A Message from Ms. K
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May 7, 2020
"Turn right! No, I mean left! No, at the light!
Awww....you missed it.... Oh well, no big deal..." I am guessing that several of us feel this way about shelter-in-place learning. Just meaningless, impersonal communication about what seems like a whole lotta B.S. as we tread water to June. Right? Wrong. We are living in unprecedented times. We're making up the rules as we go along, trying to figure out how to make things work...ALL OF US, including the adults. It feels like no one knows what we're doing. We don't. That said, the rules keep changing about school stuff. Trust me, if I could figure out how to get us back together safely, I'd be moving heaven and earth to make it happen. But until that happens, all I can do is try my best to follow the rules and get things feeling as normal as I can. Time for you to do the same. Folks, for the last two months, I have watched relatively little participation in classes and in homework/forms/meetups. It's not just my classes: it's everyone. The district has now mandated that you pick yourself up and start working steadily again at your studies. They are mandating participation and yes, they're tracking it. Starting now. This week: teachers have to track participation on Thursday (I'll use Friday's meetup and yes, that will count). Next week, it's two days. The week after, it's three. Until everyone's checking in DAILY. I don't want to give you a bunch of inconsequential assignments. So, here are my expectations for all students from here forward: 1. Participation in our weekly meetups. 2. Timely completion of all assignments (keep your eye on the Assigned Tasks page). If you haven't completed previous assignments, go back and do them now. This week's assignment is completing your audition. I'm expecting you to complete the process by Saturday 5/9. It'll take most of you about 10 minutes. Get it done--yes, seniors too and those who are not returning to LHS/choir. All the details are on the assigned task page. We're all struggling right now—yes, teachers too. Just keep trying. And if you haven't already...start working. April 24, 2020
FIVE WEEKS!
As I write this, we are finishing our 5th week of SIP. I have watched the numbers in Santa Clara County rise and fall as we battle the coronavirus; we're certainly not done with this monster yet, but it is clear that the numbers have finally begun to spiral downwards. Every day, we find out something different about COVID-19. One thing remains clear, though: it is nasty. So, keep staying home, keep disinfecting, keep washing your hands, and keep your hands away from your face! Even though we are not going to be able to finish our year by singing together one last time, we can still celebrate by doing *some* of the things we normally do. I'll explain that in the weeks to come. For now, stay safe and take care of yourself and your family. We'll get through this. April 2, 2020
Hello to all, On March 13, our last day at school, I stayed late and got the room ready for our return on April 6: sprayed Lysol, tidied my office and, as I left, changed the date on the board so I would have one less thing to do on April 6. Never in my wildest dreams did I think our in-person learning was done for the year. As I write this, I'm sitting at my computer at the time when I would normally be waking up for a school day, feeding the cats, and sitting down with coffee cup and toast at my elbow. I'm only just beginning to process the news and am awaiting direction from Mr. Hewitson on what our next steps will be at LHS. Here's what I'll be doing for now: 1. Office hours: Beginning on Monday, April 6, I'll have daily open online office hours on Mondays-Fridays from 8:30-10 am. If you need/want, drop in, say a quick "hello," ask a question, and get an answer. 2. Class online check-ins: On Fridays, we'll continue our class meetings. Since I'm pretty sure you'll have more to ask and say, I'm lengthening each session to 30 minutes. The schedule will be as follows: 11 am: Men's Choir 11:30 am: Choral Union 12 noon: Women's Choir 12:30 pm: Bellissima 1:00 pm: Chamber Chorale 1:30 pm: Estetica 3. Optional assignments: —Work on your music theory skills on Classmarker. We would have been doing this anyway at this point in the year. —Practice your sightreading at sightreadingfactory.com. —Keep up on your "Sing" music. Because....you never know... 4. Forms to fill out: Check in with me if you haven't already, tell me what you're watching, and let me know if you need help. These are unusual times and we will get through it. Keep staying at home, always observe social distancing, and don't let anyone tell you this is not a big deal. IT. IS. More information is coming soon about other class details. Ms. K |
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