Seesaw for PreK and Elementary

The Seesaw is a platform for student engagement. It allows students to learn and engage in creative educational activities while giving teachers and parents insight to each students progress and thinking. Students “show what they know” using photos, videos, drawings, text, PDFs, and links. It’s simple to get student work in one place and share with families. Nothing is shared without teacher approval.

Seesaw is the main form of communication with parents at Preschool and Elementary.  The teacher can message parents individually or as a group. This is the best way for parents to message the teacher, especially during the day.  

When there are new posts or messages, parents will be notified and can see what's new! 

Seesaw is private. Parents only see posts created by their child. Learn more about Seesaw's commitment to privacy at web.seesaw.me/privacy. 

How to join Seesaw:

1. Download 'Seesaw Family' from the App Store or Google Play Store. Don’t have a smartphone? Sign up on a computer at app.seesaw.me.

2. Tap 'Create Family Account' and scan the QR code on the handout that the teacher passed out. Make sure it says your child's name at the top.  

3. Create your account to see your child's journal! Make sure to allow notifications to get real-time updates about new posts.

In Middle School at KIS we are uniformly using Microsoft Teams (part of Microsoft 365) for much of our communication and curriculum delivery. The Microsoft suite of programs and apps links with you child's account and should offer a streamlined angle to academic productivity, and hopefully you and your child will find most of what you need within it. As such, you should be able to:

1. find curriculum, lessons, and assignments
2. submit work and check grades
3. communicate/collaborate with teachers
4. communicate/collaborate with students
5. join online classes

We hope you find this helpful and can access the array of functions it offers.

Dear Middle School Parents,

The end of Quintile 1 is right around the corner! Virtual Parent-Teacher conferences will be held on Friday, 22nd October.

Which teachers do parents need to meet with? Parents are welcome to book meetings with any of their child’s teachers. Please keep in mind that “Homeroom” teachers will not be able to answer questions outside of their subject area. Instead, parents should meet with subject specific teachers (Mathematics, Literacy, Science, Cultural Studies, etc.) to discuss subject specific progress. Don’t forget about LOE, art, music, physical education and technology class, too!

Note, if your child has the same teacher for multiple classes, please only book one meeting.

If you are unsure which teachers your child has, you can look up your child’s schedule on the parent portal: KISMET: Dashboard

I wish you and your family a wonderful fall break!

Best,

Mrs. Grossman

MS Director of Instruction

P.S. From last week, due to a low number of responses, I am extending the collection time for these two surveys: Shared Planner Feedback and Vaccination Status Form.

Dear Secondary School community,

We have had a great start to the school year with all students on campus together. Students are mastering learning outcomes under the careful guidance of teachers. We had a successful Clash of Classes social event. We launched after school sports and activities, and we even hosted competitions on campus (with safety precautions taken).

We are doing our best to balance safety concerns with an attempt for as normal a learning experience as can be expected in these times. We appreciate your support, and we know that, with your help, we can continue to keep campus open for learning as much as possible this school year. This means encouraging all members of our community to adhere to our safety protocols, wearing masks, washing hands, distancing as best possible, and reporting health concerns to the school.

As we head to October break, here are a couple things to keep in mind.

Parent Conferences

We will have Parent Conferences on Friday, October 22. On that day, there will be no classes. You will sign up through Moodle for a time to meet via Zoom video conferencing. Information regarding how to sign up will be sent out soon. We encourage students to attend conferences with parents. One thing to note is that time slots may fill quickly, so know that parents who cannot secure a time on that day will be given priority on a second date, if necessary.

Online Learning in Quarantine There will almost certainly be a rise in COVID cases this school year, and since asynchronous learning is a challenge, the school has allocated resources to support synchronous online learning for students in quarantine, bringing iPads to every classroom.

Starting Monday, October 18, quarantined students will be able to join their classes from home, following their regular schedule. There are two important points to note. First, this experience may not be completely interactive. Online students will be more like a "fly on the wall," because we learned last year in hybrid learning that juggling in-person and online students was not good for teachers or students. In situations where the whole class, or nearly all the class, is working from home, the balance will shift toward more of an interactive experience for all.

The second point is that this synchronous, online access is only for students in quarantine. This access is not meant for students who opt for an extended online-only experience. If you are interested in having your child attend school online only, please contact the secondary office and we will discuss options.

Finally, please, remember that quarantined students will not be marked absent. They will be listed as "student activity." Contact Mr. Legan (scott-legan@kyiv.qsi.org) if you have any questions or concerns.

Travel restrictions got you down? Tour the world through books in the KIS Reading Challenge 2021.

The goal for this global reading challenge is simple. By June 3, read a book by an author from each of the 16 major regions. The author can be writing from that country or writing about their own cultural heritage from the region. Roam where you want, and hear voices and stories from the places you “visit.” Students of all ages are welcome, as well as KIS teachers, administrators, and parents.

Everyone is going to feel differently about what are the most important, or most interesting, books to read. And that’s okay! All genres, and all types of stories, are waiting for you on this globe-trotting journey, hopefully leading to some fun discoveries!

The KIS library is ready to help students find titles. Pay attention to our newsletters, where our teachers will post their recommendations, and please, share your reading suggestions there as well, indicating for what age level you think the title is appropriate. Teachers will incorporate world books into their curriculum, where appropriate, and we hope parents will encourage their children to participate in the challenge.

The school will recognize everyone who participates in this challenge, whether they read 1 book, 4, 8, 12, or all 16! To help us track our community’s progress, complete this form as you travel around the globe through books.