Extending the Covenant Education to the Home

E-Learning at Covenant

Due to our small class sizes and supportive community, Covenant returned to five-day, full-time, on-campus instruction on August 25 for the 2020-2021 school year.  If Illinois is no longer able to remain in Phases 4 or 5 of Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan, Covenant has the ability to shift to e-learning at a moment’s notice.

What does e-learning look like at Covenant?

Our teachers instruct live, students engage in course discussions, and our curriculum provides a place of stability and continuity for our students. Teachers utilize individual conferencing, whole-class meetings and instruction, and whiteboarding while our students continue to complete assignments, projects, and presentations.  Through the use of Microsoft Teams for Education, our students come alongside one another as we learn and grow together through this new approach to learning and community.

Technology Tutorials

Logging in to Microsoft Teams
If you have not logged in to Microsoft Teams before or simply need to refresh your memory, the Quick Start Guide gives a great overview of the essentials.

Submitting Assignments
Additionally, you can find specific instructions on how to turn in assignments and join meetings here after logging in to your Teams account. All assignments should be submitted in PDF format. If you’re unsure of how to convert a file to a PDF and submit it on Teams, please refer to the directions below.

Submitting Assignments as a PDF 

Other Educational Features
More information on how to use Microsoft Teams’ chat feature can be found here. Please note that this feature should only be used for educational purposes. All Microsoft Teams chats are visible to Covenant administration and will be regularly monitored.

Questions?
As always, if you run into any issues while using Teams, we are here to help! If you have any questions about logging in or any other general issues, please contact our office ([email protected], 630-983-7500) and we will be happy to assist you.

Top 10 Tips for E-Learning

This is our Top 10 list for every parent and student to make the most of online learning.

10.  Dress for learning.  Students do NOT need to wear their dress code clothing, but we do ask that students dress for school.  No pajamas, overly casual clothing, or distracting clothing at any time.

9.  Grades count.  Student work during online learning will be graded the same as work in the classroom. Assignments turned in late will also receive late-grade penalties.

8.  Attendance is required.  Students are expected to attend every online class and be on time.  We ask parents to notify the teacher if a student is ill or unable to attend any class.

7.  No black screens; participation is key.  The teachers will evaluate student participation during online learning, and students must always have their screens turned on!

6.  Expectations are the same as those in school for student conduct. Teachers will address attitudes and actions with the same expectations as in the classrooms.  The teachers or Miss Eekhoff will speak with parents as needed to address any distractions to learning.

5. Individual workspaces for each student are essential!  A proper desk space with a chair and space to work is essential for every student.  Please plan now!

4. Siblings and pets are asked to make infrequent appearances.  Please do not allow younger siblings or furry (feathered?) friends to disrupt learning.  The teachers will plan time for fun!

3. Prepare early and test equipment!  Teachers will help by planning test runs of the technology, but we ask parents to prepare ahead of time and connect early so classes can begin smoothly!

2.  No sweat!  We intentionally set high expectations for student learning during this time, but we also plan on glitches happening.  Please do not sweat it if something goes wrong. We are there to help!

1. We’re in this together!  If there is any way we can help make this a smooth and enjoyable experience, please let us know.  Thanks!  We can’t wait!