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Middle School Online

If we find that we cannot attend classes on campus, we will continue to focus on the development of our Middle School students. As students participate in virtual classes, content knowledge will continue to be presented across the disciplines while focusing on the skills needed to succeed in Upper School. Teachers will continue the interdisciplinary approach, tying lessons across subject areas to help students develop effective collaboration, communication and research skills.   

Online, students will continue to receive customized learning through daily one-on-one and small group time with their classroom teachers. Learning specialists will be available to work with those with learning plans, and our Counselor will be available for the social and emotional needs of all of our students.   

SCHEDULE 

Middle School is on a Two-Day Block Schedule Rotation of eight periods (four per day). Every student will experience seven, 90-minute academic courses during the two-day cycle. Math, English, Science, Social Studies, their Foreign Language, P.E. and Health, and an Elective.  Each grade level also has 1 Block reserved for Social and Emotional Learning Groups, Service-Learning Activities, Grade Level Meetings, or a study period. If there is no organized activity for this time block, students can make one-on-one appointments to meet with teachers during this time.

IN THIS SECTION

  • 7:45 – 8:15 a.m. – Teacher Office Hours
  • Students may use this time to reach out to individual teachers with questions. Teachers may offer review sessions for those interested on days of Summatives, or meet with groups who may need some guidance. 
  • 8:20 – 8:30 a.m. – Morning Advisory Check-In and Daily Focus discussion. 
  • 8:30-10 a.m. - Academic Block 1
    Every Academic Block will have a similar structure but focus on one of eight subjects. After the teacher goes over the day's lessons and objectives, they lead the class through a concept. Following direct instruction, students are then given an opportunity to practice and apply concepts just learned. To mirror classroom interaction as much as possible, this academic practice may take place in partner/small groups via virtual breakout rooms. As students practice, the teacher will move from group to group online to ensure students are on task and evaluate the students' level of understanding of the content. Finally, students will all join back together as the teacher leads a recap of the day's assignment and communication of expectations before the next class meeting. 
  • 10 – 10:15 a.m. – Break 
    Students are encouraged to take a break during a self-directed recreation period. They can turn their cameras and microphones off or stay and chat with each other to catch up and build their social skills. 
  • 10:15 – 11:45 a.m. – Academic Block 2
    Following the process for each academic period outlined under “Academic Block 1,” the student joins his or her instructor and classmates for the second block of the day.
  • 11:45-12:15 p.m. - Lunch
    Eating lunch together is a fun time for students, and students are encouraged to have lunch together in a virtual setting.  
  • 12:15-1:45 p.m. – Academic Block 3
    Following the process for each academic period outlined under “Academic Block 1,” the student joins his or her instructor and classmates for the third block of the day.
  • 1:45 -2 p.m.- Break 
  • 2 – 3:30 p.m. – Academic Block 4
    Following the process for each academic period outlined under “Academic Block 1,” the student joins his or her instructor and classmates for the final block of the day
  • 3:30 – 4 p.m. – Conferences
    Teachers available for scheduled one-on-one student support. 
  • 7:45 – 8:15 a.m. – Teacher Office Hours
    Sammi Pomeranian-Cooper, a 7th grader, logs into Mrs. Hoffman's early morning help session to prepare himself for his Formative on mitosis. He comes to the help session prepped with some questions that he came up with while reviewing the previous. 
  • 8:20 – 8:30 a.m.  – Morning Advisory Check-In and Daily Focus discussion.  
    Sammi logs into his Daily Focus lesson with Ms. Hammons. Today's discussion is focused on "Communication," one of the pillars of the International Baccalaureate's Learner Profile. Sammi is learning the impact of non-verbal communication. 
  •  8:30-10 a.m. - Academic Period 1
    Math - Sammi logs into his Math class, and Mrs. Spain begins the class with a mindful moment. Sammi practices 5-1-7 breathing techniques and gets focused for the lesson. Mrs. Spain introduces the day's objectives and lesson. Mrs. Spain uses the first 20 minutes of class teaching the new concept of Functions. Following her direct instruction, Sammi will be given an opportunity to practice and apply concepts just learned. To mirror classroom interaction, Mrs. Spain breaks the class up into partner groups via virtual breakout rooms. Mrs. Spain moves from group to group to ensure students are on task and evaluate their level of understanding of the content. Finally, students will all join back together as the teacher leads a recap of the day's assignment and communication of expectations before the next class meeting. 
  • 10 – 10:15 a.m. – Break
    Sammi's mom brought him a snack to his home, workstation and Sammi started his own conversation via TEAMS with 3 of his classmates talking about their latest performances on the PS4. 
  •  10:15 – 11:45 a.m. – Academic Period 2
    Sammi logs onto Ms. Warner’s English class and prepares his mind through his mindful moment.  Ms. Warner has the class begin by asking for a written response in the Chat feature to a question about last night’s assigned reading in “The Book Thief.” She reads the responses aloud and uses those responses as a springboard for a discussion of the book.  She randomly chooses Sammi to read a passage and then passes the task to another student in the class.  Ms. Warner then breaks the class into 3 breakout rooms where each group will extract an example of figurative language used in the text and prepare a presentation of the sample.  The class will come back to the main room and present their findings.   
  • 11:45-12:15 p.m. - Lunch 
    Mrs. Hoffman has put together a Lunch and Learn discussion with a parent expert on genetics. Sammi participates in a Q&A session with several classmates, while eating his lunch.   
  • 12:15-1:45 p.m. – Academic Block 3
    Sammi has Visual Art, his elective, scheduled for Block 3. He is studying perspective and is creating a 3-D drawing, which will reflect the height of a skyscraper. He began the class by watching a video on the concept of perspective, and then Mrs. Floyd did a live demonstration of the project they would begin. As students work independently on their drawings, Mrs. Floyd visits each of them individually to see the progress of their work and give feedback.   
  • 1:45 -2 p.m.- Break
    Sammi decides to turn his camera off and take a brain break on the couch to prepare the last class of the day. 
  • 2 – 3:30 p.m. – Academic Block 4
    Today, Sammi has Life Science for his final block of the day. Sammi logs into Mrs. Hoffman’s Life Science class and participates in a Mindful Music Moment.  Today’s lesson is a lab demonstration by Mrs. Hoffman on Mitosis.  She starts by explaining the concept of Mitosis and then explains they will identify the phases of mitosis through an Onion Cell Lab.  She gives the students an option of performing the lab in their kitchen (if they have an onion) or working through the Virtual lab provided on her resources.  She allows the students to break for 30 minutes to perform the lab and asks that they all return to the TEAMS meeting at 3 p.m. to discuss their findings.   
  • 3:30 – 4 p.m. – Conferences
    Sammi made an appointment with Ms. Warner to formulate an effective thesis statement about the main theme of "The Book Thief."   

 

While we are prepared to move every class to distance learning, we will only do so if ordered to by governmental mandate. Knowing that a Lausanne education is best experienced through in-person relationships, we're preparing for all students to return to on-campus classes the week of August 17, 2020. Across divisions, safety measures are being developed that address the Covid-19 pandemic unless the campus is ordered closed by local, state or the federal government. 

QUESTIONS OR CONCERN?

As we move ahead with planning, we know you'll have questions about specific areas. If you have a concern, let us know by sharing it with us here. It will be shared with the task force, and we'll try to address it as soon as possible.