Elementary - Grade 1-6

Full-Time Online & Hybrid Program Options

What to Expect Online

Sample Student Schedules

Full-Time Online*

*All students attend in-person assessment days 3-times per year.

Hybrid Option #1 | In-Person Art, Music & Physical Education on Fridays

Hybrid Option #2 & #3 | 2 days Online & 2 days In-Person / 2 Days through CBE Home Education

CBe-learn Elementary: Hybrid Option #2 Sample Schedule

Relationships, Well-being & Community

CBe-learn elementary students form relationships with peers and teachers as they engage with the full Alberta Programs of Study.

Learning occurs at and also away from the computer with the support of a supervising adult at home.

As part of their school experience, students get to know each other, their teachers and the school leadership team through the following school routines and activities.

‘Warm Welcome’ sessions to start the learning day in a good way
Virtual assemblies, virtual reading buddies and virtual field trips.
Optional clubs, pop-up events and in-person field trips
A minimum of 3 in-person assessments & play days each school year.
Some students request to attend weekly in-person art, PE, and music classes.

Did you know? Some elementary students take Art, Music and & Physical Education in person!

Families may request a weekly in-person half-day!

During these half-days, students engage in Art, Music and Physical Education in-person with their teachers and peers. In-person programming occurs at Lord Shaughnessy School. Families are welcome to enjoy the public areas of the building while their children are in classes.

Art, Music and PE are also offered online. CBe-learn is proud of what students do and achieve in both course options!

Partnership Between School & Home

At CBe-learn, certified teachers design, facilitate and report on student learning. The CBe-learn teaching team offers additional support and challenges to inspire all students registered in regular programming.

A caregiver in the child’s home acts as a learning coach to help the student develop positive learning routines and habits. The learning coach supervises asynchronous learning as described in the section below. Such adult support needs to be available to young learners during the school day.

Many learning coaches share that they enjoy seeing their child’s learning unfold within their child’s online program on a daily basis. Families are encouraged to share perspectives about their child’s learning with teachers and the school leadership team. Transparency about the amount and type of support offered in the home allows the student's learning team to best plan for future learning.

The school leadership team supports students, learning coaches, families and teachers. Such support is focused on enhancing student wellness, learning and the school community.

For more information about the important roles of the student’s learning team, please carefully review Roles & Responsibilities of the Elementary Learning Team (Student, Family, Teacher, School).

Elementary Strucutre Communications Graphic

Asynchronous Instruction

The following are examples of the learning tasks CBe-learn students engage with before, following and in between online sessions with their teachers and peers.

Students check their Google Classroom stream each morning and several times during the day for messages from their teachers and school administration
Students review and follow video, audio and written explanations and instructions
Students create video, audio and written responses to posted material
Students participate in surveys
Students participate in discussion boards with their peers and teachers
Students practice and show their learning when completing assignments offline
Students review and respond to teacher-provided feedback on student work
Students engage in tasks away from the computer – even outdoors!

The ability to access posted instructions and tasks for review purposes supports student learning. Engagement in posted materials and completion of posted tasks leads to success in synchronous sessions. Within teacher-provided timelines, there is some flexibility about when learners engage in asynchronous materials.

Synchronous Instruction

In the CBe-learn elementary program, most synchronous instruction occurs via Google Meet. During Google Meet sessions:

Students show and explain their understanding of asynchronous work
Students ask questions about their asynchronous work
Students interact with their teacher and peers as they further explore content and develop skills
Teachers monitor, guide and assess learning

Students must log in and participate in Google Meet sessions regularly. Camera and microphone use is expected.

Volunteers

Thank you to our valuable volunteers! Some volunteers contribute to virtual aspects of our program from the comforts of their homes. Other volunteers support during in-person learning events. Please contact cbelearn@cbe.ab.ca to inquire about volunteer opportunities at CBe-learn.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is attendance at real-time virtual sessions with the teacher mandatory?

CBe-learn follows attendance processes to align with The Education Act and CBE Policy 6020. Attendance is expected at scheduled real-time virtual sessions. Students will be marked absent if they do not attend these sessions. If your child is unable to attend a real-time session, please inform the main office.

Is the completion of independent assignments required?

All learning tasks are designed to support student learning. Completion of all tasks, including practice tasks, is expected. If a parent/legal guardian believes a child already knows and can do what the assignment is asking, they should encourage their child to complete the task independently. Once the teacher is confident that learning outcomes have been achieved, future assignments practicing the same outcomes may be optional. The parent/legal guardian is encouraged to communicate with the teacher about the challenge level experienced by students as they complete tasks at home.

Can the daytime caregiver join live sessions?

Just like a face-to-face classroom, the teacher is the only adult regularly present in live sessions. Parents/legal guardians/daytime caregivers should not be heard or seen during live sessions unless invited as a guest for a specific purpose.

Why are a camera and microphone required?

Being able to see and hear young learners is critical. Teachers need to see and hear students in order to build community and assess and support student learning.

What if there is a special circumstance which prevents a student from using a camera or microphone?

Such circumstances should be discussed with the school administration. Please contact via email (cbelearn@cbe.ab.ca) or phone (403-777-7971)

How do noise-cancelling headphones with a built-in microphone support learning?

Noise-cancelling headphones with built-in microphones protect the privacy of learners and families while reducing background distractions for the entire class.

How much time will the student spend in live sessions with a teacher?

Please see sample schedules.

Why might the live session schedule change from time to time?

Teachers plan according to current learning outcomes and specific needs of their students. Such scheduling flexibility is an advantage of online learning.

How much time will the student spend working outside of online meetings?

The amount of time spent each day on asynchronous tasks will be different for each student and at each grade level. All learning is designed to occur within a CBE learning week. Parents are encouraged to discuss the amount of time spent on asynchronous work with the teacher - especially if it seems inappropriate for their child.

Will students receive feedback on all assignments?

Just like in in-person learning, many tasks are assigned for practice and enrichment purposes. During online sessions, students talk about and show what they have learned during the completion of asynchronous tasks. School administration encourages teachers to request that some asynchronous tasks be turned in. Teachers review the submitted assignments to identify student successes and struggles and to determine the next instructional steps accordingly. Sometimes the teacher may provide detailed feedback that guides student learning. To benefit from such feedback, students are encouraged to review the provided feedback with their learning coach.

What is the best way for parents/legal guardians to communicate with the teacher?

Communication with the teacher occurs through the teacher’s ____@cbe.ab.ca email address. Guardians may request a virtual meeting or phone call via email. Please keep in mind that teachers meet with various groups of students throughout the school day and that these meetings with students take priority over the monitoring of email during school hours.

What kind of support should be offered at home?

It is essential that an adult in the home helps their child organize and follow learning routines. It is reasonable to expect that younger learners will need help understanding instructions provided in Google Classroom. Sometimes the daytime caregiver will be asked to support their child in completing a task. The teacher should be informed about the support the child receives when completing assignments at home. Please carefully review the Roles & Responsibilities of the Elementary Learning Team (Student, Family, Teacher, and School).

Are there times when an adult should not be helping the student?

Sometimes the student will be asked to complete a task independently at home. It is important that the child demonstrates what they can do without any adult support on such tasks. If this seems unreasonable, the parent/legal guardian should discuss it with the teacher and then, if needed, a member of the school leadership team.

Can the teacher share student information to help plan external social events?

No. Instead, we encourage families to consider invitations from parent volunteers for contact information exchange and other connection opportunities. Some families also choose to exchange information during school in-person events.

Have a different question?
Feel free to submit your question via the electronic form at the bottom of this page. A member from the school leadership team will be in contact.