Thank you for your patience and understanding during these unprecedented and difficult times. The Ambridge Area School District has made the decision to provide Remote Learning Opportunities for our students during the school closure as part of the District’s Continuity of Education Plan. These Remote Learning Opportunities will begin on Monday, March 30, 2020 and will continue throughout the District shutdown. All teachers will provide at least three learning opportunities per subject/class/course to their students each week.
REMOTE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
LISTEN-ONLY VOICE MAILBOXES
These opportunities will be a combination of online and offline activities. Teachers will be available by email from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM Monday through Thursday to answer student and parent questions by email. During the specified times, our District’s teachers will be happy to answer questions, offer assistance to students who need help completing their assignments, and guide students through any negative emotions they may be feeling due to the disruption in their school routine. Friday will be a planning day for staff. Remote Learning Opportunities for the upcoming week will be posted by our teachers by Friday at 3:00 PM. Student participation is voluntary, but it is strongly encouraged for continuity of education at this time. In future weeks, grading may become necessary based on Pennsylvania Department of Education directives.
All remote learning opportunities will be posted on a Word Doc in Office 365. This Word Doc can be found on the Ambridge Area School District Website at www.ambridge.k12.pa.us. Parents will simply scroll and find the link for their child’s class and click on the class link to find the assignment. These links will also be sent in a Bridger Blast to parents on this Sunday, March 29, 2020.
In addition to the remote learning links to instruction, all teachers will maintain a listen-only voice mailbox. Parents and students can call in via telephone to hear the current activities if you do not have access to a computer. A directory of the listen-only voice mailboxes will be available in the Sunday blast and on the District website.
If students need help logging into District applications, they/you can reach out to the technology helpdesk for assistance. You can reach the helpdesk two different ways:
Send an email to: helpdesk@ambridge.k12.pa.us or call the helpdesk hotline at 724.266.2833 x4357.
Tips for Successful Remote Learning
Below are a few time management tips and possible ways to structure the Remote Learning day for students. Please remember that these are just suggestions. Students and families may choose to follow one of these or another one that works best for their family.
Time Management Tips for Students during Remote Learning
ü Make a plan for each day. A structured day is very important to be successful in Remote Learning activities. Set a daily or weekly schedule by checking the District website to determine the assignments for the week and set deadlines for completion.
ü Check-in! Check-in with teachers with any questions, concerns, or to clarify anything you do not understand. Instructional Support Hours are available on each teacher document to assist you.
ü Speak up. Ask for help. Don’t fall behind. All school staff members are here to support you and your child if you need assistance.
Possible Ways for Students to Structure Their Day
ü When assignments are released for the week, create a schedule by chunking content areas by day (Elementary students).
ü For instance, Monday could be English and Music, Tuesday, Math and Art, Wednesday, Science and Health & Physical Education, Thursday, Social Studies and STEAM, etc.
As some of you may have already heard, there have been confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Beaver County. It is now more crucial than ever to practice social distancing, proper hand washing, and to stay at home as much as possible. If we all commit to adhering to the guidelines set forth by the CDC, doctors, and epidemiologists, we can stop community spread of COVID-19 in our area. Let’s all take pride in being part of the Ambridge family, and do our very best to keep our loved ones, friends, and our selves safe and healthy.
Mr. Barry J. King
Substitute Superintendent
Ambridge Area School District
Like most of you, we have become increasingly concerned with how the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) situation could affect our students and their learning. With that in mind we are sharing a list of resources for you to use during your time at home. This is not a list developed by AASD, but rather a list of resources gathered from the Internet. We hope you find something you can use online or offline.
In addition, please be aware that Comcast is expanding its broadband service for low-income families to provide free access to internet for 60 days. Starting March 16th, Comcast will launch two new features of the Internet Essentials program. First, low-income families who live in a Comcast service area can sign up as new customers to receive 60 days of free Internet Essentials service, which is normally available to all qualified households for $9.95 per month.
In addition, the cable operator is increasing speeds for the Internet Essentials service from 15/2 Mbps (downstream/upstream) to 25/3 (downstream/upstream). This will become the standard speed for the service going forward. To qualify for Comcast’s Internet Essentials service, customers must be eligible for public-assistance programs such as the National School Lunch Program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, or SSI. Applicants can visit internetessentials.com to enroll in the program; they must also call (855)-846-8376 for English or (855)-765-6995 for Spanish.
For additonal sites to explore, try this collection that was shared on Facebook this week:
The San Diego Zoo has a website just for kids with amazing videos, activities, and games.
Enjoy the tour! https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/
Tour Yellowstone National Park!
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm
Explore the surface of Mars on the Curiosity Rover.
https://accessmars.withgoogle.com/
This Canadian site FarmFood 360 offers 11 Virtual Tours of farms from minks, pigs, and cows, to apples and eggs. https://www.farmfood360.ca/
Indoor Activities for busy toddlers
Play games and learn all about animals
Play with fave show characters and learn too https://pbskids.org/
Travel to Paris, France to see amazing works of art at The Louvre with this virtual field trip.
https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne
This Virtual Tour of the Great Wall of China is beautiful and makes history come to life.
https://www.thechinaguide.com/destination/great-wall-of-china
Math and Reading games https://www.funbrain.com/
Phonics skills https://www.starfall.com/h/
This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies. https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com/
Read, play games, and hang out with Dr. Seuss https://www.seussville.com/
300,000+ FREE printable worksheets from toddlers to teens https://www.123homeschool4me.com/home-school-free-printables/
Geography and animals
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
Math practice from counting to algebra and geometry http://www.mathscore.com/
Fave kids books read by famous people https://www.storylineonline.net/
Crafts, activities, mazes, dot to dot, etc, https://www.allkidsnetwork.com/
High school chemistry topics https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/articles-by-topic.html
Math and reading games https://www.abcya.com/
Math and language games https://www.arcademics.com/
Hands on Elem science videos https://www.backpacksciences.com/science-simplified
Voice based learning… learn through Alexa https://bamboolearning.com/resources
Fun games, recipes, crafts, activities https://www.highlightskids.com/
ClickSchooling brings you daily recommendations by email for entertaining websites that help your kids learn. https://clickschooling.com/
Math as a fun part of your daily family routine http://bedtimemath.org/
Games to get “into the book” https://reading.ecb.org/
Online history classes for all ages preteen through adults https://school.bighistoryproject.com/bhplive
Biology https://www.biologysimulations.com/
Elem Math through 6th grade https://boddlelearning.com/
Educational games K-12 https://www.breakoutedu.com/funathome
Digital archive of history https://www.bunkhistory.org/
Test Prep for SAT, ACT, etc. https://www.bwseducationconsulting.com/handouts.php
Geometry https://www.canfigureit.com/
Resources for Spanish practice https://www.difusion.com/campus/
Chinese learning activities https://chalkacademy.com/
Music is for everyone https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Experiments
Science, Math, Social Studies https://www.ck12.org/student/
Grammar practice for middle grades https://www.classroomcereal.com/
Daily free science or cooking experiment to do at home.http://www.clubscikidzmd.com/blog/
Chemistry https://www.playmadagames.com/
Reading passages for grades 3-12, with reading comprehension and discussion questions. https://www.commonlit.org/
Vocabulary, grammar, listening activities and games in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Korean, and Latin. https://conjuguemos.com/
35,000 pages of online content on the cultures and countries of the world. https://www.countryreports.org/
K-5th Science lessons https://mysteryscience.com/
Tons of free classes from leading universities and companies https://www.coursera.org/
Free printable K-8 Reading and Math activity packs (available in English and Spanish) https://www.curriculumassociates.com/supporting-students-away-from-school
Digital learning content for preschool through high school https://www.curriki.org/
A wide range of math content from middle school through AP Calculus. https://deltamath.com/overview
Day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing. https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html
3 Free Weeks of Maker Stations to keep your children creating at home! Each challenge includes simple instructions using materials around the house, QR code video resources, and a student recording sheet. bit.ly/freemakerstations
Classes for older teens or adults https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/lp/t1/freemo?source_id=FREEMO&utm_source=Social_Media&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=1000614&fbclid=IwAR1vaJx-3_aCdyE75S0fTJg4JZ_jI6KJvsJb4CnXY03tnfTm3FdgflaNpYs
Online homeschool platform & curriculum for Pre-K to 12th grade. All main subjects are covered, plus extra curriculum courses. http://discoveryk12.com/dk12/
Printable board games, activities and more for phonics and reading all using evidence-based methods. Can be customized to any student’s needs including creating flashcards for other subjects. https://dogonalogbooks.com/printables/
K-8 online math program that looks at how a student is solving problems to adjust accordingly and build a unique learning path for them. https://www.dreambox.com/at-home
Engaging reading game for grades 2-8 that combines strategy, engagement, and imaginative reading passages to create a fun, curriculum-aligned literacy game. https://www.squigglepark.com/dreamscape/
Higher level math series… online video series with detailed solutions to more than a thousand publicly-released College Board SAT Math, Subject Test Math Level 1, and Subject Test Math Level 2 problems.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbQoCpvYRYRkRRvsObOPHaA?reload=9
Foreign languages https://www.duolingo.com/
Interactive video earth science based curriculum supplement. https://www.everyday-earth.com/
A safe research site for elementary-level readers. They are offering — free 24/7 access
USERNAME: read (case sensitive)
PASSWORD: read (case sensitive)
Resources for AP students including live reviews, live trivia, and study guides! https://app.fiveable.me/
Educational brain breaks to help students review essential literacy and math skills, while getting in some exercise. Find over 900 videos to help your child keep learning at home and burn off some extra energy. Our site is best used for ages 4-8. https://fluencyandfitness.com/register/school-closures/
Movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts. https://www.gonoodle.com/
7,000 free videos in 13 subject areas https://hippocampus.org/
Carmen Sandiego videos, stories, and lessons for all subject areas https://www.carmensandiego.com/resources/
Math Videos with lessons, real life uses of math, famous actors https://www.hmhco.com/math-at-work
Entertaining & educational videos for all levels and subjects
https://www.izzit.org/index.php
Online education program for toddler through high school… https://www.khanacademy.org/
Free Printables for PreK-2nd Grade https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Literacy-With-The-Littles/Price-Range/Free
Free printables library with activities for children 0-6 https://www.littlesparkcompany.com/printables-library
Free at-home kids yoga lesson plans https://littletwistersyoga.com/online-store/
Magic Spell is a carefully crafted spelling adventure. https://brainbox.games/
Resources for AP students https://marcolearning.com/
Enter your math problem or search term, press the button, and they show you the step-by-step work and answer instantly. 2nd grade through college. https://www.mathcelebrity.com/online-math-tutor.php
Elem Math games, logic puzzles and educational resources https://www.mathplayground.com/
Poetry and music https://www.thewell.world/mindful-music/mindful-poetry-moments
3D printing projects and Coding projects, involving math and other K-12 subjects https://www.instructables.com/member/EdgertonCenter/instructables/
Introductory and intermediate music theory lessons, exercises, ear trainers, and calculators. https://www.musictheory.net/
Scads of free resources, games, learning resources, and lesson plans for teaching personal finance https://www.ngpf.org/
Improve your typing skills while competing in fast-paced races with up to 5 typers from around the world. https://www.nitrotype.com/
Illustrated recipes designed to help kids age 2-12 cook with their grown-ups. Recipes encourage culinary skills, literacy, math, and science. https://www.nomsterchef.com/nomster-recipe-library
Online curriculum that builds better writers. https://www.noredink.com/
80+ do at home science activities https://elementalscience.com/blogs/news/80-free-science-activities
Daily lessons and educational activities that kids can do on their own https://www.superchargedschool.com/
Adaptive curriculum in Math and ELA for Grades K-8
Novel Effect makes storytime a little more fun for kids (and grown-ups too!) As you read out loud from print books (or ebooks!) music, sound effects, and character voices play at just the right moment, adjusting and responding to your voice. https://noveleffect.com/
Quick & easy at home projects curated for kids 2 and up
https://www.kiwico.com/kids-at-home
Teaches students how to write a paragraph through interactive online tutorial http://www.paragraphpunch.com/
PreK-12 digital media service with more than 30,000 learning materials https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/
Curricular content hub specifically designed for K-3 students.
Science and math labs and simulations https://phet.colorado.edu/
An online physics problem and video bank designed for conceptual, standard, honors or AP1 physics. https://www.positivephysics.org/home
Prodigies is a colorful music curriculum for kids 1-12 that will teach your kids how to play their first instrument, how to sing in tune & how to understand the language of music! 21 for free https://prodigiesmusic.com/
Free videos from around the world from grade 3-12
https://www.projectexplorer.org/
QuaverMusic is offering free access to general music activities to all impacted schools, including free student access at-home https://www.quavermusic.com/info/at-home-resources/
For students to practice and master whatever they are learning. https://quizlet.com/
ReadWorks is an online resource of reading passages and lesson plans for students of all levels K-12. https://www.readworks.org/
Critical Thinking resources for K-6 students https://marketplace.mythinkscape.com/store/redtkids
Music Based Spanish Learning https://rockalingua.com/
Science simulations, scientist profiles, and other digital resources for middle school science and high school biology
The Shurley English program for grades K-8 provides a clear, logical, and concrete approach to language arts. https://www.shurley.com/
Sight reading and sight singing practice exercises. https://www.sightreadingfactory.com/
Music practice transformed https://www.smartmusic.com/
Spellingcity is free right now with code VSCFree90
Kid-friendly workouts — choose from Strength for Kids, Agility for Kids, Flexibility and Balance for Kids, Warm-Up for Kids, Cooldown for Kids, Stand Up and Move for Kids, OR create your own custom kid workout. https://app.sworkit.com/collections/kids-workouts
A collection of hundreds of free K-12 STEM resources, from standalone models and simulations to short activities and week long sequences of curriculum materials. https://learn.concord.org/
Course sets (Levels 1–5) that combine and thoroughly cover phonics, reading, writing, spelling, literature, grammar, punctuation, art, and geography—all in one easy-to-use, beautiful course. https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/
At home OT, PT, and ST resources designed to build skills in children through movement and play. https://www.theottoolbox.com/
Science projects that can be completed with or without Internet access https://sciencespot.net/Pages/classhome.html
Keyboarding practice https://www.typingclub.com/ or https://www.typing.com/
Next Generation Science video game focused on middle school where students directly engage in science phenomena as they solve problems. https://www.tytoonline.com/
Short videos and readings that answer various burning questions for students. There are vocabulary challenges and comprehension questions. http://wonderopolis.org/
Math practice https://xtramath.org/#/home/index
K-5 curriculum that builds deep understanding and a love of learning math for all students https://www.zearn.org/
A quick start resource to help families pull together a plan for surviving the next 1-2 months at home with their kids, but it can also be a time of slowing down and enjoying kids as they learn.
Preschool through 8th grade https://abetterwaytohomeschool.com/learning-at-home-everything-you-need-in-one-place.html?fbclid=IwAR0Lo2FZ5cWLMt-6nto19auqTtI5kztqLqwi3japOPl1rcR_rLaNuCUcaYw
450 Ivy League courses that you can take https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/ivy-league-free-online-courses-a0d7ae675869/?fbclid=IwAR0tbYeSJTzmrzgs1z1Brpoh-Lg8zoqnThQAUTFqR-bBX9O6AEh2_lnLhTs
Spelling 1-4 grade
https://www.spellingtraining.com/
2,500+ online courses from top institutions https://www.edx.org/
22 languages to learn https://www.memrise.com/
Learn to code https://www.codecademy.com/
Miscellaneous games for all subjects k-8 https://www.funbrain.com/
Phonics and learning to read https://readingeggs.com/
PreK – 5 games for all subjects https://www.turtlediary.com/
Online digital coloring pages https://www.thecolor.com/
Every course you could possibly want to homeschool preschool – 8 https://allinonehomeschool.com/
Every course you could possibly want to homeschool for high school https://allinonehighschool.com/
Phonics worksheets for kids https://www.funfonix.com/
Free stories online ages 3-12 https://www.freechildrenstories.com/
National Geographic Young Explorers is a magazine designed specifically for kindergarten and first grade students. Children can listen to the magazine being read to them as they follow along with the highlighted text. https://ngexplorer.cengage.com/ngyoungexplorer/index.html
Learn all about earthquakes https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/
Learn all about the periodic table https://www.chemicool.com/
Farmer’s almanac for kids… Date, weather, moon phase, etc. https://www.almanac.com/kids
Guide to gardening for kids https://web.extension.illinois.edu/firstgarden/
Website allows students to play basic games to reinforce math skills and compete against the computer or others https://www.mangahigh.com/en-us/
Space science for kiddos https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html
Math Games, Logic Puzzles and Brain Builders https://www.mathplayground.com/
Games, quizzes and fact sheets take kids on a journey through time. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/forkids/
NGAkids interactives offer an entertaining and informative introduction to art and art history. https://www.nga.gov/education/kids.html
News and more for kids https://www.youngzine.org/
Randomly generates 356,300,262,144 story starters
Immerse yourself in cryptography https://www.cryptoclub.org/
Math games galore https://gridclub.com/
Tons of science experiments that you can do at home
https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/
An interactive way to learn history
Just explore, have fun, and learn some science along the way. https://thehappyscientist.com/
Interactive games based on the book series
https://www.magictreehouse.com/
Work on the 8 parts of speech https://www.grammaropolis.com/
Learn all about cells https://www.cellsalive.com/
All sorts of learning here if you dig in https://www.google.com/earth/
Scratch draws students of all types into coding and lays a foundation for future learning. https://scratch.mit.edu/
A wonderful, endlessly detailed way to get kids engaged in the world of art. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/metkids/
Tests kids’ geography skills. Using images from Google’s Street View, it plops players down in the middle of the street and asks them to figure out where they are. https://www.geoguessr.com/
Allows students to type in any city, state, or country to view an archive of historical photographs and other documents. It’s a unique way to help them learn about history.
Short videos about numbers that help kids explore complex math topics and make math more fun. https://www.numberphile.com/
A human visualization platform that allows students to explore the human body in really cool ways. https://human.biodigital.com/login?returnUrl=/dashboard
Helps kids learn to appreciate the arts by providing them with the opportunity to play games, conduct investigations, and explore different forms of art. https://artsology.com/
Lets kids play instruments online. Instruments include the guitar, piano, pan flute, drums, and bongos. https://www.virtualmusicalinstruments.com/
Crafts, activities, bulletin board designs, and finger plays for early education teachers and parents to use with kids.
http://www.preschoolexpress.com/
A large selection of fun songs to help teach preschool and kindergarten students https://www.songsforteaching.com/preschoolkindergarten.htm
Resource section includes free flashcards, coloring pages, worksheets, and other resources for children, teachers, and parents. https://supersimple.com/
Life skills curriculum for students in grades K-12. Their resources include strategies for teaching social and emotional skills. https://www.overcomingobstacles.org/
Coding for ages 4-10 https://www.kodable.com/
No need to travel to one of the Smithsonian’s zoos or museums — this website brings your child everything from live video of the National Zoo to the Smithsonian Learning Lab right to their screen https://www.si.edu/kids
Cool Kid Facts gives your child access to educational videos, pictures, quizzes, downloadable worksheets, and infographics. They can use these to learn about geography, history, science, animals, and even the human body.
This interactive website, hosted by the U.S. Government Publishing Office, allows your child to see the ins and outs of the U.S. government by taking a series of learning adventures with none other than Benjamin Franklin. https://bensguide.gpo.gov/
This NASA initiative covers a wide range of topics including weather, climate, atmosphere, water, energy, plants, and animals. https://climatekids.nasa.gov/
Ask Dr. Universe is a science-education project from Washington State University. Kids can send Dr. Universe any question they may have about history, geography, plants, animals, technology, engineering, math, culture, and more.
https://askdruniverse.wsu.edu/
Your child can play games, learn fun facts, and find out how to turn coin collecting into a hobby. https://www.usmint.gov/learn/kids
From rainbows to tornadoes and winter storms to tsunamis, meteorologist Crystal Wicker breaks down the fascinating world of weather. http://www.weatherwizkids.com/
Kids Think Design explores careers in fashion design, graphic design, interior design, book design, product design, film and theatre, architecture, animation, and environmental design. http://www.kidsthinkdesign.org/
This educational website hosted by the Smithsonian Museum takes a deep dive into ocean life. https://ocean.si.edu/
Brainscape offers over a million flashcard decks for every subject, entrance exam, and certification imaginable. https://www.brainscape.com/
The Theta Music Trainer offers a series of online courses and games for ear training and music theory.
https://trainer.thetamusic.com/en
Banzai exposes students to real-world financial dilemmas to teach them the importance of smart money management. https://www.teachbanzai.com/
Innerbody explores the 11 bodily systems in depth. With interactive models and detailed explanations, this website will help them learn more about the internal mechanics of the amazing human body.https://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html
Alcumus is specifically designed to provide high-performing students with a challenging curriculum appropriate to their abilities https://artofproblemsolving.com/alcumus
Find and fix learning gaps https://www.mobymax.com/
Algebra games for kids https://www.dragonboxapp.com/
Fractions practice http://www.mathchimp.com/freddysfractions.php
Education for kids all topics https://www.ducksters.com
Math and logic problems for ages 5 and up to adult
Science podcasts to listen to with your kids https://medium.com/kidslisten/19-great-science-podcasts-you-can-listen-to-with-kids-6fe46ac506b8#.rb23iuaw6
Alaskan Wildlife cams http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=viewing.webcams
Coding with Star Wars https://code.org/starwars
Tons and tons and tons of games some learning some just fun https://www.crazygames.com/
Crafts, projects, science, recipes for young children https://www.funology.com/
Amphibian unit studies https://premeditatedleftovers.com/naturally-frugal-mom/amphibians-unit-study-resources/
Engineering challenges with things you have at home
https://thehomeschoolscientist.com/paper-structures-engineering-challenge/
Online photograph jigsaw puzzles You can set the pieces from 6-1000+ https://www.jigsawexplorer.com/
Toddler and preschool age ideas https://preschoolinspirations.com/
100 free online educational program ideas
Curated List of Stay-At-Home Educational Resources
30 Great Educational Netflix Shows
Scholastic Learn at Home Activities
LIVE Art lessons every day at 2PM ET for the next 2 weeks
Curated List of At-Home Lessons
Practice Fractions with Cooking and Baking Activities (3rd Grade)
Khan Academy hosts a huge variety of video lessons on various subjects
SLP Materials for Home Practice
Phonetic Awareness: Click the “Learn More” link at the top of the page to view sample lesson videos
English
Spanish
Portuguese
Arabic
French
German
Chinese (Simplified)