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North Shore schools prepare for move to online learning

Ministry of Education says plans need to be in place by mid-April
Hollyburn virtual reality

“We’re working on it.”

That’s essentially the message to the families of about 20,000 North Shore public school students about how education will continue in the face of an indefinite school classroom closure.

Online programs like FreshGrade, Google Classrooms or Zoom sessions with teachers are likely to replace face-to-face instruction as school districts figure out virtual ways for students to stay engaged.

The Ministry of Education is largely leaving it up to local school districts to determine what kind of out-of-the-box learning will happen in their area, while setting mid-April as the time by which all school districts must have a plan in place.

Most school districts are preparing to move to some form of online learning.

West Vancouver schools superintendent Chris Kennedy hosted a livestream session on Friday to reassure families that planning has begun.

West Vancouver is fortunate, said Kennedy, in that the school district already has systems in place for students and teachers to communicate and submit projects and marks with the help of technology.

Although Kennedy cautioned in his livestream, “It won’t just be kids sitting in front of computers.”

According to the Ministry of Education, some school districts are also considering loaning equipment to students who need it.

Renee Willock, president of the West Vancouver Teachers’ Association, said West Van teachers each have a device – usually a laptop – provided by the school district and generally students from Grade 4 up bring their own technology to school. Each school also has Chromebook laptops to lend to students.

The North Vancouver School District appeared to be on a slower rollout of its plans for the coming weeks.

“We’re espousing the whole ‘patience is a virtue’ philosophy, by taking our time to make sure everyone feels supported as we navigate this uncharted territory,” said district spokeswoman Maria Spitale-Leisk. “We’re not expected to flip a switch this week and have instant online learning.”

First priority for both school districts has been setting up limited childcare to parents of essential service workers, such as medical staff. North Vancouver School District will be offering that to families who qualify at Boundary Elementary, said Spitale-Leisk. Figuring out what technology students have at home and how to support students who don’t have it is also one of the first tasks.

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Heather Nolan Wood, senior school vice-principal at Mulgrave School in West Vancouver, gets ready for the start of virtual class this week with new office colleagues Scout and Henrik - photo Mulgrave School

Meanwhile, private schools on the North Shore appear to have ramped up their online schooling faster.

Students at Mulgrave School in West Vancouver started their online classes on Tuesday.

That involved students checking in with their teachers as a class through Google Meets/Hangouts, as well as receiving assignments to complete offline, said Head of School John Wray. Younger students have been sent at-home learning packages by their teachers.

Wray said part of the reason Mulgrave was able to move to virtual learning so quickly was staff began planning for it two weeks before spring break. Another reason is that several staff have former colleagues in Asia who have already been through a school shutdown and have  adapted to online learning from home, he added.

Staff quickly contacted those teachers in Asia to learn from their experiences and get access to resources, he said.

Wray said he’s hoping public and private schools can share experiences and tips as both adapt to more virtual learning.