning message on the
ANS Pathways Site, linked to FlipGrid. To build
relationships and to support expressive language,
your child can watch this, and respond to it, at a
convenient time to hear from her/his teacher and see
what her/his classmates are up to! You should be able
to access this from any device with an embedded
camera.

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Board:

The Pathways Board makes learning 3-D! Since children
learn through play-based experiences, moving their figurines
around the board helps them begin making choices in
their learning. The colors correspond to the color-coded
InterACTion cards. You might listen in to how your child tells
stories while placing the figurines on and around the board.
You can find a special morning message on the ANS Pathways
Site, linked to FlipGrid. To build relationships and to support
expressive language, your child can watch this, and respond
to it, at a convenient time to hear from her/his teacher and
see what her/his classmates are up to! You should be able to
access this from any device with an embedded camera.

Box:

The Box offers physical materials to help your child engage
in learning interACTions. You might have other materials
that make sense for your child to use and your child might
repurpose the materials in the box for their own natural
curiosities. As your child selects InterACTion Cards, you can
gather the materials for the interaction. We suggest you keep
the box in a learning corner where you keep the materials to
support your child’s learning and creative play each day.

InterACTion Cards:

InterACTion Cards: These cards intend to make the learning
moments clear for a parent or caregiver who is supporting
the child’s learning. They can be used as game cards in
conjunction with the board. Your child can take them off of
the book ring and put them in groups and rows, and they can
be used repetitively and in any order! Follow your child’s lead
in what they are noticing and gaining interest in!

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ANS Pathways Site:

This is a password-protected hub (pathways.ans.edu.ni) for
the Pathways program. You might make this a homepage on a
child’s iPad or a bookmark on a family computer or a parent’s
phone. Learning interACTions will prompt your child to use
materials from The Box or to access a video or podcast, which
are always available on the site.

Synchronous Sessions:

The focus of the small-group synchronous sessions with our
youngest learners is to build relationships and to support
language development. Children will be invited to flexible
synchronous sessions each week. Children will have agency in
selecting the topic and the time of the forum-style or how-to
sessions each week. The goal is that children feel a sense of
purpose when they come to a session that inspires them to
think and talk about the topic before and after the session.
Parents will have input about the times that work best for
family schedules to be able to best support working parents.

Paw-dcast:

Paw-dcast: Children’s language development is a crucial
part of early childhood. By offering stories, poems, riddles,
tongue twisters and more through a Podcast, you can
support your child’s language development off-of-a-screen.
You and/or your child might listen to these while folding
laundry, riding in the car, washing dishes or any other routine
household task.

Parent Corner:

Partnering with parents to support children’s learning and
development is at the heart of Pathways! We will teach
you about the developmental objectives that your child
is working on for each unit to help you see your child’s
development and learning along a continuum. The Parent
Corner is available on the Pathways site and the Paw-dcast,
to offer modeled moments for parents’ viewing of how to
support your child’s development through the ReadyRosie
app. We are committed to a two-way conversation around
developmental progressions, especially through the
StoryPark app.

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Primary School

EACH GRADE LEVEL SECTION FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 5TH GRADE IS DIVIDED IN TWO COHORTS. BOTH
COHORTS, AM AND PM ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO SMALLER GROUPS THAT WILL ATTEND SYNCHRONOUS SESSIONS
MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULES:

KINDERGARTEN | Monday - Thursday | Synchronous: Math, Literacy, Word Work, Spanish

AM COHORT KA (AM1) KA (AM2) KB (AM1) KB (AM2) KC (AM1) KC (AM2)
7:00 am - 7:30 am Literacy Spanish ----- -----
7:30 am - 8:00 am Spanish Literacy Math Word Work TTT TTT
8:00 am - 8:30 am Word Work Math
8:30 am - 9:00 am Math Word Work Math Word Work
9:00 am - 9:30 am Word Work Math Word Work Math
9:30 am - 10:00 am TTT Spanish Literacy Literacy
11:30 am - 12:00 pm TTT ----- Spanish Spanish
----- Literacy Spanish Literacy
PM COHORT KA (PM2) KC (PM1)
7:30 am - 8:00 am KA (PM1) TTT TTT KC (PM2)
11:00 am - 11:30 am Spanish -----
11:30 am - 12:00 pm Literacy Literacy ----- ----- TTT -----
12:00 pm - 12:30pm Spanish Word Work Math TTT
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm Project Based Specials Word Work Word Work
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm Math Math Literacy Math
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm Word Work TTT KB (PM1) KB (PM2) Spanish Spanish
----- Literacy
TTT Project Based Specials
-----
Math Word Work

Word Work Math

Spanish Literacy

Literacy Spanish

TTT TTT

----- -----

1st GRADE | Monday - Thursday | Synchronous: Math, Literacy, Word Work, Spanish

AM COHORT 1A (AM1) 1A (AM2) 1B (AM1) 1B (AM2) 1C (AM1) 1C (AM2)
7:00 am - 7:30 am Literacy Spanish ----- -----
7:30 am - 8:00 am Spanish Literacy Math Word Work TTT TTT
8:00 am - 8:30 am Word Work Math
8:30 am - 9:00 am Math Word Work Math Word Work
9:00 am - 9:30 am Word Work Math Word Work Math
9:30 am - 10:00 am TTT Spanish Literacy Literacy
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm TTT ----- Spanish Spanish
----- Literacy Spanish Literacy
PM COHORT 1A (PM2) 1C (PM1)
8:00 am - 8:30 am 1A (PM1) TTT TTT 1C (PM2)
11:00 am - 11:30 am Spanish -----
11:30 am - 12:00 pm Literacy Literacy ----- ----- TTT -----
12:00 pm - 12:30pm Spanish Word Work Math TTT
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm Project Based Specials Word Work Word Work
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm Math Math Literacy Math
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm Word Work TTT 1B (PM1) 1B (PM2) Spanish Spanish
----- Literacy
TTT Project Based Specials
-----
Math Word Work

Word Work Math

Spanish Literacy

Literacy Spanish

TTT TTT

----- -----

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2nd GRADE | Monday - Thursday | Synchronous: Math, Literacy, Word Work, Spanish

AM COHORT 2A (AM1) 2A (AM2) 2B (AM1) 2B (AM2) 2C (AM1) 2C (AM2) 2D (AM1) 2D (AM2)
-----
7:00 am - 7:30 am Literacy Spanish Math Word Work ----- ----- ----- -----
-----
7:30 am - 8:00 am Spanish Literacy Word Work Math ----- ----- ----- TTT

8:00 am - 8:30 am Math Word Work Spanish Literacy ----- ----- ----- Word Work
Math
8:30 am - 9:00 am Word Work Math Literacy Spanish TTT TTT TTT
Literacy
9:00 am - 9:30 am TTT TTT TTT TTT Literacy Spanish Math Spanish

9:30 am - 10:00 am ----- ----- ----- ----- Spanish Literacy Word Work 2D (PM2)

10:00 am - 10:30 am ----- ----- ----- ----- Math Word Work Spanish -----
-----
10:30 am - 11:00 am ----- ----- ----- ----- Word Work Math Literacy -----
TTT
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm Project Based Specials Word Work
Math
PM COHORT 2A (PM1) 2A (PM2) 2B (PM1) 2B (PM2) 2C (PM1) 2C (PM2) 2D (PM1) Literacy
8:30 am - 9:00 am Spanish
11:00 am - 11:30 am Literacy Spanish Math Project Based Specials
11:30 am - 12:00 pm Spanish Literacy Word Work
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm Word Work Word Work ----- ----- -----
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm Math Spanish ----- -----
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm Word Work Math Literacy Math ----- ----- -----
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm TTT TTT TTT
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm TTT ----- TTT Literacy ----- Spanish Math
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm ----- ----- ----- Literacy Word Work
----- ----- ----- Spanish TTT Word Work Spanish
----- ----- Math Literacy
TTT Literacy

----- Spanish

----- Math

----- Word Work

3rd GRADE | Monday - Thursday | Synchronous: Math, Literacy, Word Work, Spanish

AM COHORT 3A (AM1) 3A (AM2) 3B (AM1) 3B (AM2) 3C (AM1) 3C (AM2)
7:00 am - 7:30 am Literacy Spanish ----- -----
7:30 am - 8:00 am Spanish Literacy Math Word Work Math
8:00 am - 8:30 am Word Work Word Work
8:30 am - 9:00 am Math Word Work Math Word Work Math
9:00 am - 9:30 am Word Work Math TTT TTT
9:30 am - 10:00 am TTT Spanish Literacy
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm TTT ----- Literacy Spanish
----- Literacy Spanish Spanish Literacy
PM COHORT 3A (PM2)
9:30 am - 10:00 am 3A (PM1) TTT TTT 3C (PM1) 3C (PM2)
11:00 am - 11:30 am Spanish
11:30 am - 12:00 pm Literacy Literacy ----- ----- ----- -----
12:00 pm - 12:30pm Spanish Word Work Math Word Work
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm Project Based Specials Word Work
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm Math Math TTT Math
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm Word Work TTT 3B (PM1) 3B (PM2) Literacy TTT
----- Spanish Spanish
TTT Project Based Specials Literacy
-----
Math Word Work

Word Work Math

Spanish Literacy

Literacy Spanish

TTT TTT

----- -----

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4th GRADE | Monday - Thursday | Synchronous: Math, Literacy, Word Work, Spanish

AM COHORT 4A (AM1) 4A (AM2) 4B (AM1) 4B (AM2) 4C (AM1) 4C (AM2) 4D (AM1) 4D (AM2)
7:00 am - 7:30 am Literacy Spanish Math ----- ----- -----
7:30 am - 8:00 am Spanish Literacy Word Work ----- ----- ----- -----
8:00 am - 8:30 am Word Work Word Work ----- ----- -----
8:30 am - 9:00 am Math Spanish Math ----- TTT TTT TTT
9:00 am - 9:30 am Word Work Math Literacy Math
9:30 am - 10:00 am TTT TTT Literacy ----- Spanish Word Work
10:00 am - 10:30 am TTT ----- ----- Literacy Word Work Math
10:30 am - 11:00 am ----- ----- ----- Spanish TTT Word Work Spanish
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm ----- ----- ----- Literacy Literacy
----- TTT Literacy Math Spanish

----- Spanish 4D (PM2)

----- Math -----
-----
----- Word Work -----
TTT
Project Based Specials Word Work
Math
PM COHORT 4A (PM1) 4A (PM2) 4B (PM1) 4B (PM2) 4C (PM1) 4C (PM2) 4D (PM1) Literacy
10:00 am - 10:30 am Spanish
11:00 am - 11:30 am Literacy Spanish Math Project Based Specials
11:30 am - 12:00 pm Spanish Literacy Word Work
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm Word Work Word Work ----- ----- -----
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm Math Spanish ----- -----
Word Work Math Literacy Math ----- ----- -----
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm TTT TTT TTT
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm TTT ----- TTT Literacy ----- Spanish Math
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm ----- ----- ----- Literacy Word Work
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm ----- ----- ----- Spanish TTT Word Work Spanish
----- ----- Math Literacy
TTT Literacy

----- Spanish

----- Math

----- Word Work

5th GRADE | Monday - Thursday | Synchronous: Math, Literacy, Word Work, Spanish

AM COHORT 5A (AM1) 5A (AM2) 5B (AM1) 5B (AM2) 5C (AM1) 5C (AM2) 5D (AM1) 5D (AM2)
-----
7:00 am - 7:30 am Literacy Spanish Math Word Work ----- ----- ----- -----
-----
7:30 am - 8:00 am Spanish Literacy Word Work Math ----- ----- ----- TTT

8:00 am - 8:30 am Math Word Work Spanish Literacy ----- ----- ----- Word Work
Math
8:30 am - 9:00 am Word Work Math Literacy Spanish TTT TTT TTT
Literacy
9:00 am - 9:30 am TTT TTT TTT TTT Literacy Spanish Math Spanish

9:30 am - 10:00 am ----- ----- ----- ----- Spanish Literacy Word Work 5D (PM2)

10:00 am - 10:30 am ----- ----- ----- ----- Math Word Work Spanish -----
-----
10:30 am - 11:00 am ----- ----- ----- ----- Word Work Math Literacy -----
TTT
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm Project Based Specials Word Work
Math
PM COHORT 5A (PM1) 5A (PM2) 5B (PM1) 5B (PM2) 5C (PM1) 5C (PM2) 5D (PM1) Literacy
10:30 am - 11:30 am Spanish
11:00 am - 11:30 am Literacy Spanish Math Project Based Specials
11:30 am - 12:00 pm Spanish Literacy Word Work
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm Word Work Word Work ----- ----- -----
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm Math Spanish ----- -----
Word Work Math Literacy Math ----- ----- -----
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm TTT TTT TTT
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm TTT ----- TTT Literacy ----- Spanish Math
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm ----- ----- ----- Literacy Word Work
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm ----- ----- ----- Spanish TTT Word Work Spanish
----- ----- Math Literacy
TTT Literacy

----- Spanish

----- Math

----- Word Work

21

Secondary School

ALL SECONDARY COURSES CONTINUE TO BE DESIGNED FOR 90-MINUTES OF INSTRUCTION AND PACED ACROSS THE
WEEK AS SUCH. RATHER THAN COMPARTMENTALIZED IN 90-MINUTE BLOCKS, STUDENTS MUST PREPARE AND COMPLETE
ASYNCHRONOUS LESSONS PRIOR TO EACH OF THEIR CLASSES.

The asynchronous time is built into the daily schedule, with room for catch-up on Wednesdays. In this way, students
prepare through interactive 20-30 minute lessons and then complete subsequent learning tasks. This is essential
preparation for the synchronous sessions, which are based around interactive collaboration with peers and
personalized feedback from the teacher.

Advanced Placement (AP) courses require college-level independence to meet rigorous expectations.
Asynchronous lessons will be longer and more robust than other coursework in order to keep pace with the course
requirements and exam preparation. Students can expect to complete three 45-minute asynchronous lessons
weekly, in addition to their synchronous session time. Since asynchronous sessions may be paused, repetitively
viewed and processed at a student’s own pace, this timing is an estimate and may take additional time for many
students.

8:00 am - 8:40 am AM COHORT PM COHORT
8:45 am - 9:25 am Block A | Block E
9:30 am - 10:10 am Block B | Block F Module-based
10:10 am - 10:30 am Block C | Block G Asynchronous Lessons
10:30 am - 11:10 am
11:15 am - 11:55 am POWER UP BREAK
12:00 pm - 12:40 pm
12:40 pm - 1:20 pm Module-based Block A | Block E
1:20 pm - 2:00 pm Asynchronous Lessons Block B | Block F
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm Block C | Block G

LUNCH

D & H Electives & Office Hours by Appointment

Office Hours/Asynchronous Work

22

Wellness Wednesdays & Unplugged Fridays

With a robust cycle of asynchronous lessons and synchronous sessions, students will need to practice self-care and
unplug on the off-screen day each week. Primary students will unplug on Fridays. Secondary will interrupt, but not
entirely unplug, on Wednesdays, with a schedule of wellness activities offered to support self-care . This is a good
time to take a break, reflect and engage in some of the routines that teachers will be explaining to students: goal-
setting, curating a Learning Gallery, household chores, a passion project, and overall health & fitness activities.

Why not have the same day to unplug in Primary and Secondary?

Primary students thrive off of predictable routines and their synchronous schedules are the same Monday- Thursday,
allowing for them to receive the asynchronous lessons by Friday afternoon to prepare for the following week.
Secondary students follow an A/B Day schedule, which means that every other day is a different order of synchronous
sessions. With Wednesday as an interruption in the schedule, they are able to engage in asynchronous lessons and
learning experiences to process their Mon/Tues learning and prepare for Wed/Thurs. Secondary students will also
engage in their Electives coursework on Wednesdays, with synchronous meetings for those high-interest courses.

Health and Wellness for Secondary School

Now, more than ever, the physical and social-emotional well being of all of our community members is key to our
success. Taking into account the recommendations for group gathering and physical distancing, we have developed
the following model that provides asynchronous, student led and interest driven exploration of wellness that is goal
orientated and supported by a Wellness Mentor.

Wellness Workshops will be run on a monthly basis (with grade levels rotating each week). Our counseling staff will
design and facilitate these meetings and provide follow up conferences, as needed, with students.

Workshop topics include:

Self-Management, Self-Awareness, Responsible Decision Making,
Social Awareness and Relationship Skills.

Fitness Sessions will feature guest coaches, trainers and nutritionists
providing tips for healthy habits as well as opportunities to explore a
variety of fitness options such as Zumba, MMA Boxing, and Yoga.

Leading Your Own Learning Seminars, organized by our Learning
Support team, will provide students with opportunities to develop
strong executive functioning life skills such as time management,
organization, and planning and prioritizing.

Health & Fitness Portfolios

Instead of a traditional P.E. Class, each Secondary student pursuing these credits will develop, with the guidance of our
Athletic Director Mr. Andrei Kulyk and After School Sports Director Mr. David Faulkner, an individualized Health & Fitness
portfolio.

In their portfolio, students will:

• Set personalized goals. • Establish routines.

• Provide evidence of their progress on a weekly basis. • Weekly conference with their Health & Fitness mentor.

A “Pass” will be granted if all the above are met with consistency.

23

Innovation and
Technology

24

Developmentally Appropriate Device Recommendations & Usage

Pathways students do not need a child-specific device. The screen-based content is limited in this program. To
access Morning Messages and InterACTion videos, children may use a variety of options. The parent might
manage a phone, iPad or computer and show this content to the child. Or, the child may use an iPad themselves
to view the content and return to it for repetition out of interest. A computer or laptop is functional, but not
recommended.

Kinder through 2nd Graders will do best on an iPad or tablet, but a computer will be functional as well.

3rd through 12th Graders will be best served by a laptop, Chromebook or desktop computer with the following
minimum requirements:

At least 2GHZ AMD or Intel Processor

4GB of RAM

128 GB Harddrive

Usage:

Technology is a set of tools that enables us to
connect as a community and to deliver on our
Mission as a school. We are committed to fostering
learning experiences that take students off screen
as much as possible, while recognizing the value
that video conferencing offers to allow us to
connect and learn together. With 2.5 - 3 hours of
synchronous learning time and additional recorded
lessons, it is essential that children unplug and
savor outdoor activity, board games, chores around
the house and other activities that allow them to
get up and move around!

One day per week is dedicated as a structured
reminder to engage in learning off-screen:

Fridays in Primary School and Wednesdays in
Secondary School.

Remote Assistance

• Technology Support via Chat Box on ANS Website (ans.edu.ni)

- Email [email protected] for hardware or software support.

- Email [email protected] for Google Classroom or Google Meet.

* All support tickets and inquiries will be received via our communication channels and will be escalated as
needed within our department.

*For remote assistance, you will receive instructions on how to grant access to one of our team members. Remote
assistance is available as long as your device is connected to an internet connection.

* All inquiries will receive a response within 10 minutes.

25

Empowering Digital
Citizens

These standards described below are expected both on and off campus.

26

Student Roles and Responsibilities

• Establish daily routines for engaging in the learning experiences (e.g. 9:00 a.m. start).
• Identify a comfortable, quiet space in your home where you can work effectively and successfully.
• Regularly monitor Google Classroom and Gmail to check for announcements and feedback from your teachers.
• Attend synchronous sessions by video, dressed in an ANS shirt, to be counted in attendance.
• Collaborate and support your ANS peers in their learning.
• Complete assignments with integrity and academic honesty and best effort.
• Do your best to meet timelines, commitments, and due dates.
• Communicate proactively with your teachers if you are struggling to meet deadlines or require additional support.
• Comply with the ANS Responsible Use Policy, including digital citizenship standards.
• Proactively seek out and communicate with other ANS staff as different needs arise.

For queries about: Contact:
- a course, assignment, or resource The relevant teacher
- a technology-related problem or issue Technology Support
- a personal, academic, or social- emotional concern Your assigned counselor
- other issues related to distance learning The Principal or Assistant Principal from your division.

Parent Roles and Responsibilities

Provide support for each child by adhering to these 10 Guidelines for ANS Parents:
• Establish routines and expectations.
• Define the physical space for your child’s DL.
• Monitor communications from your child’s teachers.
• Begin and end each day with a check-in.
• Take an active role in helping your child process their learning.
• Establish times for quiet and reflection.
• Encourage physical activity and/or exercise.
• Remain mindful of your child’s stress or worry.
• Monitor how much time your child is spending online.
• Keep your child social, but set and enforce rules around their social media interactions.

For queries about: Contact:
- a course, assignment, or resource The relevant teacher
- a technology-related problem or issue Technology Support
- a personal, academic, or social-emotional concern Your assigned counselor
- other issues related to Distance Learning The Principal or Assistant Principal from your student’sdivision.

How might windows shed light for learning?

While the partnership between home and school is crucial at any time, during distance learning the management of time
and space is supported from the home. This is an opportunity to develop executive functioning skills and foster lifelong
learning! These ten guidelines are intended to help parents think about their role in helping their children find success
in a distance-learning environment.

27

Top 10 Guidelines for ANS Parents

1—Establish clear routines and expectations: Stick to a reasonable bedtime and make sure to have a healthy start to the day,
beginning with a routine wake-up time. Fit in exercise -- your children should move regularly and take periodic breaks as they
study. Remember, routines start day one, not when you need to break bad habits!

2—Define the physical space for your child’s study: We encourage families to establish a space/location where their children will
learn most of the time, ideally, a public/family space: not in a child’s bedroom. The setting should be generally quiet and have a
strong wireless internet signal, if possible. Above all, it should be a space where a parent or caregiver is present and supervising
the child’s learning.

3—Monitor communication from your children’s teachers: Teachers will communicate with parents through email as necessary. The
frequency and detail of these communications will be informed by your child(ren)’s ages, maturity level, and the degree of their
ability to complete independent work. Remember, review the Weekly Newsletter and visit the Primary and Secondary Sites to
keep up to date with learning highlights.

4—Begin and end each day with a check-in: Parents are encouraged to start and finish each day with a simple check-in time with
their child(ren). In the morning, ask about your child’s learning plan for the day. What are their learning targets or goals? How will
they spend their time? What resources do they require? What support do they need? This brief grounding conversation matters
because it allows children to process the instructions they have received from their teachers. Establish these from day one, not
once a need sets in!

5—Take an active role in helping your children process and own their learning. While social interactions are re-created on virtual
platforms, students often learn best when they have opportunities to process their learning alongside others. Beyond the check-
ins recommended at the start and end of each day, parents should regularly circle back and engage with their children about their
daily learning. You should also make sure that your child does his/her own work; refrain from completing assignments for them,
even if they are struggling. You should inform the teacher under these circumstances, so extra support can be provided.

6—Establish quiet times for work and reflection: A challenge for families with multiple children can be how to manage all of their
children’s needs, especially when those children are different ages and have uniquely individual needs. You may find times when
siblings need to work in different rooms to avoid distractions. Parents might also consider experimenting with noise-cancelling
headphones (no music necessary!) to block out distractions. That said, siblings can also find helpful ways to recreate the social
dynamics so essential to socializing their learning.

7—Encourage physical activity and/or exercise: Make sure your children remember to move about the house and exercise. These
steps are vitally important to their health and well-being as well as to their learning. Wellness Wednesdays and Project-based
Specials can help get students moving!

8—Remain mindful of your child’s stress or worry: The Distance Learning Model remains in place when a serious crisis event or
emergency has occurred. Helping children manage the worry, anxiety, and range of emotions they might experience under these
circumstances becomes paramount. Although a difficult undertaking, parents should make every attempt not to transfer your own
stresses or worries to your children. Whether they admit it or not, students need as much normal routine as parents can possibly
provide.

9—Monitor how much time your child is spending online: Synchronous online learning is paired with asynchronous recorded
lessons for a total of upwards of 4 hours of learning time in connection with a device on Monday through Thursday. Primary
classes will encourage off-screen activity and Wellness Wednesdays for Secondary students will promote options as well. Keep
tabs on the online content your child is accessing and make sure to levy restrictions through your router or on each device.

10—Keep your child(ren) socially engaged, but set rules around their social media use: Parents should help their children maintain
contact with friends and facilitate phone calls or video chats to support friendships. ANS recommends that parents monitor their
children’s use of social media – remind your children to be polite, respectful, and appropriate in their communications and to
represent your family’s values in their interactions with others.

28

Wellness Tips

Being part of a community helps us find meaning in our lives. Children can feel productive as family members
who take an active role in their household. They can report back to their teachers and classmates on their
responsibilities at home. Consider using the following resources to keep this in mind at home!

Take a moment to
think about the day.

Consider three things
that went well today.
Check in with someone
from our community:
are they ok?
Are you ok? Your
team is here to listen
and support you.
Now, switch your
attention to home:
REST and RECHARGE.

29

WINDOWS

30 DISTANCE LEARNING PLATFORM
AMERICAN NICARAGUAN SCHOOL