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Have an awesome school year!
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challenges and opportunities with distance learning

A year ago if someone mentioned "distance learning" would be the norm at the beginning of this school year you would think they were crazy. Well, these past few months have definitely been "crazy" and what we would have laughed at a year ago looks like a reality. So, how do you teach to make the most impact on your students and connect with them in a "distant learning environment?" Here are a few suggestions: 

  • Get to know your students. I know that's difficult when you don't even see them in your classroom each day. Find out when their birthday is, what their interests are, how many brothers and sisters they have, pets  and something interesting about them.. Send them a hand-written welcome note, birthday card, or  "congratulations" when they win an award. Parents are a good resource.
  • Have your students get to know you. Introduce yourself and tell them a little about yourself. Let them know you are human and were once a student yourself. Tell stories about your school days or other times which can inspire your students to do their best.
  • Make your expectations and instructions clear. You may not  know all the guidelines or curriculum yourself with daily changing structure. However, let them know what is expected of them and that distance learning is not playing video games for hours. The difficulty with distance learning is that student's can't walk up  to a teacher's desk and ask questions when they don't understand something.. Follow up with assignments given and be there to help.
  • Post assignments and schedules. Let your students know what the assignments are and when they are due. 
  • Create a question-and answer discussion board. Make Q&A forums open to the entire class. Students can ask general questions or for clarification on assignments that might benefit everyone else.
  • Hold live office hours. This is more common in college, but why not elementary, Jr. High or high school too? Let your students know what time you are available for any help or questions they might have. This is not teaching time, but rather helping time.
  • Be Flexible. If possible, structure your class curriculum so that students can complete their work in their own time, not according to some rigid bell schedule. For example, don't punish students for not making it to virtual meetings. Audio and video recordings are helpful. If you have online quizzes and exams, allow students to take them anytime throughout the day.   
Websites to help with distance learning/teaching


With most school districts implementing at least some, if not all, distance learning at the beginning of the school year, here are a few sites that might be able to help in both teaching and your students learning various subjects. A complete list of over 100 websites will be listed soon under "Distance Learning" on our website http://jlwaite.com
Science:
  
http://discoveryeducation.com  http://mysteryscience.com 
 http://stemscopes.com 
Reading
  http://commonlit.org    http://learningally.org 
 http://readworks.org  http://starfall.com 
Writing:
  http://draftin.com  http://quill.org  
http://scholastic.com
Social Studies:
  
http://loc.gov/teachers
  http://constitutioncenter.org 
 http://online.seterra.com 
http://si.edu/educators/resources
Math:
 
http://dadsworksheets.com   http://desmos.com  
http://freemathapp.org http://funexpectedapps.com
 

Get a pay raise? Shelter it from taxes

Several school districts have either approved or are in negotiations for pay increases for both classified and certificated employees. Depending on your pay, this could mean hundreds of extra dollars each month in addition to "retro" pay. Taxes will take a considerable portion of the pay raise, so why not add to your 403b, thus keeping your taxes low, earn high er interest, and build your retirement savings that much faster? Do you know a school employee who isn't contributing? Let us know and we can help. 

changing school districts? Let us know
If you moved to a different school district this year please let us know so we can continue your 403b contributions. Depending on your new district there will be some paperwork involved. Likewise if you need to change the amount of your contributions or want us to run numbers if your pay has changed. let us know.

Earn a 5% interest bonus on each deposit for 8 years!

If you're not already getting a 5% interest bonus on your money, now may be the time to start. Introducing the Fit Rewards Growth which credits you a 5% interest bonus on each deposit you make into your 403b, IRA ,ROTH, or SEP IRA. You will also be credited additional interest based on the S&P 500 and a fixed interest account.

"Community Partners" wanted

Do you (or someone you know) have a small business and would like to give back to the community? If so, we want you as a part of our Community Partner Network program. This network of individuals and business owners will donate time and services to schools and organizations throughout the community. In exchange, the business will receive free advertising and promotional recognition. It may be donating items for a school carnival or canned-food to a homeless shelter. If interested, or if you know someone who would be, please contact us.

Life insurance you don't have to die to use

 Recently I was talking to a client and she asked if I offer life insurance. I thought by now everyone would know that in addition to offering 403b's, IRA's, Roth IRA's and other savings plans for the past 25 years that yes, we have also offered life insurance. Life insurance these days not only offers a tax-free death benefit to your family upon your death, but also tax-free retirement income to you while you live! In addition, it includes long-term care and critical illness (heart attack, cancer, stroke, etc.) benefits at no extra charge!


More ZOOM seminars coming soon 

By now most of you are aware of ZOOM as an online way to communicate with others and pass on instruction and helpful ideas. School administrators use it to communicate with staff, teachers use it to communicate with students and even churches use it to communicate with their congregations. We have already had some Zoom meetings and will be having more  ZOOM financial seminars coming soon. Stay tuned. We also welcome your topics of discussion.
Waite a minute 
By Jim Waite
 
   August is here and while school is starting, it's really not starting. At least not in the traditional sense.  The on again, off again,  distance learning vs modified classroom instruction vs some kind of hybrid model, is driving both teachers and parents insane. Kids will try to learn remotely while teachers will do their best to instruct at a far distance-- via zoom or google transmitted for miles in some cases and try to keep their students occupied and on track amid a trackless ever-changing curriculum and distracting home environment. Back in mid-March I think everyone never dreamed that schools and businesses would still be in this type of lock down. It was even anticipated that after Spring break things would be back to normal. Now we're thinking that masks worn by trick-or-treaters will take on a whole new meaning and sitting on Santa's lap totally out of the question. Rumors are even swirling around that Santa and his elves got coronavirus and won't be able to deliver Christmas this year. Then in between the two we have an election and Thanksgiving.
     It's easy to be pessimistic in times like these. The uncertainty of it all is the worst. Not knowing what to plan, or even where, when and for who...if anybody. I choose to try to look at the positive in it all. In spite of all the chaos going on all around us. There is still a lot of good being done, even though you wouldn't know it by watching the media. The other day I saw a video clip of a couple of young black men helping an elderly white couple with their groceries and helping them to their car. Moments later I saw a clip of a white teenager helping a black man with some yard work. In times like this we need to look for the good in others and try to look beyond what a person's skin color is.   We still live in the greatest country on the planet, in spite of what others would try to make you believe. Sure there are problems and the media adds fuel to that fire. But  it's still the best.



     I personally am blessed too. This month marks 38 years married to my wife Lisa (see above photo). It also marks two years since our youngest son, Ethan, was diagnosed with bone cancer in his left tibia  at age 11. Doctors in LA were planning an amputation as the only sure way to rid him of it. Ethan now remains cancer-free  and walks on  his own two feet. A series of miracles with months of chemo and trips to NYC  for which we are eternally grateful and feel very blessed.
     So with a new school year here, try to make the best of it. In spite of  what is going on elsewhere, make your classroom, whether at school or at home via google or zoom, a safe haven for learning. Help your students feel special and important. You may be the only bright light for them in an otherwise dim world. A parent may have been laid off, a sibling sick with the coronavirus, or a close relative dealing with mental illness. We never know. So treat everyone as if they are the most important person. Because they are. We all are. Just help others to believe it. 



THE NEW MOBILE APP AND CUSTOMER WEBSITE ARE HERE!

 http://www.nationallife.com or download from the App store

With the new National Life mobile app and customer website,
you can easily:

  •   Access your policy details and keep an eye on your balances
  •   Make policy payments and pay off loans
  •   Set up and manage auto payments
  •   Sign up for account alerts
  •   Access your agent’s contact info and more   


Stock market crashes? you don't lose a dime!


With the volatility of the stock market, what if you could participate with the market and never lose a dime? The stock market has skyrocketed to record highs the past couple of years, then all of the sudden fallen to record lows. Over the past 24 years that I've been offering retirement plans no one has ever lost. Will Rogers once said "I'm not as concerned about the return on my investment as the return of my investment." Why not know that you'll be getting a certain amount when you retire rather than hoping you'll have a certain amount upon  retirement?  I've found over the years that most people want three things: 1) That their money is safe and secure, 2) that it will be there when they retire and 3)Be enough to live on- not worrying about outliving their money. 



Refer anyone to us for annuities and/or life insurance and get a $25 referral bonus. They don't even have to meet with us face-to-face  just be referred and we meet with them via zoom, email, or phone. Likewise, if you refinance or purchase a home (or refer someone) to our affiliate Capital Loan Associates, you will receive $200 upon closing.  In other words, get paid for taking a N.A. P (Name, email Address, Phone #) Contact us for details.

 2.3% interest for 2 years or 3.2% for 5 years guaranteed
Want a short-term annuity?

If you are retired and want to earn more than your bank or credit union, but also want to be guaranteed to not lose a dime or lock your money up for several years then maybe a Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuity (MYGA) is something to consider. If you have at least $10,000 in an account (bank, credit union, or pension) we work with other companies with a guaranteed rate of 2.3% for 2 years or 3.2% for 5 years. The rate is guaranteed to not change during that time. At the end of the 2 or 5 years you can walk away or re-invest without any fees.


 
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Contact Us
JL Waite Financial Group
P.O. Box 11791
Bakersfield, CA 93389


661-979-0945
800-566-4047


jlwaite@gmail.com
www.jlwaite.com

 

 






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JL Waite Financial Group · P.O. Box 11791 · Bakersfield, CA 93389 · USA

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