Dear Families,

Welcome to 1st grade at John McCandless STEM Charter! I hope you all
had a relaxing summer break and are ready to start your child back to school for a
year of learning, adapting, growing, and creating. My name is Dawn Archer and I
have the privilege of teaching your child this year. My love for teaching and
commitment to the education of students is why I chose to become a teacher. This
year marks my 23rd year as an educator, and my 13th year under Lincoln Unified.
In 2012, I completed my Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership & School
Development and Administrative Services Credential at Teachers College of San
Joaquin. I then made the move to JMC because I truly believe in the need for
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education and 21st Century
Learning within our students. I’m very proud to be a part of the JMC team and
such a purposeful learning environment!

First grade is a special time because it is where students become more

independent. They will be readers, writers, collaborators, thinkers, and builders. It
is amazing to see the amount of growth that students will demonstrate from the
beginning of the year to the end! I look forward to working with you and guiding
your child throughout this school year. Together we will partner in the fabulous
world of first grade!

Attached is some information about JMC and how our school year will
begin via Distance Learning. You will also find this information on our classroom
website archer1stgrade.weebly.com. The site provides a way for you to stay
connected to what is happening at school and in our classroom… so, be sure to
take a look! In addition, I will be inviting all families to join “Seesaw” for our
main link of communication between home and school. If you ever have any
concerns, questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can also
reach me through the school office at 888-0160 or by email at darcher@lusd.net.
My school office hours are 1:00-3:30. I’m very excited for our first grade year
ahead of us at John McCandless STEM Charter School!

Warmly,
Dawn Archer ☺
The school year as we know it will be different for many reasons. Although
beginning the school year with Distance Learning poses some challenges as to how
our school day will be conducted, it also provides tremendous opportunities for
learning and instruction. We thank you for your patience and support as we strive
to best navigate this unprecedented time…thank you. Here is some information to
take note of as we start the school year:

Classroom Learning & Communication

Google Meets: We will be using the platform Google Meets to provide live
instruction and interaction with our students. The Google Meet links will be
communicated to families in Seesaw. But, below is the link to our Google Meet on
the first day of school on August 6th and 8:00 am. Students will be required to
participate and attendance will be taken daily. The following list is our
expectations for students during our meeting times:

● Must remain in a quiet place during the meeting...no moving/walking around

with their device
● Listen, be respectful and pay attention when others are talking
● Use the mute button to block out background noise
● Use hand signals to make a comment, ask a question or use the bathroom
● Use appropriate voice, words and expressions
● Headsets are recommended
● Students are required to follow our school dress code

Archer Google Meet Link: meet.google.com/zzj-xumk-bvz ·

Vocker Google Meet Link: meet.google.com/hzp-qstc-rfx

Seesaw Class: This year we will be using Seesaw in first grade as a platform for
Distance Learning and Communication. Students will be able to engage in their
learning, access and complete assignments, use interactive tools, and submit work.
Students will not begin accessing Seesaw Class until Aug. 13th. We want to be able
to better share this resource with you during our family orientations.

Seesaw Family: This platform will be used as our main source of communication
with our JMC families. Included in this envelope you will find a Family Invite that
gives instructions for joining this platform. This will be necessary in being able to
keep you informed of notifications, updates, and information related to your child’s
learning. We thank you for helping us to build this important connection between
home and school.

Classroom Website:

1st grade classroom websites are resources that provide a way for you to stay
connected to what is happening at school and in our classrooms. In addition, they
offer additional resources for both students and parents.

Archer: http://archer1stgrade.weebly.com/

Vocker: https://kvocker.wixsite.com/grade1

New Location/Family Orientations/Materials Pick-Up

JMC has now moved to 915 Rosemarie Lane and we are very excited to finally
have one home for grades TK-8th! Family orientations will be held on campus the
week of Aug. 10th. During this time, we will meet with families 1-1 in order to
hand out needed materials and go over the Distance Learning components that will
be used within our classrooms. Meetings will take place August 10th-12th between
9:30-2:30. Use the link below to sign up for a Family Orientation time slot. You
can also access this link through the Seesaw Family app.

Archer
https://docs.google.com/document/d/173i8qx5LBziawdfrPd7IPxBIIUsOe8y5x9vn
qAPOA-Q/edit

Vocker

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ywIZGRUqpCChMA5Osl_fNesLepV4Yb4u
H97ZPOxoYnI/edit

JMC Distance Learning Virtual Orientation

Please access the link below to view JMC’s Back to School Virtual Orientation.
Here you will find important information regarding Distance learning within our
school community.
https://4.files.edl.io/09de/07/29/20/202440-dbcfc6bc-03c5-43df-8c66-
9bc2d75fc368.pdf

First Week of School

Our first week back to school will be a “soft” opening. This means that we will
take time with our students to slowly acclimate them into Distance Learning as we
start the school year. We will start each day with our students in a google meet
from 8:00-9:00 (see above section on Google Meets to find the link for our first
day). During this time, we will be doing activities that tie into Back to School,
Getting to Know One Another and Building Relationships. Once our morning
meetings have ended, students can then work on the daily activities that are
included in this packet. Students should also spend time reading or being read to
every day. We will move to a more structured schedule for Distance Learning
beginning Thursday, August 13th. Again, we thank you for your understanding,
patience and support as we adapt to beginning our year in first grade at a distance.

The First Grade Team,

Mrs. Archer & Miss
Vocker