Posted by: STEFTI Admin
Date: May 31, 2020
Thank you for your feedback on our recent announcement regarding our learning delivery approach for this school year. Many of you still have clarifications and we will try to answer them the best way we can (see section below). But on the onset, please allow us to share our sentiments first:
It is every parent’s wish, and any good school’s wish, that every child will get an education, and no child will be left behind.
No one wishes for a situation like COVID. But in a crisis like this, where daily face-to-face classes will endanger children, the parents and the school will have to do the harder work and explore solutions that may not be 100% convenient or accessible to all, but will at least meet the needs of majority of the students and families, based on the survey.
The school and staff are taking on extra effort and extra costs to develop Blended Learning. We wish there was more we could do to come up with a solution that meets every need of each child, based on every one’s different situation and background.
Our hearts are heavy, but at this point, that perfect solution is impossible to achieve. We know that if we wait for conditions to be perfect for everyone (students, parents and teachers), we will not be able to implement any solution, and we will end up serving no one at all.
It is tough, we know. But we refuse to be paralyzed by the situation. Let us give our children the best chance we can, and give Blended Learning a try.
And let us continue to pray that one day soon, the threat of COVID will have disappeared, and we will see ALL of our children back in school, freely playing, hugging and learning as before.
COMMON QUESTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS TO OUR FAQS ON BLENDED LEARNING:
Q. I have two kids in STEFTI, can they share the same PC or is it necessary to provide one PC for each? Thanks.
A. Taking into consideration that some families share a laptop or desktop, there will only be a scheduled day for each grade level when the whole class is expected to be online simultaneously with their teacher. We will still finalize the schedules for each grade level, but there is no need to provide one computer for each child. No two grade levels will have the same schedule for real-time classes.
For families who have students in STEFTI belonging to different grade levels, this will help you schedule the use of the desktop or laptop at home. For families with students in the same grade level, however, you may need to borrow an extra device but only for the synchronous online sessions.
Q: How long will the synchronous sessions last?
A. We consider the students’ attention span and the reliability of the internet connection in planning the length of the synchronous sessions. The synchronous (real-time) classes will range from 30 minutes to a maximum of 1.5 hours, depending on the grade level of the students.
Q: Do we need to be online or connected to the Internet ALL THE TIME for my child to participate in his/her online class?
A. No. Synchronous classes (done in real-time) will only be done once a week per grade level, and will last from 30 minutes to a maximum of 1.5 hours per session. Other lessons will be delivered asynchronously through video lectures, multimedia presentations, reading materials, etc. Most of these learning materials can be accessed and downloaded within a flexible time period (e.g. whenever your Internet connection is at its strongest) and can then be viewed or studied even when you are offline.
Q: Will Blended Learning also apply to the Nursery and Kindergarten students?
A. Yes, Nursery and Kindergarten students will also have Online Classes, and when it is safe to do so, they will also hold face-to-face classes in school.
Q: Will there be an option for online learning only if the parents are not comfortable with the face-to-face classes? Can my child just continue to do pure online learning throughout the school year?
A. We understand the apprehension of the parents with the face-to-face classes. Should you wish to have your child study through pure online learning only, the school will provide you with a copy of the lessons and activities covered by the teachers during the face-to-face classes. However, it will be the primary responsibility of the parents and guardians to ensure that their children/wards study and learn the concepts discussed in the physical classroom.
Q: I know of other children who are doing Homeschooling and they are not using textbooks. Why will you still use textbooks?
A. STEFTI is not offering a Homeschool Program, but an Online Learning mode of delivery. Many parents are confused between “homeschooling” and “online learning” and this is understandable, as they both involve learning from the comfort and safety of one’s home.
With Homeschooling, the parent acts as the teacher of the child. The parent prepares the lessons and materials, teaches the concepts, plans the activities and assessment, etc. The school and the teachers are not involved in planning the curriculum that the student will follow.
With Online Learning, the school prepares the curriculum content and delivers this to the student through an online Learning Management System (LMS). The teachers plan the activities, prepare the materials needed, deliver the lessons and give the assessment to the student. The coursework is accessed by the student through the LMS, and the LMS allows both the teachers and the parents to track the progress of the student.
The curriculum prepared by the teachers is based on the textbooks which comply with the K-12 competencies prescribed by DepEd. These textbooks are essential to the learning of the student while studying independently at home.
Q: Will there be snack breaks and lunch breaks? How will social distancing be ensured? Please take into consideration the drop off and pick up areas for the students, and please ensure that the adults/parents and guardians will not mingle with the students.
A. We will schedule staggered breaks so that students will not be in the canteen at the same time. Considering that only half of the population of each class is in school on any given day, this should minimize the number of students in the canteen.
Once students are back in school, we will implement additional protocols to ensure students observe strict physical distancing, both in and outside of the classroom. For example, concrete barriers like acetate separators will be added, and there will be a change in the physical layout of some areas in the school. Please refer to Page/Slide 4 of our FAQs for more details.
Q: Why is MAPEH still included in the subjects? Shouldn’t we just do away with it during this time?
A. MAPEH is included in the prescribed DepEd curriculum, and is just as important for the students as the other subjects. Learning about music, art, and physical education contributes to the well-rounded development of our children. We will follow the DepEd curriculum to ensure that our modules and lessons are aligned with the competencies prescribed by the DepEd.
Q: I would like to request if all my three children will have the same schedule during their face-to-face classes so that we can bring/get them from school together.
A. We will note this down when scheduling the face-to-face classes of the students. Siblings will be scheduled on the same days so it will be convenient and practical for the families.
Q. Would it be okay to hold synchronous sessions for young students during weekends? Our child is too young to know how to operate a laptop/desktop, not to mention internet connection troubleshooting. We are working parents and the schedules you have may not be possible for us.
Can there be a variety of schedules, and not just one fixed schedule for the real-time classes?
A. We recognize that young students need the assistance of the parents or guardians in setting up the computers, logging in online, etc. Older students may be able to do this on their own. We will take this into consideration when we schedule the synchronous sessions. This may mean that for some classes, the synchronous sessions are done during weekends. We will try to come up with a schedule that is feasible for majority of the students and their families.
Q. What would happen if we opt not to enroll for SY 2020-2021? Will my child still be able to enroll next school year?
A. Should you decide not to enroll your child in school this coming school year, your child will still be able to enroll next school year. However, it will be in the grade level immediately following the last one in which he or she was enrolled. This means if your child was in Grade 1 during SY 2019-2020, your child will be in Grade 2 when you enroll him or her for SY 2021-2022.
In closing:
The pandemic has brought us to this state, and it has forced us to make necessary adjustments. The school and the teachers are just as overwhelmed and apprehensive about Blended Learning as you, parents and guardians. We did not decide on this overnight. Since March, we have been exploring viable solutions that we hope will address the needs and interests of our students.
We listen to your sentiments and we hear you. We try to find ways to ease the burden. But, no matter how much modifications we make to our programs and schedules and guidelines, there will always be one, or two, or a few whose suggestions or demands will not be met. There is no one, perfect solution to all our concerns, and we will never be able to satisfy everyone.
That is why we request for everyone’s understanding and cooperation. We can only make this work for our children if we, the school and the home, continue to partner harmoniously. Please be assured that everything that STEFTI is doing is for the good of your children.
We truly appreciate those of you who have sent us messages or emails appreciating the efforts of the school. Your respectful and constructive input help ease our weary minds and bodies, thank you very much.
If you still have questions and concerns, you may send us a message here or email us at stefti2001@gmail.com. Let us all please be reminded to engage with one another respectfully and with courtesy.
