Frequently Asked Questions
For Enrolled Parents
New to online classes? Here are the most important points:
Confirm that the student knows how to contact the instructor.
Email: admin@wearebookish.orgMake sure that your student knows how to get into and out of the Zoom online classroom and can access the course materials in our member area.
Check to ensure that the student has put all due dates on a personal calendar.
How do I connect to Bookish classes? (Help! Where is the Zoom link?)
The link to connect to your child’s class is in the confirmation email you received after registration and will also appear in the reminder emails you will receive before each class.
*** Please save the Zoom link! ***
What are the dates of holidays and vacations?
Check the Important Dates page for details on class dates and breaks.
ALL class enrollments include:
● Bookish Discord Servers for chatting and playing online games
● Author/Illustrator Visits (with autographs!)
● Geek Out: Thursday (6:00 pm Central) open social meetup
● Bookish Exclusive Minecraft server (New Spring 24!)
Attendance
What happens if my child needs to miss class?
If your child is ill or has an unavoidable conflict that forces them to miss class, please let the teacher know no later than 30 minutes before the start of class by emailing admin@wearebookish.org Please do not use other methods to contact the teacher!
What happens if my child is late to class?
Classrooms open five minutes before the start time and close five minutes after the official start time. After that time, students will not be admitted to the classroom as late arrivals disrupt the learning environment. Please make sure your child has all their materials on hand and is online, ready to learn, five minutes before the designated class time. (Teachers will of course make reasonable accommodations for students whose internet drops during class or who are having other technical problems.)
What happens if my child needs to leave class early?
If at all possible, please let the teacher know this by email before the start of class. If the student needs to leave suddenly, please instruct them to leave the online classroom quietly.
What happens if the instructor needs to miss class?
We’ll email you ASAP, and if possible, a substitute teacher will carry on for that day. If not, we’ll adjust the schedule and make up that lesson.
Participation
Does my child have to be on camera during class?
We understand that some students are shy about being on camera, so we leave this to the discretion of each family.
Does my child have to have their mic on during class?
This, too, is at the discretion of each family. We never force a child to speak if they’re not yet willing. We do sometimes mute student mics to keep background noise down.
Can my child eat and/or during class?
Yes, but they should keep their mic muted to avoid distracting others.
Academic Support
What about homework?
While Bookish classes are low-pressure and friendly, there’s a whole lot of academic learning going on! Bookish students do have homework—at very least, reading assignments. Some classes also include memory work or writing/art projects.
Parents/guardians are responsible for making sure their students complete assignments and/or reading before class. We strongly recommend that you check your student’s work daily for the first two months of class, and then, for older students, at least weekly. The instructor will send emails about due dates, and if your child misses more than one class or assignment, you can expect the instructor to email you about it.
How can I make sure I’m in the loop about my child’s work?
To facilitate communication with your student’s instructor, make sure:
you have the instructor’s email (admin@thebookishsociety.com)
the instructor has your correct and current contact information
Bookish emails are delivered to your inbox, not your junk folder
you read and reply to emails from your student’s instructor in a timely way
How can I best support my student?
It can be difficult to strike the right balance when supporting a homeschooled student in online classes. Appropriate support may look different depending on your child’s age, abilities, and needs and on the type of class they’re taking. For our literature circles, the only required homework is to stay on top of the reading. (We also provide comprehension materials and we think they’re helpful, but we leave it up to parents/guardians to decide whether or not they will require their children to complete them.) Other classes may require memory work review or working on writing/art projects.
Elementary students are still learning to handle projects and assignments. They may get overwhelmed, get behind, and be too embarrassed to tell you (or they may think, incorrectly, that they can catch up later). They need lots of hands-on support and daily check-ins with you.
Our Exploring the World through Story classes contain memory work that the instructor will cover in class, but students will need to practice daily outside of class to master that material.
Many tweens and teens can work more independently, but they still need active support. Appropriate support for students in these age groups might look like:
making sure they understand the assignment
explaining anything they don’t understand
reminding them of due dates and helping them plan their work flow
checking in with them along the way to make sure they’re still on target
helping them communicate with their instructor if they have questions
looking over the assignment before it’s turned in to make sure it’s complete
You know your student best; give them the level of support they need to succeed, whatever that may be.
How much “support” is too much?
Parents/guardians should not correct the student’s work before it is submitted. The instructor has given the assignment to develop the student’s skills. If the instructor cannot clearly see what skill level the student has achieved, they cannot accurately evaluate the student’s work. Besides, submitting another person’s work without credit is academic fraud, and students should understand why that’s a serious offense.
Specific Classes
How do the roles in literature classes work?
As part of literature circles, students are assigned various reader roles. These roles are an important part of the learning process, as the discussion depends on each member participating. Therefore, taking on a role for each book is mandatory, and roles will change with each text so that students gain a variety of experiences.
The Reader Roles are as follows:
Connection Maker
Discussion Leader
Fortune Teller
Illustrator
Mapmaker
Memory Maker
News Reporter
Perfect Puzzler
Poetic Perceptions
Read Aloud, Master
Sequencer
Scene Setter
Timeliner
Word Wizard
What else do I need for the Bookish Society on a class day? Suggested items include the following:
a gaming headset that includes a microphone
the assigned novel or textbook
two number 2 pencils or the student’s preferred writing implement
lined writing paper
5-10 sheets of blank copy paper
a pack of index cards
an index card holder box
a basic 8-color crayon set or marker set
The Bookish Society Calendar 2023/24
Saturday, December 23, 2023-Sunday, January 7, 2024: Winter Break
Monday, February 19, 2024: Spring Registration Deadline
Friday, March 1, 2024: Winter Trimester Ends
Monday, March 4, 2024: Spring Trimester Begins
Monday, April 1-Friday, April 5, 2024: Spring Break
Friday, May 31, 2024: Spring Trimester Ends