2020-21 Teacher Orientation Begins on Zoom
Submitted by Teresa Hendren in RCS Highlights on August 05, 2020
RCS is back! Admin, faculty, and staff kick off this week to start preparing for the 2020-21 school year! Our first day is coming soon (8/17) and we can’t wait to welcome students to our classzooms/classrooms! The theme verse for 2020-21 is in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” #GodsPurpose
In March, 2020, Alameda County schools shut down in response to a shelter-in-place order due to the novel coronavirus 2019 (“COVID-19”). Teachers and students were challenged to transition to teaching and learning online. Currently in August, 2020, Aameda County is on the California state monitoring list for COVID-19 outbreaks, and, therefore RCS will begin the school year online like in Spring, but with a long term mindset. Rather than prioritizing the end of the school year curriculum, teachers will need to establish classroom processes and culture, assess incoming students, and begin to teach essential standards of their class online.
Dr. Hearne kicked off the morning with encouragement from Nehemiah, affirmation of RCS teachers being “living curriculum” that get to both teach and inspire the young lives God has called to RCS, and a reminder that God has prepared us for the challenges this school year will reveal.
Furthermore, Dr. Hearne is referring to the men and women called to serve at RCS this school year as the “Second Generation of RCS Pioneers,” referring endearingly to the first generation of pioneers who founded the school in 1970, and now a second generation working to educate students to the RCS high academic standard in uncertain and changing circumstances.
The next 14 days will include both school-wide and campus Zoom meetings, classroom and classroom set up, and preparation for the school year. Professional development sessions will focus on a variety of topics to prepare for the unprecedented school year ahead, including topics such as teaching online and in classrooms (both exclusively and at the same time), determining essential standards and rigor for the school year, and supporting socio-emotional needs of students this school year.
