Gmail’s email layout

Make your emails and newsletters look professional with Gmail’s new email layouts! At the bottom of the window, click Layouts (table-like icon). Choose the layout you want to use and then change the images and buttons to craft your email. You can customize the styling by entering a Parkway logo and entering the color from Parkway Brand Standards Guide. For more directions about the email layout in Gmail, check out Google’s directions to create email with customized layouts.

Parent Pointer: Applied Digital Skills courses

What will you do this summer? Play this Mad Libs to find out!

Keep you and your family's digital skills sharp with Google’s Applied Digital Skills courses. The Applied Digital Skills curriculum consists of free resources designed to build digital literacy in education and for jobs. For example, you can have fun with digital arts and games by making Mad Libs such as the one above and making pixel art with Google Sheets. Or take virtual field trips and explore art from home by going on a scavenger hunt through Italy or exploring the History of Humankind in Kenya. Model positive digital citizenship by evaluating the credibility of online sources or understanding your digital footprint.

What digital skills will you learn this summer?

Teacher Tip: Grouping Tabs

written and produced by Kristen Harms// posted by Elegan

Are you a tab minimalist or a tab extremist?

This Google update will help both groups.

Parent Pointer: Connect to nature through technology

image from Wikipedia Commons

 

Connect to nature through technology

Happy Spring! Take time to get some fresh air and enjoy the beautiful weather. Integrate technology into your family’s outdoor experience to encourage an appreciation and a deeper understanding of the natural world.

iNaturalist

Take photos of plants, fungi, and animals (or even evidence of animals such as tracks, nests, shells, or skulls) and iNaturalist can help you identify these organisms. You can also connect with other scientists and naturalists who can help you learn more about nature. By recording and sharing your observations, you’ll create data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature. iNaturalist is a joint initiative by the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society. Thanks to the generous support of many organizations and individuals, it is FREE for anyone to use. iNaturalist is available on Google Play and Apple

Google Lens

Similar to iNaturalist, Google Lens can identify plants and animals from a photo. You can also take a self-guided architecture tour with Google Lens. Just take a picture of a building or a landmark and you can learn more about it. If you have Google Lens, be sure to look out for the Google Lens icon with the photo. Google Lens work slightly differently between Android and Apple devices. 

What are you waiting for? Go out, explore, and learn more about the world around you today with technology.

Fun online interactives - Iceberger and Thisissand.com

Iceberger

Icebergs float because they are less dense than water. But how much of the iceberg floats?

1. 10% (very little floats)

2. 50% (about half of it floats)

3. 90% (most of it floats)

4. Depends on the size and shape of the iceberg

Have your students predict the answer above and then test their predictions with this Iceberger simulation. Students can share their iceberg creations with others. After sharing, students can find patterns with their creations in order to justify the answer to the question above. This would be a great community-building activity while learning about density (sinking and floating), patterns, shapes, geometry, percentages, and more! So how do you think the iceberg (letter ‘E’) above will float? Test it to find out!

Thisissand.com

Thisissand is a unique playground for creating and sharing amazing sandscapes on your computer or mobile device. It’s free and easily accessible online, just click ‘Play Now.’ You do not need to create an account or sign in with Google or Clever. This could be a good community-building activity, having students share their creations with others and notice different patterns that can be made with falling sand. Or do it yourself and make it as your new Zoom background. Start pouring away to experience this special sand piling on your screen!

Organizing Online Content

Watch these 2 quick tips to get ideas on organizing online content.

Managing your Chrome bookmarks (submitted by Madysen Wilton at McKelvey Int)

Using Wakelet (submitted by Jenny Gray at Sorrento Springs)

Mindfulness Challenge: What I can and cannot control

There are things we can control and there are things we cannot. There are almost no circumstances in which you can’t control your health and fitness. Of course, there will always be something that can potentially get in the way, but you can accept, maneuver, and adapt.

This week, I challenge you to think of a few things you control. Then, think of a few things you can’t control. Share your list with the community or with a friend. Every day this week, remind yourself of those things at least three times.

For example, “I cannot control how busy and chaotic my day gets but I can control if I choose to turn it off at the end of the day and spend quality time with my family and less time zoning out on my phone.” or “I cannot control what people say to me or how they judge me, but I can control how I respond to them and if I choose to engage.”

If we get into the habit of always being aware of what we are and are not in control of, many excuses and obstacles disappear!

The 3 parts of this task are:

1. List 1-3 things you CAN control today and 1-3 things that are beyond your control.

2. Share with the community or a friend.

3. And finally, to really support the internal practice of mindfulness: Repeat to yourself at least 3 times a day what you can control and what you can’t.

Digital Valentine Jamboard Exchange

Valentine exchange may look different digitally on Virtual Campus, but it is still possible with Google Jamboard. A unique feature with Google Jamboard is that students can leave bright, colorful sticky notes. Check out the video above with the instructions below.

Instructions:

1. In your Google Drive, add a new Google Jamboard in order to make a Jamboard (‘whiteboard’) for each student. You can also use this set of 12 Valentine Jamboards to help you get started! (it will force you to make a copy of the Jamboards).

1. To make a copy of a Jamboard, click on the ‘snowman’ of the Jamboard and select duplicate.

2. After customizing the Jamboards for your class, change the share settings so that all students can edit. To do this, click the blue Share button at the top right-hand corner. Change the sharing to Parkway Schools and Editor. Click Copy link.

3. Share the Jamboard link with your students and have students leave sticky notes for their classmates. The sticky note tool is in the middle of the left toolbar.

    

4. On the day of the Valentine exchange, have students look at their Jamboard to see what others wrote.

   

Jerusalema Dance!

Jerusalema is a popular song and dance created by South African artists DJ Master KG and his sister Nomcebo Zikode. This is about bringing unity throughout the masses by song and dance with people of all walks of life. Play this video during a short break and dance with your kids! This is a fun way to get some movement during class and to build community. You don’t need a dance background. All you need to do is let the song and beat move you.

Free Printing from any St. Louis County Library

Do you like to keep a running record of students’ work? Do you want to print students’ work to display or deliver? The St. Louis County Library staff can print items from the internet or library services. You can also email files to a St. Louis County library branch for printing. They will email you when it is finished and ready for curbside pick-up. There is a limit of 60 pages per day for this service. Best of all, it’s FREE! For more information or to contact a St. Louis County Library branch, visit here.

School Chromebooks

School Chromebooks

Encourage your child to use school Chromebooks appropriately. Here are some tips:

• Keep Chromebooks and their chargers in family spaces (not bedrooms)

• Have conversations about appropriate internet use

• Talk to your child about the differences between personal devices and school devices

• Remind everyone that nothing online is ever secret or anonymous

What are school Chromebooks for?	What are school Chromebooks NOT for?
Activities assigned by the teacher (also known as schoolwork) Reading eBooks Research activities and projects assigned by the teacher Class Zoom meetings Communication with teachers Communication with other students IF working together on school projects	Movies, videos, and games NOT related to school Communication with students NOT related to school Researching topics NOT related to school Anything that the teacher did NOT ask you to do Anything that would NOT be acceptable to share with the class and teacher

Parent Pointer: Talking to Kids about Recent Events

In light of the recent events last week, remember that our kids are also trying to make sense of what they’re seeing and hearing. Kids are often more tuned into our emotions than we realize. As you are processing through family conversations and with the anticipated inauguration happening next week, here are some resources that might be helpful when talking with your children.

• Parkway teacher discusses Capitol chaos - video on kmov.com

• Talking to Kids about the Violence at the U.S. Capitol - Common Sense Media

• Promoting Compassion and Acceptance in Crisis - National Association of Psychologists

• When Bad Things are Happening - Teaching Tolerance

All of these resources focus on listening to the child and giving them a safe and brave place to share their emotions. We also have an excellent social-emotional and counseling team in Parkway who are always happy to support you in any way possible. We hope these tools help you provide the care, comfort, and answers our kids and teens need during these challenging and unpredictable times.

Technology Cleaning Instructions

 written by Kristen Harms/ posted by Elegan Kramer

The guidance below is provided by Dell Technologies. 

We understand customers may have questions about cleaning and disinfecting options for their Dell products. The guidance below applies to all Dell-branded PCs, monitors or display screen, docking stations, keyboards, and mice. 

1. We recommended you wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. 
2. Turn off the device you plan to clean and disconnect AC power. Also remove batteries from items like wireless keyboards. Never clean a product while it is powered on or plugged in. 
3. Disconnect any external devices. 
4. Never spray any liquids directly onto the product. 
5. Moisten a microfiber cloth with a mixture of 70% isopropyl alcohol / 30% water. The cloth should be damp, but not dripping wet. Excess moisture should be removed if the cloth is wet before wiping the product. Using any material other than a microfiber cloth could cause damage to your product. 
6. Gently wipe the moistened cloth on the surfaces to be cleaned. Do not allow any moisture to drip into areas like keyboards, display panels, etc. Moisture entering the inside of an electronic product can cause damage to the product. Excessive wiping potentially could lead to damaging some surfaces. 
7. When cleaning a display screen, carefully wipe in one direction, moving from the top of the display to the bottom. 
8. Surfaces must be completely air-dried before turning the device on after cleaning. No moisture should be visible on the surfaces of the product before it is powered on or plugged in. 
9. After cleaning or disinfecting a glass surface, it may be cleaned again using a glass cleaner designed for display surfaces following directions for that specific cleaner. We recommend you avoid glass cleaning products containing Ammonia. 
10. Discard the disposable gloves used after each cleaning. Clean your hands immediately after gloves are removed and disposed. Other cleaning chemicals are very harsh and will damage surfaces. 

Avoid using any of the following chemicals or products containing these chemicals: 

• Any chlorine-based cleaner, such as bleach 5 
• Peroxides (including hydrogen peroxide) 
• Solvents such as; acetone, paint thinner, benzene, methylene chloride or toluene 
• Ammonia (i.e. Windex) 
• Ethyl alcohol Using any of the chemicals listed above will cause permanent damage to some product surfaces. By following the steps outlined in this document, you can minimize the risk of damage.

Parent Tips for Winter Break

Written by Kristen Harms/ posted by Elegan Kramer

ACS International Schools wrote, “The anxiety of receiving online learning guidance, multiple resources (which although of the highest online quality, can never match the detailed and responsive learning offer that takes place in the school) managing their children’s responses, trying to give feedback and missing the ongoing dialogue with teachers, not to mention managing ‘working from home’.”  This is how they define “distance” for parents.

Remember that Virtual Campus and learning at school won’t look the same — and that’s okay. There is an unlimited amount of organic learning that can happen in daily family life and that this is a unique opportunity to prioritize home and family.  Some ideas to participate in over winter break that do not involve traditional schoolwork.  Play some board games with your kids (board games promote all sorts of academic and social-emotional skills!), read books with them and to them (ask them questions throughout), and talk! Have conversations with your children about their thoughts, fears, hopes, desires.  Integrate lessons into real-life activities and experiences. This makes learning more engaging and relatable. This could include having students follow a recipe to practice fractions or heat transfer.  It can also be an opportunity for students to shop for groceries with a budget.

Resources for Families

• FREE E-learning for Spanish Heritage Speaking Families in Dual

• Common Sense Media

• Everfi Remote Learning Activities

• Illustrative Mathematics Support

• Take a Code Break with Code.org

• Coronavirus Updates for Children that Learn Differently

Practicing Gratitude

 “Trade your expectation for appreciation, and the world changes around you”  -Tony Robbins

That never-ending mess you're always cleaning, that thing that always takes precedence over the finite things in life.

Life is finite. Time is finite. Time with loved ones is nonrenewable.

Routines and habits become part of the norm. Morning coffee, listening to the radio, the drive to work, or taking the kids to school.

However, there is much to be said about taking a pause to our day, to our routine.

To appreciate the fortune in our lives.

The absolute abundance we are so lucky to have.

In a world where comforts are the "norm," we have to actively remind ourselves how good our lives are.

The thought of losing those precious parts of our day is a sobering one.

There will be a final cup of morning coffee for us.

There will be the last chance for us to listen to the radio.

And if we are lucky enough to have kids, there will be the last time we get to wait in traffic as we drive them to soccer practice.

As Tony Robbins quotes, if we can remove expectations from the norm, and replace them with a sense of gratitude, our entire world changes.

As we start our day, what are three things that we are grateful for? Why are we grateful for them? How do they make us feel when we think about them?

Don't brush the surface - dig deep. An action of gratitude is one of the most powerful leverages we can take to improving our lives.

Thanksgiving and the holidays may look a little different this year. Just like how you created new classroom procedures and routines for this year, think of this as an opportunity to create and test new holiday traditions. Spend time with your loved ones safely and have a happy, healthy, and restful Thanksgiving break!