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Remote Home Learning – Secondary


Topics: Remote Learning, Secondary

This is a difficult time for many families. The most  important thing is to take care of yourself and your family, while not adding more stress as you support your teen’s learning.  It is important that we feel safe, secure and connected to our loved ones before exploring different ways to learn at home.  

Over the coming weeks, schools will be working hard to maintain learning opportunities for all students. Until then, here are some suggested ideas, lessons, and resources to engage your mind, support your physical and mental well-being and to start thinking about how to best learn from home.

Ministry of Education’s Keep Learning Website: Suggestions for parents and caregivers to keep their children learning at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

*NEW* Remote Learning Q & A for SD61 Secondary Students and Parents

*NEW* SD61 Video Conferencing Guidelines for Secondary Students

For Students

Questions & Answers about COVID-19 for Kids and Teens (BC Ministry of Health)

Mental Health 

It’s normal to experience feelings of anxiety, stress, or depression during significant lifestyle changes like we are experiencing now. Try to do a daily check-in with yourself to determine how you are feeling. If you feel like your mental health has decreased significantly, talk to your parents or caregivers and consider accessing some of these resources:

Stay Active, Stay Healthy

Try to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. While maintaining social distance, these could include:

Communications & Social Connections

Keeping in touch with friends and family is especially important during challenging times. Maintaining social connections is important for positive mental health. Use online or mobile apps to connect with friends or family members that you may not be seeing as much as you did in the past. Include voice or video calls in addition to text-based communication.

Set Yourself Up for Success!

Get your learning space and routines ready for when more regular assignments and learning tasks begin to arrive from your teachers in the coming weeks.

  • Maintain a schedule and daily routine.
  • Set your alarm and try to get up at the same time each day.
  • Shower, get dressed, and maintain regular times for healthy snacks and meals.
  • Try to balance sedentary (sitting) activities with more active options. If you are sitting, take a 5-10 minute break every hour to move your body and help maintain focus.
  • Set up your learning space for success. Try to create a calming and distraction-free area to do your home learning. If it’s difficult to find a quiet space at home, try using ear plugs or headphones to help block out distracting sounds.
  • Read every day. Consider starting a journal to share thoughts on what you have read or how you are feeling during this time away from school.
  • Read your textbooks if you have them, review classroom notes, complete assignments from before the break, research topics you have been covering in your classes.

Suggestions for Online Learning Experiences

Subject Specific Resources

Indigenous Education Resources

These resources have been developed by the First Nations Educational Steering Committee (FNESC)

Support Families: Suggestions for Learning at Home

Continuous Learning Resources 4-7

Continuous Learning Resources 8-12

For Parents

All families are different and are each facing different challenges during this time. There is no single “right way” to support your child’s learning and well-being but here are a couple links related to supporting teens coping with the stress and anxiety surrounding Covid-19 and learning at home.