The Online Learning Model

As much as possible, online learning will follow the curriculum from ELC through Gr. 12, with modifications as needed to ensure success in the online context. However, please be assured that any modifications will not impact the long-term progression of learning for any student. 

If you have any questions regarding the curriculum, please consult with your student’s teacher or the various curriculum coordinators and department leaders.

Parents should be reassured that, as an accredited school, the online curriculum is deemed to be of an equivalence to the campus-based curriculum and an NIS transcript during online school has equal validity to that given during campus-based learning. 

As a Google school, NIS will deliver online learning through G Suite. Each student has access to a Google account and with this comes the ability to access and collaborate through Google Classroom, as well as through other tools in the G Suite such as Google Meet and Gmail. Teachers will ensure that students (and/or parents in the case of younger children) are fully informed and capable of accessing these tools in the case of moving to online learning. 

A key feature of a successful online learning program is a partnership with parents. This is particularly crucial with younger children for whom parent assistance and support in accessing the learning planned by the teachers will be essential. However, it is also needed in the Secondary school where students will need help from parents to create a structured routine to their workday.

We understand that parents may be trying to conduct their own work while children are engaged in online learning, or perhaps a single parent will have multiple children to support at any one time. Teachers will do their very best to pitch learning at a level where students can be as independent as possible, however, clearly the younger the child, the more support from parents will be needed in order to make the learning successful. Parents are asked to reach out to their child’s teacher(s) to discuss concerns or difficulties presented in supporting your child with their learning and, likewise, teachers may reach out to parents with requests for help or other guidelines designed to support your child. 

Ultimately we remind parents that you are your child’s first teacher and you are closest to your child at this time. We ask parents to make decisions in the best interest of your child. Sometimes this will mean putting away the screens and having some time together as family or some non-online learning activities. Teachers will support you in your choices as you work to support the well-being of your child.

The precise schedule for online learning will be shared at the point of going online. In the case of a very short term closure it is likely that the schedule will simply mirror the regular school day with lessons occurring online at the same time as they would have done in school. 

However, during an extended closure of the campus, a modified schedule will be introduced. This will involve a reduced number of periods per day for Secondary students, an important measure since we know that the 6-period day is very difficult for students to maintain in an online format. A 4-period day gives students sufficient time to engage in synchronous learning activities within the schedule, yet still have time for asynchronous follow up work, in addition to personal time, and is far more appropriate for online learning lasting more than two weeks. 

In the Primary school, an extended period of time online would also see an adjustment to a special online schedule. This would also prioritize a balance for students so that synchronous activities in the morning allowed time for asynchronous work or non-screen time family activities in the afternoons. Again, full details would be shared based on the circumstances at the time in the case of a move to online learning. 

Since the online learning offered includes a large degree of synchronous lesson delivery, families are strongly advised to remain in Japan during any period of online learning. Not only will it be harder for your child to benefit from online learning when living in a different timezone, you also run the risk of travel restrictions, which will make it difficult to return to campus should we be able to do so.  

Teachers will be tracking student attendance through their engagement with the learning. This may be done by calling attendance during the Google Meet, by observing engagement within a collaborative activity, or some other mechanism. Students are expected to be in class and on time, the same as for regular school!

However, we also understand that this may be a difficult time for some students, and full attendance may be challenging. The school will treat absences through online learning with compassion, and COVID-19 related absences will not impact a student’s academic record. 

Students who are unable to attend ‘online school’ should alert the school in the usual way by contacting office@nis.ac.jp prior to the start of class each day. A reminder that should your child have a temperature of 37.5 for longer than four days, exhibit extreme lethargy or illness, or be diagnosed with or exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID-19, please alert the health office immediately at cimamura@nis.ac.jp

NIS will continue its equal focus on student well-being while studying online. In the case of a short term online school of 3-9 days (as may be the case if a case of COVID is found in the immediate community) the risks to well-being are not significant. However, if NIS enters an extended period of online learning caused by a State of Emergency or other long-term campus closure request, the risks to well-being of students being isolated in their homes is significant. 

To support well-being, teachers will engage in regular video conferencing meetings with students in their homeroom to check in and ensure they are OK. Additionally, student services staff – including the special education team, the EAL team, and the counselors, will remain available to support students as usual.

Additionally, during an extended period of online learning, student clubs in the Secondary school may still be able to arrange to meet – virtually – and students are encouraged to do so and alert their staff supervisor for support. Principals will also look to arrange recorded assemblies or other ways of connecting the students beyond their academic online environment. There are many creative ways in which students and staff can work together to assure the well-being of students.

Finally, administrators will remain accessible to students by email and, as needed, video conferencing on Google Meet.

As with campus based learning, child protection in the online environment is still an essential part of our school. We will ask our teachers to follow our child protection policies and staff code of conduct.

Specifically, in the online environment we request that:

• students and staff engage in all correspondence via their official school email address, or  through a parent for younger children

• students to always leave their camera ON during Google Meet sessions, unless the teacher has allowed them to turn this off due to bandwidth issues

• individual students and staff should not consent to a Google Meet where there is no third party present. This means that either multiple students should be on the call, another staff member should be on the call, or that either the student and/or staff member engages in the meeting from a shared space, such as the family living room or shared office.