It is important for us to acknowledge the incredible work of our children in these very difficult times. It is just as important to express my gratitude for the enormous efforts that our teachers and parents are investing to support the children. Thank you to both!
We have been talking among teachers and to students about the importance of shielding ourselves from working all the time; we must be intentional to take care of our mental and physical health. It is all too easy to be online and available all day and into the night. Whether your child works in the morning, prefers afternoon or even nighttime as the most productive hours, it is critical to help them make dedicated time away from schoolwork. Your child needs to make time for family and rest.
ABIS teachers are also encouraged to commit to specific work hours each day and then remove themselves from email. Most teachers are choosing to work normal school hours from 9 AM to 4 PM. They are not expected to reply the same day to emails which are sent in the evening. Similarly, we do not expect children to be connected all day long either. Parents can help your children to stay balanced and let their grade level liaison or myself know if you have suggestions for how to support your child to find balance.
That said, many students are self-reporting the ability to find balance in their day-to-day work. This is probably due to the support you give us parents, so again, thank you.
60% of students in grades seven through 11 responded to a recent survey:
