In the event that I have neither met nor spoken with you, before, my name is Mr. Cuffe.  I am your child's English 4 teacher at Colonia High School.  

 

I hope that you are all doing well in this uncertain time.  And, I'm faithful that we all understand that what we're expected to do in the coming week(s) -- through remote teaching and learning -- is unprecedented in the history of public education in America.  Given that we're all stakeholders in this effort, I want to take the opportunity to explain both how our instruction and communication will be facilitated on my part and how students are expected to do their part, to cooperatively work through the whole process in order to make it as smooth as we can.

 

As far as my role goes as the teacher, each school day I will be:

• updating our Google Classroom announcement(s) on a daily basis by the usual class meeting times --  either 7:50-9:20 (block one) or 9:25-10:52 (block two) 
• including with the announcements any instructions and due dates for assignments, along with useful resources that may assist the students in completing the assignments
• taking attendance as usual, by having students engage with the announcement, every day (if the student does not engage he/she will be marked "absent")
• actively monitoring my school district email account from 7:30-2:30; and sporadically monitoring, thereafter, to do my best to answer any student/parent/guardian questions
• grading assignments (and including individual feedback) -- whether they are complete, incomplete, or not submitted -- and posting those grades into Genesis
• actively communicating with each of you in the event any questions or concerns arise about either the student's well being or individual progress

• not view the remote learning process as "recess" -- for the state of New Jersey to recognize these days as a part of our official 180 school days we are expected to move through our Board of Education approved curriculum to the best of our ability
• read the daily Google Classroom announcement each day and engage with it to be recorded as being "present" in terms of their attendance
• keep up with and complete all assignments posted into the Google Classroom by their respective due dates and times
• communicate any questions or concerns to me through my school district email account whenever it's necessary (this will have to be done through a personal email account, not the district's provided account)
• be patient with emailed responses to questions or concerns, as we either cannot anticipate how many students will have needs at any moment during the day or because email is only being sporadically monitored after 2:30
• put forth effort to earn the best possible grades that they can, as English 4 is a required course that they will need to pass in order to graduate on time

 

Take care,

Sean Cuffe