August 20, 2021 pmedia2 Covid-19, Education, Getready, News, Resumption

Welcoming Students Back to School During & After School Closures

Welcome Back to School, Students!

Someone once said, ”without teachers life would have no class.” In the age of school closures, hybrid, and remote learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this quote surely seems appropriate. As a teacher of K-12 students for the last year and a half, you know that your duties have gone way beyond your job description, as you wear many hats and play many roles that include coach, friend, therapist, and tutor.

So, when you welcome back your students after a school closure, what tips would be helpful to alleviate their fears and anxieties to make them feel more at home? To get more insight on what students and parents are dealing with, you can start with this Helping Your Child with Back to School Anxiety During Coronavirus lesson and read on to learn more about starting the school year off on the right foot.

A Warm Welcome Starts Right at the Door

Since you’re going to want your students to feel welcome and appreciated this year, why not greet them with a warm smile and a hello right at the door if instruction is being provided in person this semester? This simple act might:

Increase student engagement
Reduce unruly behavior
Set a positive tone

Asking Parents Questions

Since parents are most assuredly going to be asking you a lot more questions than normal at ”Back to School Night” this year, why not have a set of questions ready for them to help this process? Examples of questions you could ask include:

How can we get your child to not mind wearing a mask each day?
What are some things you can do at home to prepare your child for class?
What can I do to make you feel more comfortable sending your child to my classroom?
What can you as parents do to add value to my classroom teachings this year?
What does your child enjoy most about coming to school each day?

Masks, Masks, Masks!

Now, there is no masking the fact (pun intended) that students are going to love wearing masks about as much as you announcing a surprise math quiz. One thing you can do is try to make the entire process sort of a fun game. Since children all the way from kindergarten through high school love superheroes, you can remind them that many of their favorite action stars wear masks too.

You can even have contests and allow your students to design their own superhero masks. If that doesn’t strike their fancy, children could create face masks with animals on them. Some students are even designing masks that look like their own faces!

The Elephant in the Room

Let’s move right on to the unavoidable subject! Regardless of whether children are returning to school online or in person, they are going to want to talk about the coronavirus. Should you talk about the pandemic with children? This decision will probably end up being determined by each school district. If you are allowed, be candid with your students and address any pressing concerns. You are probably going to spend a lot of extra time talking to parents too, as the latter will want to be reassured that their children are going to a safe and effective learning environment each day.

Discipline and Structure: More or Less?

When your students begin classes via distance learning or in person, at first your tendency may be to go easier on them because of all that they have been through this year. However, you may find that you will want to actually be a bit more disciplined and structured in your classroom. Students may test your limits and see what they can ”get away with” due to a relaxed atmosphere.

Getting Along With Other Teachers

When you welcome students back to school, as a teacher you will want to set a fine example of someone who is calm and in complete control. In that case, it is a good idea to avoid getting into arguments with other teachers about the coronavirus.

After all, every educator is going to have differing opinions about the state of affairs of the world and what is the best way to ”cure” them. A better option would be to meet with fellow teachers and ask the question, ”how can we all work together this school year to make life better for all of our students?”

Make a Video

This is the digital age, so making a ”Welcome Back” video won’t be too difficult for you if you can’t meet with students and parents in person. You can then share it online where everyone can view it. Don’t forget to mention the coronavirus pandemic and how you will make adjustments to allow for a positive experience this school year.

Online Extracurricular Activities

Lastly, you are going to want the students to get involved as much possible in your school, but they aren’t going to be allowed to meet in large groups. One great idea is to hold online extracurricular activities. See what creative ways students, parents, and teachers can work together to design fun concepts.

Supplemental Learning

A large concern among teachers and parents is how prepared students will feel coming back to the classroom after remote learning. Some subjects may have been more difficult for some students to stay on track and make progress in their studies. As part of welcoming back students, more thorough assessments on where students are at with each subject can help you understand which students need help the most.

One way to promote learning and help students get caught up is with supplemental online tutoring and learning opportunities. For example, in science and math, students can brush up on introductory biology or algebra topics.

You can also recommend tutoring for students such as a math tutoring service and engage parents in the conversation to get their student up to speed.

The start of the school year – especially after Covid closures – is a great time to assess your students and provide supplemental learning opportunities.

Lesson Summary

Welcoming students back to school after a school closure can be a tense situation, but with some positive strategies and tactics you can make it a good year for your students. It is not a bad idea to greet each student with a smile and a greeting at your classroom door if you’ll be teaching classes in person. If permitted, talk frankly with students about the coronavirus. Compile a list of questions to help parents with this transition back to school. Try to make wearing masks a fun experience for the students. Consider having slightly more discipline and structure this school year, and set a good example by not arguing with other teachers. Finally, also consider making a ”Welcome Back” online video and holding online extracurricular activities for students.

Resource from Study.com

August 20, 2021 pmedia2 Covid-19, Education, Getready, News, PFSchools, Resumption

Helping Your Child with Back to School Anxiety During Coronavirus

How Do I Help My Child Cope With Anxiety?

Author Karen Salmansohn once wrote ”no amount of anxiety can change the future.” Indeed, these words certainly seem applicable to the coronavirus pandemic as we all struggle with the prospect of the upcoming school year, regardless of whether students will learn in a brick-and-mortar setting or remain home and learn remotely.

And if parents are anxious and fearful of what lies ahead, just imagine what is going through our children’s minds!

However, children can be stronger and more adaptable than we think sometimes. Therefore, it is up to us to instill in them both confidence and self-efficacy so they can cope with anxiety and make the most of their educations.

Identifying Anxiety

To start with, if you’re going to help your child cope with anxiety, you must first identify the condition. The lesson titled What Is Anxiety? – Definition, Symptoms & Causes goes into greater detail, but some initial signs to look for include:

Bursting into tears for no apparent reason
Changes in eating habits
Changes in sleeping habits
Clinginess
Headaches
Lack of concentration
Negative comments
Quickness to anger
Restlessness
Stomachaches

Preparation Tips

For students who are nervous about on-site school, rehearse the trip to school by walking the actual route a couple of times or driving the school bus route with your student. If your teen drives to school, allow them to traverse the route and even find a parking space. Go over where your child will hang their coat, where they will eat lunch, and when they will be allowed to use the restroom.

For students who are nervous about online school, design a schedule so they can actually ”see” what is going to happen during the week. Before you even start, use Skype or Zoom to do a practice run to make them feel more comfortable with software used by their school.

People tend to fear the unknown, so by addressing as many variables as possible, you can reduce the entire family’s anxiety to manageable levels. Further, you can gently guide kids through an anxiety-producing situation by telling a ”social story”, which explains how things will take place. Don’t be afraid to be honest with children and ask if they have any questions or pressing concerns that are bothering them.

Multi-tasking Versus Mono-tasking

Have you ever witnessed your child studying while they were simultaneously watching television, typing on a laptop, and talking on a cellphone to a friend? Admittedly this talent is impressive, but some scientific research now suggests multi-tasking can cause a host of negative side effects, including anxiety, fuzzy thinking, and even IQ drops.

On the other hand, mono-tasking involves doing only one task at a time until it is completed. Studies suggest this methodology can actually result in reduced anxiety, sharper thinking, and increased concentration levels. Whether your student is learning entirely from home or tackling homework after school, encourage your children to focus on one task at a time.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Sometimes it’s not so easy to just tell others to relax and not be anxious. If that is the case, meditation and mindfulness may be the ticket to help you and your child deal with the stressors of the coronavirus outbreak. Mindfulness is based on the concept of ”living in the moment” as well as being aware and conscious of things around you.

One simple mindfulness exercise to help your student relax involves squeezing and releasing each muscle in the body. They hold each muscle tight for a few seconds and then move on to the next one. Additionally, instead of rushing through their next meal and looking at their cellphone while eating, they could chew slowly and enjoy the experience, observing and smelling their food first, and taking a few seconds between each bite.

They can also meditate with their eyes open, half-closed, or closed. Advise them to sit with as little stress as possible on the body and avoid letting their mind race back to all the stressors of the day. Instead, they can focus on a pleasant spot like a quiet beach setting.

Exercise

While there are many choices for exercise that may reduce anxiety, many experts believe any aerobic exercise that elevates the heart rate is an ideal choice. Help your child aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise at least three times per week. Good choices include:

Cycling
Dancing
Jogging
Swimming

Still another option for reducing anxiety is a series of yoga poses. Make sure your student starts out with the beginner poses first and doesn’t push to the point of injury.

Music

Which music is right for you and your children to reduce anxiety? That’s not an easy question to answer because everyone’s mind and body are unique, and when it comes to music everyone has personal tastes. However, many scientists feel certain songs are more relaxing and soothing than others. Two popular suggestions include ”Weightless” by Marconi Union and ”Electra” by Airstream. Many people respond well to classical or jazz music, and it is probably best to avoid fast-paced music with heavier beats. Still another choice is to listen to soothing music with the sounds of ocean waves, waterfalls, or rain added in the background.

Don’t Try to Navigate Anxious Waters Alone

The last thing you want to aim for during these troubled times is to try and go it alone, as trying to do too much will almost certainly increase your own anxiety levels. After all, in the computer age you have plenty of social media connections to stay in touch with others. You will want to stay connected with your children, other parents, teachers, physicians, and other people in your community. Remember, they are feeling anxious and stressed too.

Seeking Professional Help

If all else fails, there is absolutely no shame in a child (or parents) seeking professional help for dealing with excessive anxiety. If you are sheltered in place at home, the burgeoning field of telepsychiatry may be something to consider. Before the school year even gets underway, it might not be a bad idea to go online and learn about some of your telehealth options for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

Resource from Study.com

August 20, 2021 pmedia2 Education, Getready, PFSchools, Resumption

How to Get Ready for School

Getting into a routine of preparing for school the day and night before makes getting up and getting ready in the morning much easier. Getting ready for school doesn’t just involve waking up and getting dressed. It also includes getting your assignments done, organizing your school supplies, and having a good attitude as you start the day. By preparing in advance, you’ll have more time in the mornings to sleep in or eat breakfast, and you won’t be as rushed or stressed so your school days will always be off to a good start.

Part1

Preparing the Night Before

Pick out your clothes. If you pick out your clothes the night before, you’ll save yourself a lot of time in the morning. Choose clothes that you’ll feel comfortable in throughout the day. If it’s cold out, remember to select layers so that you can put on a jacket or sweater if you need to.
- If you wear a uniform to school, you can still lay it out so that you’ll know where it is and can be sure you have a clean uniform ready to go.
- Make sure your clothes fit within any dress code that your school may have.
- Lay the clothes out on a chair or dresser so that you can find them easily.
Take a shower. Showering every day is part of good hygiene. By showering at night, you wash away any sweat or dirt that’s accumulated during the day. You’ll wake up feeling fresh and ready to go, and you won’t need to spend time showering in the morning.
- If you need to do something to your hair at night, make sure to take care of this, as well. Some people sleep in curlers or tie their hair up in a rag at night.
- Make sure to also brush your teeth and take care of any other matters of personal hygiene as well.
Pack your backpack. Double check that all of your books and homework are in your backpack. There’s nothing worse than getting to school and realizing that you’ve left a permission slip or an assignment at home. Look through all of your papers and your calendar to make sure you have what you need.
- You can ask your parents to double check your backpack and make sure you didn’t forget anything. Sometimes they might be able to help you remember something that you forgot.
Set your alarm clock. Make sure you set your alarm clock to when you want to wake up. Allow 10-15 minutes more than you think you need for your morning routine. This will ensure that you have plenty of time and can get ready without feeling rushed.
- If you’re used to pushing the snooze button a lot, you’ll want to set your alarm clock for even earlier, to allow for some snoozing.
- Check to make sure that your alarm clock works before you rely on it!

Part2

Getting Ready in the Morning

Wake up. This one is often more easily said than done. Try your best to get up when your alarm first goes off. Get out of bed as soon as you can. This will help your body and mind to wake up and will help you avoid falling back to sleep.
- It is better for your level of alertness to wake up after the initial alarm goes off. Using the snooze feature doesn’t help you wake-up.
Eat breakfast. Eating breakfast helps you wake up and feeds your brain with energy for your day of school. Try to eat something packed with protein and some complex carbohydrates to keep your energized until lunch.
- Morning protein sources can be eggs, breakfast meats, yogurt, or milk or a milk alternative like soy or almond milk.
- Reach for whole grain toast or cereal such as oatmeal or muesli. Fruit is packed with fiber, which is important to a healthy diet as well.
- There are many breakfasts that you can make in large batches at night and freeze for quick reheating in the morning.
Practice good hygiene. Brush your teeth well and floss if that’s part of your routine. You can also wash your face, brush your hair, and do anything else that’s part of getting ready to start your day.^[7]
- Some people wear makeup or put products in their hair before school.
- If you wear contacts or a retainer, you may need to have special routines dedicated to cleaning and putting in those items.
Get dressed. Put on the clothes that you laid out the night before. Look in the mirror to make sure that everything looks right. You can make adjustments if you need to, but don’t get caught up creating a whole new outfit. You’ll start to run behind.
- Check the weather when you get up. You may need to pack an extra sweater or a raincoat if there’s bad weather that you didn’t plan for.
Take everything you need. Hopefully, you’ve already assembled your backpack full of necessities and either packed a lunch or prepared to buy lunch. Gather what you need and double check that you have everything.^[9]
- It can be helpful to designate one place in your house where you keep your backpack, lunchbox, coat and shoes. That way, you have everything in one place in the morning.
- Check with your parents to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.
Head out the door. You might be getting a ride, walking, or catching a bus (local or school). However you get to school, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get there. You can’t control if the bus is late, but you can control whether you’re on time to catch the bus.
- If you woke up 10-15 minutes before you absolutely needed to, you should have a little extra time.
Resource From WikiHow

Stop forcing under-age children into secondary school

July 10, 2021 pmedia2 Lagos State Education, News, OEQA, Resumption

Lagos Releases Harmonised 2021/2022 Academic School Calendar

In line with its mandate to ensure a harmonized academic school calendar for both public and private schools in Lagos State, the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA) has released the approved school calendar for the 2021/2022 academic year.

A statement by the Public Affairs Officer of OEQA, Mr Olaniran Emmanuel, said the calendar was arrived at during a stakeholders’ meeting comprising school administrators, members of various private schools associations, proprietors and representatives of the state Ministry of Education.

“The purpose of the academic calendar is to ensure that students spend productive learning hours in the classrooms and to serve as a pre-emptive measure in planning for unforeseen events.

“The approved 2021/2022 harmonized school calendar, would ensure that schools are held accountable on the same standards bearing in mind that the pandemic and other emergencies have facilitated the need to create proactive policies and embed flexibility in schools.

By Clever Advertising

“The academic calendar has reflected the introduction of Staff Professional Development for all schools prioritizing a Five-Day capacity development for teachers prior to the first week of resumption.

“As schools will be resuming for the First Term (2021/2022 academic session) on Monday 13th September 2021, the Lagos State Government through the OEQA has reassured stakeholders of prioritizing harmonized instructional days of learning for all schools in the state,” the statement read.

January 21, 2021 pmedia2 Education, News, Resumption

Characteristics of the best school

What are the characteristics of the best schools?

We explore what makes some schools the best schools.

Every now and then the question does occur to me, as it should to you, exactly why is it that I think a certain school is one of the best schools. Inevitably I have to conclude that the best schools have all of the following characteristics. What’s more, they have them in abundance. Now, before you start thinking that I am only talking about older established schools, that ain’t necessarily so. I am aware of a couple of newer schools that fit neatly into the category of best schools simply because they have all of the characteristics explained below. So let’s take a look at what I think the traits of the best schools are.

Great leadership

The best schools have strong, dynamic, dedicated leaders. They are led by women and men who have a clear vision of what they plan to accomplish. They also have the experience to execute their plans in order to achieve that vision. The head of the best school is a superb fund-raiser. She is a capable administrator. She leads by example. She expects the best from everybody in her school community.

The solid support of the trustees

I know of several schools which could have been great. But they never made it because their fractious board of trustees kept getting in the way of progress. Change is never easy. But oftentimes it seems that boards have a rather difficult time with change. That always surprises me because most board members tend to come from business backgrounds. You would think that they would understand that change is inevitable. Better that they should be guiding the changes and ensuring their success than sitting there being intransigent and rebellious. When the head of school tries to bring the school in line with all sorts of variables such as changing demographics, a reduced applicant pool, an underperforming endowment, and so on, the board needs to work with her and develop a plan to manage change. In the best schools, the board leads the charge. Cheerfully and capably.

Strong financial backing by their graduates

In so many ways a school is only as good as the financial backing its graduates provide. While every head of school dreams of that unexpected $25 million bequest, the reality is that you need to cultivate your graduates. Regular communications, alumni events, homecoming, and reunion weekends all have to be part of the mix in order to generate a strong financial response from your graduates.

Stellar faculty

At the heart of the best schools’ mission is first-rate teaching. That requires well-educated, well-trained professional teachers who are passionate about what they are teaching. They are also passionate about teaching young people. That kind of teaching is right up there with a calling in my opinion. It requires focus and patience which is not often required in other branches of the profession such as, for example, adult education. I have taught both groups. I always find that adults are in the classroom because they want to get ahead by earning some credits or a diploma. Young people, teenagers, in particular, are in such a state of flux that the professional focus and patience which we bring to our work is essential. It is a hallmark of the faculty at the best schools.

Extensive academics

Interestingly enough, extensive academics does not mean lots of AP courses or even an IB curriculum in my opinion. I feel very strongly that course content is important. But it is equally important for young people to have lots of subjects to explore. They can do that at the best schools. The approach may differ from school to school but in just about every case I can think of the best schools offer lots of subjects for their students to explore.

This video from The Latin School of Chicago describes its fine corps of teachers.

Extensive athletics

As I have mentioned at great length in several other articles about private schools, athletics are just simply part of the program. They are not optional. They are designed to teach young people the values of competition, teamwork and respect for others. Wait! Aren’t those the same things that are being taught across the academic side anyway? Yes. That’s an integrated approach to educating the whole child. The best schools are really good at teaching those values.

Extensive extracurricular activities

Tied in with extensive academic and athletic offerings are the extracurricular activities. The best schools will offer a host of activities. Some will be fairly recent additions to the extracurricular activities roster. Others will be perennial favorites. Because the extracurricular activities in a private school are guided and supervised by a member of the faculty or staff, they function at a high level at the best schools.

Superb facilities

The best schools have truly remarkable facilities. I have in mind a smallish Montessori school and a rather grand old, established boarding school. The little Montessori school is the best school in my opinion because it takes the ideals and principles of Montessori education to a level far above anything else I have seen. Everything you would expect is there.

On the other end of the spectrum, the boarding school is housed on hundreds of acres of beautiful property. It has athletic facilities which would rival the facilities found at many universities. Its learning centers and classrooms invite you to be a part of the discussion and learn.

Both the little Montessori and the larger boarding school are accomplishing the same purpose, aren’t they? They are creating an atmosphere in which children can explore. An atmosphere in which order and beauty abound allows a child to feel safe and to dream. The best schools encourage dreaming. Creativity is an essential part of the mix in the best schools. Superb facilities create the backdrop against which such things can indeed happen.

Graduates accomplish things

Go back and review what the graduates of the best schools have accomplished. Greatness was expected by the best schools. The graduate will live up to those expectations. Students at the best schools didn’t just get by. They wanted to do their best. By exerting themselves they accomplished more than they could have ever imagined.

At Potasfield Schools, all listed points make our school stand out over time to be one of the best schools because they offer not one or two of the characteristics on the list above.

January 16, 2021 pmedia2 #EndSARS, News, Resumption

BREAKING NEWS: Lagos affirms resumptions on January 18, 2021

The Lagos State Government has affirmed its earlier pronouncement that all public and private schools in Lagos State below tertiary level should resume on Monday, January 18, 2021, for the second term 2020/2021 academic session.

This was contained in a press statement by the Head, Public Affairs, Ministry of Education, Kayode Abayomi, titled, ‘Lagos affirms schools’ resumption date of Monday, 18th January 2021′.

The statement quoted the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, as saying that “the resumption is in line with the Federal Government’s resolution after reaching a consensus with relevant stakeholders.”

Adefisayo also urged students and members of staff to “stay safe and adhere strictly to COVID-19 guidelines”, adding that “schools must provide soap, wash hand basin, alcoholic hand sanitizers, thermometers, and other essential items in public and private schools across the State”.

She stressed that washing of hands, wearing of face masks, and maintenance of social distancing must be adhered to in order to avoid further spread of the virus.

“All schools must ensure strict compliance with subsisting COVID-19 requirements for school’s resumption. Administrators of both public and private schools are expected to ensure full compliance with the guidelines for school’s re-opening in their respective schools as the State’s Office of Education Quality Assurance Team will be on the ground to monitor situations in all schools across the State,” she added.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has imposed a 24-hour curfew on the state effective 4pm Tuesday (today).

The governor made this known in a statement while lamenting that the protests against police brutality and extrajudicial killings had morphed into violence.

He said, “I have watched with shock how what began as a peaceful #EndSARS protest has degenerated into a monster that is threatening the well-being of our society. Lives and limbs have been lost as criminals and miscreants are now hiding under the umbrella of these protests to unleash mayhem on our state.

“As a government that is alive to its responsibility and has shown a commitment to the movement #ENDSARS, we will not watch and allow anarchy in our dear state.

“I, therefore, hereby impose a 24-hour curfew on all parts of the State as from 4pm today, 20th October, 2020. Nobody, except essential service providers and first responders must be found on the streets.”

The #EndSARS protests rocking the country have continued for almost two weeks with youths calling for a lasting reform of the Nigeria Police Force.https://frontend.1worldonline.com/widget/smart3-5eae359d.html#!/widget/9b0ba25c-5faa-433c-af72-a94897eb2780&type=widget&code=9b0ba25c-5faa-433c-af72-a94897eb2780&mode=smart3&token=9b0ba25c-5faa-433c-af72-a94897eb2780-1&location=https%3A%2F%2Fpunchng.com%2Fbreaking-endsars-lagos-declares-24-hour-curfew%2Fabout:blank

All entreaties by politicians and business leaders for the youths to leave the streets failed as they block major highways, thereby, causing gridlock and affecting economic activities.

Suspected hoodlums had also hijacked the #EndSARS campaign in some cities, wreaked havoc on citizens and vandalised public assets in Lagos, Benin, Abuja, amongst other major cities.

All entreaties by politicians and business leaders for the youths to leave the streets failed as they block major highways, thereby, causing gridlock and affecting economic activities.

Suspected hoodlums had also hijacked the #EndSARS campaign in some cities, wreaked havoc on citizens and vandalised public assets in Lagos, Benin, Abuja, amongst other major cities.

The Lagos State Government has ordered the closure of public and private schools in the state indefinitely.

This was announced in a press statement by the state’s Head of Public Affairs, Ministry of Education, Kayode Abayomi, on Monday.

The statement was titled, ‘Lagos directs students to stay at home’.

It quoted the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, as saying that the schools were shut down over “tension generated by the anti-SARS protests.”

The PUNCH reports that academic activities were affected in some schools in the state on Monday as protests against police brutality and bad governance continue.

The statement read in part, “The Lagos State Government has directed all pupils/students in public and private schools to stay at home following the tension generated by the anti-SARS protests.

“A new date of resumption for all classes will be announced as soon as possible.”

Adefisayo added that “the safety of the pupils/students, parents and all staff working in schools is paramount at this critical period”.

She however advised parents to “keep an eye on their wards and not allow them to be used as willing tools in the hands of those who might want to hijack the protests to unleash mayhem on the society”.

The Commissioner also encouraged schools to “utilise other means of distance teaching and learning i.e radio, television and online media as they have been doing during and post the recent COVID-19 lockdown”.

Source from Punch

October 19, 2020 pmedia2 Covid-19, News, Resumption

BREAKING NEWS: Lagos orders closure of schools over #EndSARS protests

The Lagos State Government has ordered the closure of public and private schools in the state indefinitely.

This was announced in a press statement by the state’s Head of Public Affairs, Ministry of Education, Kayode Abayomi, on Monday.

The statement was titled, ‘Lagos directs students to stay at home’.

It quoted the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, as saying that the schools were shut down over “tension generated by the anti-SARS protests.”

The PUNCH reports that academic activities were affected in some schools in the state on Monday as protests against police brutality and bad governance continue.

The statement read in part, “The Lagos State Government has directed all pupils/students in public and private schools to stay at home following the tension generated by the anti-SARS protests.

“A new date of resumption for all classes will be announced as soon as possible.”

Adefisayo added that “the safety of the pupils/students, parents and all staff working in schools is paramount at this critical period”.

Source from Punch

September 20, 2020 pmedia2 News, Resumption

LASG RELEASES 2020/2021 ACADEMIC SESSION CALENDAR

The Lagos State Ministry of Education, Office of Education Quality Assurance has released the approved Lagos State school calendar for year 2020/2021 session.

According to the time table, both public and private schools below tertiary level will resume First Term academic activities on Monday 21st September, 2020 while the term runs through Friday 18th December, 2020. The Second Term starts on Monday 4th January, 2021 and runs through Friday 16th April, 2021 while students will resume for Third Term on Tuesday 4th May, 2021 and close on Friday 6th August, 2021.

While enjoining all public and private schools in the state to adhere strictly to the harmonised school calendar, the Director General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Mrs Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, urged school leaders to have a qualitative health and safety plan that will help protect students, teachers and workers as schools reopen in the state.

According to her “it is not enough to reopen but to keep staying opened since some schools all over the world had to shut down after reopening due to a spike in the pandemic. All schools must make efforts to comply with these requirements, not just for the improvement of the overall school operations but for safe reopening for academic activities to support the Lagos State Government quest for a full return”.

While advising schools to have a flexible teaching and learning plans where students and teachers who feel sick can teach or learn from home via available online platforms, Mrs. Seriki-Ayeni said schools must strive to avoid any COVID-19 infection in their school.

Mrs Abiola Seriki-Ayeni further advised that teachers, students and visitors must wear face mask at all time, observe physical distancing, regularly wash hands with soap under running water and maintain high standard of personal hygiene in the school premises. She emphasized that schools must have an isolation/holding bay to care for medical emergencies should students come up with symptoms such as cough, headache, catarrh, difficulty in breathing, sneezing and fever.

She also said further measures put in place by the Lagos State Government through the Office of Education Quality Assurance is for public and private schools in Lagos State to register online with the OEQA, take the School Self-risk Assessment, take the online training course to obtain reopening clearance for academic activities on the OEQA website: www.oeqalagos.com.

According to her, this will help the Office of Education Quality Assurance to determine the level of preparedness as well as guide schools on what they need to put in place for a safe reopening. She implored school leaders to embrace new learning style like outdoor classes, staggered attendance, platooning or alternative attendance among others in collaboration with parents in a safe and secure environment.

OLANIRAN EMMANUEL
HEAD, PUBLIC AFFAIRS
OEQA

September 19, 2020 pmedia2 News, Resumption

SCHOOL RE-OPENING

We wish to inform you that our school will apply phased re – opening.

This means only our Upper Primary classes ( Basic 4 to Basic 6) will be returning on Monday 21st September, 2020.
While our Lower Primary (Basic 1 to Basic 3) will be joining them on Wednesday 23rd of September, 2020.
Our Creche, Playgroup and Nursery classes will be re-opening whenever the State Government announces their resumption.

Meanwhile Our Nursery Two class will join us after three weeks of re-opening (i.e. after conclusion of revision and exams for previous term) to commence their first term in Basic 1.

Every child is expected to come with their face-mask. Please note that, no face-mask no entrance into the school premises.

Further to the directive from the LASG and after much deliberation on our part including the PTA Chairmen, we wish to inform our beloved Parents that the College will reopen in phases. This is to enable the school gradually but adequately carter and adjust accordingly in terms of space, timetable, resources, etc. It will also enable us to fine tune the effectiveness of all our laid down protocols.

The adopted staggered reopening process is as follows:

JSS 3 & SS 2 to resume on Monday 21st September 2020 in line with LASG public school directive
ALL OLD Students to resume Wednesday 23rd September, 2020.
ALL NEW INTAKES to resume on Monday 28th September, 2020

BUS SERVICE
Our bus services will resume on Wednesday 23rd of September,2020.
Please we are appealing to our Parents involved to bear with us and assist in bringing their children and wards to and from school.

SCHOOL PERIOD

Our school period for now will be 8 AM – 2 PM Mondays to Fridays.

SCHOOL FEES
The school fees advice slip for the term will be available for collection from Monday.

Every student is expected to come with their face-mask. Please note that, no face-mask no entrance into the school premises.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMME
We would be operating in line with the Lagos State Government directives that stipulates schools should run a three week review of the 3rd term work and conduct promotion exams before starting first term work of the 2020/21 academic session. This means no automatic promotion to the next class and our school will adhere to this instruction.

Our first and second Continuous Assessment Scores (CAS) would be used to prepare their second term results which they didn’t write because of the mandatory closure of the school by Federal Government in March.

Please note that all the COVID-19 Pandemic protocols must be strictly adhered to. Please if your child/ward is feeling sick let him or her stay at home until he/she recovers fully.

BOARDING FACILITIES
Please the Boarding Facilities will be open as from Monday, 28th September, 2020

Thank you for your continuous cooperation and patronage.

September 11, 2020 pmedia2 Covid-19, Resumption

LASG announces phased resumption for public, private schools

The Lagos State Government on Sunday announced plans for both public and private schools resumption after the lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, said in a statement that both public and private schools were to reopen for a new 2020/2021 academic session.

”We also wish to congratulate SS3 students who have successfully completed their WASSCE exams and urge them to stay safe even as they await their results,” Adefisayo said.

She said that for the public schools, the ministry would be adopting a phased approach to opening the schools.

According to her, this phased approach to opening will enable public schools meet COVID-19 social distance rules and safety protocols.

”This will help us watch the behaviour of the pandemic as we gradually open up our schools.

”The present JS3 and SS2 students in public schools in the state are to resume classes from Monday, 21st of September, 2020.

”The resumption will permit the present JS3 students who are already in an exit class to revise and get adequately prepared for their forthcoming Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) organised by the Lagos State Examination Board.

“It is scheduled between Tuesday, 6th and Monday, 12th of October, 2020. The resumption will also afford the present SS2 students an opportunity to prepare effectively for their transition to SS3,” she said.

The commissioner said that the scheduled dates and venues for Entrance Examination into Lagos State Model Colleges would soon be announced by the State Examination Board.

Adefisayo assured parents that announcements for opening of the other classes would occur as soon as the state government was certain of their safety.

She said that in the meantime, the unopened classes in public schools would continue their lessons on the various distance learning platforms (Online platform, radio, television and WhatsApp).

She added that the next phase for physical resumption would be announced in due course.

Adefisayo said that private primary and secondary schools in the state were permitted to resume from Monday, Sept. 21, 2020.

She said that the state government strongly encouraged school owners to put safety first and open in phases similar to the plans for public schools.

According to her, phased opening also includes strategies for staggered resumption in the mornings, classes on alternate days during the week and teaching through various distance learning methods.

”Schools must also comply with safety protocols and hygiene guidelines as instructed by the state government through the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA).

”The office of education quality assurance will continue to monitor and evaluate schools’ preparedness.

”Please note that pre-primary classes and schools in both public and private schools will remain closed until further announcements are made.

”The state government wishes to remind schools that the pandemic is still with us and we must in all situations, make the safety of our children, teachers, parents and our community as a whole, our first priority,” she said.

Category: Resumption