Welcome Back Spuds! from Ojai Valley School on Vimeo.
And just like that, we’re back!
Our Upper Campus students (9th-12th grade) resumed distance learning classes on Monday August 31, while Lower Campus (PK-8th grade) began September 1. The majority of classes are taking place online, at least initially — although in Pre-K and Kindergarten, we are lucky to have the opportunity to provide in-person instruction.
Our goal is to resume in-person classes across all grades as soon as possible. We are working with Ventura County Public Health, and we will pivot to in-person classes immediately when we get a green-light to do so.
Until that time, we will continue to innovate, further develop programs that express our core values, and face the challenges of the new year with joy and a mindset toward finding opportunities that maximize our learning.
While it’s safe to say that all of us would prefer an in-person learning environment for our children, we also acknowledge that distance learning can provide new opportunities to build independence, master communication tools, and become more resilient. As such, we encourage all students to establish a daily routine — take a shower, brush your hair and teeth, eat breakfast, and be ready to start the academic day on time — to give us all our best chance at success in this challenging time.
Please find below distance learning details for each grade level, as well as several helpful links for finding more information.
As always, communications will be emailed to families and guardians, and can also be found on our Covid Advisory and Updates page.
Details on distance learning for Upper Campus (grades 9-12):
We are planning to open the school year on August 31 with distance learning for all students at Upper Campus. A virtual orientation is planned for new students on August 30.
Teachers will be conducting classes using GoogleMeet, and Moodle will once again provide students with class assignments, due dates and grades. New students will be provided guidance on accessing these platforms.
Classes will begin at 8:10 a.m, as usual, and breaks and lunchtimes are included in the schedule. Each day will end with a period for health and wellness (in place of the traditional athletics block). Students will enjoy virtual Milk & Crackers (all-school) Meetings 3 times per week, as well as meetings with their advisors twice a week. Additionally, Office Hours — a time for students to get extra help from their teachers as needed — will take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
Click here for the Upper Campus Class schedule.
For additional details, please see Notes from OVS: Opening of School (Upper Campus), Mr. Floyd’s letter to students and parents, which can be found on our Covid Advisory and Updates page.
Details on distance learning for Lower Campus (grades PK-8):
The first day of school for Lower Campus will be Tuesday, September 1. The pickup day for school supplies is Friday, August 28 from 9 to 11 a.m.
With the exception of prekindergarten and kindergarten, Lower Campus students will begin the year with distance learning. Elementary students will utilize the Student Seesaw app, while middle schoolers will utilize the programs already pre-installed on the Chromebooks provided by the school.
Classes will begin at 8 a.m. and, in general, run through 3 p.m. (see individual schedules below for full details). Students will be provided with snack and lunch breaks, and will participate in their co-curricular classes, in addition to core classes.
For additional details, please see Notes from OVS: Opening of School (Lower Campus), Mrs. Clark’s letter to students and parents, which can be found on our Covid Advisory and Updates page.
• Primary (Prekindergarten and Kindergarten):
In Pre-K and Kindergarten, we are lucky to have the opportunity to provide in-person instruction at Lower Campus. Classes will run from 8 a.m. to 2:05 p.m, with Aftercare being an option as needed for working families until 4 p.m. (Families must sign up for this ahead of time.)
We have created outdoor classroom spaces and have plenty of room to spread out and learn safely. Summer camp taught us that even the youngest children can embrace the requirement of mask-wearing, take hand washing protocols seriously, and understand their role in keeping everyone healthy.
Box lunches will be served daily.
Sample schedule, Prekindergarten
• Elementary (grades 1-5):
In first through fifth grade, students will begin each day by logging into the Seesaw student application. Each day will begin with a virtual meeting at 8 a.m, and the meeting will remain open all day. When it’s time for a co-curricular class, the teacher will join the student meeting, and they will attend all of their courses as if they were at school. Tutoring and time for independent work are also built into the schedule. (See sample schedules).
We will be providing guided lessons to help families and students familiarize themselves with these online learning tools.
There will also be snack and lunch times in the schedule, and we encourage all families to adhere to those times.
Sample schedule, grades 4 and 5
• Middle School (grades 6-8):
Chromebooks will be provided to all middle schoolers. These will come pre-installed with all the necessary software and plugins, including Moodle, the main source for all content delivery and assignment submissions. Each day in middle school will start with a virtual advisory meeting at 8 a.m. Students will follow their schedules and utilize Moodle to join virtual meetings for each course.
Office hours and independent work time is scheduled at the end of
each day, and teachers are available for questions throughout these periods. Content will be delivered through lecture, discussion and a variety of digital tools that aim to recreate the classroom experience. We will be providing guided lessons to help families and students familiarize themselves with these online learning tools.
There will also be snack and lunch times in the schedule, and we encourage all families to adhere to those times.
