Area students, teachers make the most of Distance Learning

It's easy to take our schools for granted during ‘normal’ times. We send our kids off to school knowing where they will be for the next eight hours, and that they will be watched over, cared for and taught by teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, principals, superintendents, custodians and lunch ladies.

While this is most definitely not what anyone might classify a ‘normal’ time, the world keeps spinning, life continues, and we realize just how much we depend on the people that typically spend the day with our kids.

 Local school administrators and teachers have found amazing ways to work around the lack of face-to-face instruction opportunities and continue to work to connect with their students in any way they can.

Thankfully, the state provided our schools a two-week timeframe to prepare for what would turn out to be several months of distance learning. Teachers and administrators worked feverishly to convert lesson plans to a format they could use online. Administrators and technology coordinators scrambled to make sure every student had access to the internet so they could continue to participate in classes.

“This school year will be remembered as the strangest in my teaching career,” commented Cedar Mountain 5th grade teacher Angela Sandgren. “Honestly, it was a tough transition, but I am so glad that I have a wonderful support system. It's awesome that the students are able to continue learning and seem to be transitioning well.” 

While there were some hiccups early on, things have smoothed out and are running well. 

“Now that we're a couple of weeks in and have communicated with our students and families as well as collected data from assignments, interactions, and surveys we have modified and improved the education that students receive,” said Charlotte Hoffmann, Math Teacher at Cedar Mountain

Teachers are adjusting to grading photos of assignments that the students send in rather than the paper versions, and according to Cedar Mountain Social Studies Teacher Mike Menth, students are finding ways to make a connection with their classmates and teachers. “They crave contact with their friends, classmates, and teacher.  Just last week, I held a Google Meet with my Seventh Graders. I had over half of their entire grade join the meeting. None of them had any questions, instead we shared stories, showed off our dogs and cats, and made each other laugh.”

The teachers are definitely missing their students too. “It is extremely hard to be away from my students.  I miss their fun personalities, laughing and learning together,” says Melissa Hanson, 3rd grade teacher at GFW. “Our Thunderbirds are strong, capable, resilient, and extremely intelligent.  I can't wait when we can all be together again.”

“Flexibility is key here — this is a challenging time for everyone involved; teachers, students, support staff, and parents,” commented Cedar Mountain 4th grade teacher Scott Babbit, “so I tell my families to simply do the best they can. I have no problem if students need extra time with assignments and try to convey that I am here for them no matter what they need.

“I’ve made some silly videos wearing different costumes and sent them to my students, with the hopes that I can keep their spirits up and remind them that humor goes a long way during tough times. Putting a smile on my students’ face is one of my top priorities through all of this. I refuse to let academics be the only focus right now because students still need to laugh, feel supported, know that their teachers still care about them, and find ways to remain positive through all of this. Their mental health and well-being is arguably the most important thing right now.”

Communication has been a huge focus at Cedar Mountain, and, according to Superintendent Rob Brandl, a huge part of their success. They have staff dedicated to reaching out to families on a daily basis, and they are working to meet the needs of the district’s families right away before problems grow and become unmanageable.

One challenge GFW has encountered is finding the balance between providing opportunities for students to learn and realizing that not all students have the support at home. There are families where both of the parents are working outside of the home and can't provide any help with schoolwork until they get home. This takes away from the family time that they used to have in the evening. Teachers have made changes to their expectations to provide more flexibility given the different family situations.

But teaching only scratches the surface of what our school districts are doing for their students right now. The lunch staff didn’t have two weeks to plan – they had to make adjustments on the fly in order to make sure students who rely on those school lunches get fed. Those meals started up right away, allowing families to pick up their meals at school buildings. Now, bus drivers are delivering meals and, in some cases, class materials to homes throughout the districts.

As of Wednesday, April 8, GFW Schools had distributed more than 8,000 meals, and they are seeing an increase in their numbers as time passes.

Cedar Mountain reports that they are currently serving about 431 meals per day, and they too have seen an increase in the number of families utilizing that option. 

Both districts distribute lunch and breakfast for the following day with each meal. GFW provides cold lunches, while Cedar Mountain is also incorporating some hot meals as well.

Our schools also stepped up without any warning or the two-week prep period to provide childcare for children of healthcare and emergency workers so they can continue to do their jobs during this health crisis. 

At GFW, the district is providing childcare to between nine and 13 children depending on the day. Cedar Mountain reports an average of seven students per day.

GFW Superintendent Lonnie Seifert commented that, “All in all it has really gone well and we have received numerous emails and phone calls of support.”

“We appreciate the efforts of our families and community during a difficult time as education has changed,” commented Cedar Mountain Superintendent Rob Brandl. “We are working hard to do our best to continue to serve our cedar mountain students.”

 

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