The City of Ra’anana has kept in pretty good contact with us through the COVID-19 pandemic. We get regular text message updates on WhatsApp and also emails. As an example, this was an email I received a couple of weeks ago with 25 questions and answers about school starting back up after the lockdown we had here over the holidays. Interesting to compare, I guess, how they’re dealing with it here as compared to in the US.
That’s just the first page of the Hebrew (I can get you the rest, if you’re interested 😀) For myself, I actually tried to read through all four pages of it myself, using google translate just for certain words or phrases I didn’t know (which is still a lot). But below, I just ran the whole thing through google translate so you can get a sense of what it says:
Information Sheet for Parents And Students Number 4
Questions and answers for distance and close learning after the holidays
14.10.2020
1. How does the kindergarten teacher intend for the student to be in touch with the kindergarten children?
Each teacher chooses, depending on the age of the children and the composition of the group, the type of relationship that is appropriate for the kindergarten children through zoom sessions, phone calls, sending videos, WhatsApp and more.
2. Will the activity in the kindergartens be automatically returned with the return of the closure?
We operate under the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education.The goal is to return the ULA gardens to full activity as soon as possible. Fortunately for us in Raanana, because of the ULA structure, there is one capsule in the morning and at noon. And there is no mixing of children in daycare.
3. Will there be enrichment activities for the children in the kindergartens with the return of the quarantine?
We are exploring options for enrichment activities that will be provided online rather than physically arriving at the kindergarten out of a desire to maintain the health of the children and staff. Meanwhile, a cultural basket activity for kindergartens that will be ready to be operated in the format of an activity for a single kindergarten. The activity can be carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health.
4. What are the guidelines regarding the admission of parents to the framework of education?
According to an unaltered Mashah outline, parents cannot enter the kindergarten and educational areas.
5. I am concerned about the pace of my child’s progress in acquiring reading and writing skills. What are you doing about it?
There is a clear understanding that there is difficulty in teaching distance reading and writing. We are concentrating at this stage on understanding processes.
6. My child in the division, with a learning gap from last year, how does the school staff check his learning situation and complete the learning gaps for him?
The teams make an effort to conduct a diagnostic learning process in which they will find out the gaps of the students while learning, and with the help of group or individual tasks, the students will be able to complete gaps. As long as learning only online, this task is definitely challenging.
7. I am troubled by the emotional and social situation of my son / daughter, who should I approach? And how will I get an answer?
It is recommended to contact the school educator and / or counselor and share your concerns, if the concern is common to all of you and additional counseling is required, you can consult with the school psychologist, and together consider the need for guidance as a parent or meeting with your son / daughter. If you prefer, you can contact a school psychologist directly, but it is recommended that she have information about the child’s functioning at school so that she can help optimally. The psychological service advises, sustainsShort-term therapeutic interventions are integrated and assist in directing additional professional factors as needed.If there is a suspicion of depression or thoughts or statements suggesting suicide, it is recommended to immediately update the school counselor, contact the psychological service for consultation and / or perform a risk assessment that will help determine the recommended treatment and offer treatment if possible. Long-term psychological treatment can be obtained. The Shpam is paid.Another solution that exists for high school and high school students is the Sela program. The program allows students to receive individual emotional support / group therapy and educational staff who specialize in working with their youth and parents. The reference to the Sela program is made through the school counselor. Therapeutic staff respond in the morning and afternoon in schools or in the Department of Youth Advancement. The meetings can be held frontally or in a zoom.In addition, the Department for the Advancement of Youth runs afternoon care groups and professional courses accompanied by caregivers for the relevant students.
8. How does the municipality take care of monitoring students who do not cooperate with learning through the zoom?
Classroom educators pay close attention to this issue. They insist on being in touch with these students and encourage them to join the online classes, hear what the main difficulties are and help, if necessary share with the class counselor, and even the school counselor. The school psychologist also advises and guides the staff / s about how to communicate withabsent children.
9. When the elementary schools return to physical learning, will all the student houses be activated immediately? Will there be classes?
The student houses will return to operation and the classes will gradually return depending on the disease state. Currently the goal is to maintain identical morning and noon capsules. This task will greatly challenge the opening of the frameworks to everyone, and will be conditional on a minimum number of children in each group.
10. What will the learning of twelfth-grade students look like after returning to physical learning?
Learning will likely be hybrid. As long as there is a closure and no return to learning within the school, learning will include online learning and synchronous tasks. Upon return to school, we will receive the exact instructions from the Ministry of Education, and we will do our best to combine diverse learning within the school, with different learning spaces.
11. Will the city continue to operate shuttles / shuttles for the benefit of physical learning as long as learning resumes in the school complex?
No, due to the avoidance of mixing student capsules and the desire to keep morbidity as low as possible, currently the shuttles / shuttles in the city will not be activated until further notice.
12. What actions is the municipality taking to prevent the outbreak of morbidity in the education system?
Raanana Municipality purchases protective and hygiene equipment for teaching staff and classrooms. Education staff receive a preliminary briefing on maintaining guidelines, the obligation to wear a mask, maintaining social distance and maintaining personal hygiene. In addition, the municipality tries as much as possible to avoid introducing contractors / workers from various departments into the educational frameworks and they performWorks only after school hours, or without contact with students and staff.
13. What happens to workers who come from red cities to the education system?
Among these workers there is extreme care in measuring temperature, questioning and filling out health statements.
14. What enrichment classes / activities will be given to the city’s students in the short term? And later when they return to learning? What about learning in the park?
The Department of Education has transferred most of the enrichment programs to a virtual / digital format, with the intention of holding as many planned activities as possible. In this way, excellent programs, leadership, sexual-protected and protected activities will be launched, including joint workshops for students and parents, enrichment programs and more.Regarding learning in the park, the Raanana municipality has a plan ready for operation in Raanana Park. With the easing of the guidelines alongside the return to school, the program will be implemented.In addition,The Education Department has a planned set-up for a cultural basket activity that will take place in a classroom format. Upon returning to school and receiving instructions on the subject, we will start operating the program.Another solution for afternoon and high school students given by the Department of Youth Advancement is the “Academy for Youth”, a center for business entrepreneurship for youth, which runs a number of professional trainings each year such as: nail building and grooming, smartphone repair course and more … For high school students from the unique classes Challenge, Bar, Eyal, EducationSpecial, immigrants and students of the divisions located by the school staff. Referrals to the academy are made through an educator / counselor.
15. When and how will the psychologists’ meetings with the parents take place according to the schools?
Meeting dates will be announced by the schools themselves. Until these dates are coordinated and published, you are invited to join a variety of meetings on various topics that take place free of charge by the psychological service and are published on the Facebook page of the ‘Raanana Psychological Service’.
16. How much and how will we receive a refund for ULA activity that did not take place?
In the framework of the ULA: In light of the closure of the kindergartens on September 17, 20, seven days of activity in September (NIS 375) will be deducted from the next ULA tuition fee that will be charged after the ULA framework returns to activity. No charge has been made so far in October.
17. Will they continue to send assistants to the homes of the HNM students?
Assistants who have been approved to work at the student home will continue to come to the students’ homes for further assistance.Each children’s daycare center has 3 special education kindergartens for children with developmental delays, so it is not possible to hold the daycare centers. However, in Dolev Kindergarten, where all kindergarten children are registered for daycare, we can only open the daycare for Dolev Kindergarten children. Once we can mix 3 genes for one group, we will open the other afternoons.
18. Will there be GNI afternoons at Chanam?
Each children’s daycare center has 3 special education kindergartens for children with developmental delays, so it is not possible to hold the daycare centers. However, in Dolev Kindergarten, where all kindergarten children are registered for daycare, we can only open the daycare for Dolev Kindergarten children. Once we can mix 3 genes for one group, we will open the other afternoons.
19. How is the municipality prepared for the issue of disinfection and thorough cleaning of frames that go out for insulation?
Every frame that goes into isolation, the school undergoes a comprehensive cleaning with the cleaning staff to ensure a safe return to the institution.
20. What “safety net” does the municipality operate on the subject of learning for elementary and post-elementary students?
We are at the beginning of the year, and are currently focusing on mapping, outlining teaching and distance or hybrid learning. If the need arises later in the year, we will consider preparing for additional assistance for students who have particular difficulties.
21. What actions does the municipality take to promote learning and contact with at-risk youth?
The Department for the Advancement of Youth is a therapeutic educational body that aims to provide solutions and assistance to youth and parents in dealing with difficulties, crises and risk situations. The department provides a variety of responses in the areas of: treatment, education, detection, guidance, dropout prevention, providing a study framework for dropout students in completion of education, adolescents in situations of difficulty, distress and crises common in adolescence. We also operate a parent guidance and coaching center focused on adolescence. Referral to the services of the Department of Youth Advancement is made through an educator / counselor / independently.
22. How will MBR and Challenge students learn and since when?
Students from Challenge Bar classes will learn hybrid learning starting this week, some school days and some online learning, while managing responsible illness.
23. How can I purchase a computer from the municipality?
These days, round 5 of “Connecting even from a distance” of selling computers to residents at discounted prices has ended. It is recommended to follow the municipality’s publications on the subject.
24. Will students integrated into regular education be able to continue to attend schools?
Students integrated with school assistance will be able to come to the school to study with the assistant. Students eligible for teaching and treatment hours will receive this at their schools according to the ability of the caregivers to come to the school, and some of the treatments will be zoomed out.
25. Will the children of the kindergartens integrated in regular kindergartens receive an educational therapeutic response?
Kindergarten children will receive treatments and hours of teacher talk at 2 centers in the city: clarinet kindergarten and trumpet kindergarten. The treatments will be provided by the MTA team that works with the same children.