Greetings Brandeis families!
We hope you are staying healthy, and sane. Mazel tov on "completing" our first week of distance learning! We put quotes around the word "completing" because completion is relative to your individual families' circumstances. Be proud of what you have accomplished and forgive yourself for what you may not have done as well as you wished. Learning and working from home in this manner is like navigating uncharted waters. If you have as many people in your home in the evening as you started with in the morning, consider that a huge WIN!
We write to share a few tips we have heard from parents that will, hopefully, make this time easier on parents, and more enjoyable and less isolating for our children.
1. Create Zoom chats (or similar platforms, such as Google Hangouts or Facebook Messenger) for yourselves and other parents. Last week, the 8th and 6th grade parents each had a morning coffee hour online and the general feedback was it was incredibly helpful on practical issues and emotional fulfilling to connect visually. Parents shared how they were feeling, how their children were fairing both academically and emotionally, and tips and tricks for what has worked (and not worked) while everyone is cooped up at home. If the coffee hour time doesn't work, then try a happy hour, a lunch break, or a "thank G-d it is after 3:00 and we made it through another day" chat. Don't limit your grade to one chat. Try to accommodate as many parents as possible. In addition, we respectfully add it is important not to let the chat only be about the negative effects of what is happening. It is vital to vent but it is equally significant to find some hope and humor.
Speaking of humor, if you haven't seen the you tube video of the Israeli mom ranting, it is imperative you click here now. Michelle finds the louder you play it, the funnier it is. She has watched it so many times that her family has asked her to put it on mute because she doesn't understand the Hebrew anyway and they can't bear the volume anymore.
2. Create Zoom or Google Hangout chats for your kids. As beneficial as visually seeing and talking with our peers is, it probably is more so for our children. Zoom is free for chats under 40 minutes (or parents with a premium account can host the call) and does not take a lot, if any, parent assistance. A lot of middle school kids already engage by Google Hangout, so that is another good option.
3. Get your kids physically moving. This can range from inside activities like Coach's AWESOME workout located on the Brandeis page or throwing a ball around the house (even though Carol Brady told her bunch to not play ball in the house--something Peter did not listen to when he broke the vase). Outside activities include taking walks around the neighborhood, bike paths, and/or hiking trails. These suggestions are good for parents as well. Please note these are not social activities. They are allowed under the Shelter in Place rules, and social distancing must be practiced.
4. Many parents have asked how to help the most vulnerable populations in the Bay Area while still obeying the Shelter in Place Order and practicing social distancing. Here are two links that we found but we are sure you can find many more if you use Google. We also imagine that, as time goes on, the need will become exponentially greater and there will be more ways to help.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/ bayarea/article/Ways-to-help- Bay-Area-s-most-vulnerable- 15141732.php
https://www.consciouskitchen. org/
5. As difficult and scary as the times are, it is important we remember the things we are grateful for. Keeping a gratitude journal or asking your children what was good about their day is a great way to stay positive. Michelle's children said they were grateful for being allowed to eat sugar cereals and spend more time with their dog. Although she was hoping for something a little deeper like, "we have a roof over are heads, or we get to spend more time with our dog AND our siblings and parents, she still appreciated that they could think of something.
6. Practice acts of kindness. Again, this can be problematic with the Shelter in Place Order, but an easy activity to do is to write/email a thank you note or draw a picture and send it to your local ER, health care clinic, fire and police station, pharmacy, assisted living homes, grocery stores etc. Those that work in these essential services are overworked, and over-stressed and are putting their own lives and families at risk in order to allow the rest of us to receive the services we need and feel safer. A simple gesture like a note of gratitude goes a very long way. Little parent assistance is needed.
Lastly, join us in giving an enormous and grateful SHOUT OUT to our teachers and staff who are working tirelessly to create a school environment and community that resembles and feels like an at-school experience. The system is not perfect and there are kinks to work out but please be patient. Remember that as new as this distance learning is to us, it is also new to them as well.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions, thoughts, or concerns. The PA is here for you to communicate and rely upon.
Please take care and stay healthy,
Alan and Michelle