Sleeping in, reading for fun, hours outside\u2026 Along with all of this, EMS students continue to grow academically, socially and emotionally, through virtual community at Eastern Mennonite School this spring during the COVID-19 closure.<\/p>\n
Some students wish for more online school work, while other students \u2014 and stressed parents \u2014 need less, observed Maria Archer<\/a>, K-8 principal.<\/p>\n \u201cNeeds vary from day to day, as everyone navigates this strange new world,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have the capacity to know our student and family needs and are doing our best to serve them.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin King<\/a>, high school principal, has been inspired by teachers\u2019 creativity and commitment. \u201cThey have tackled new technology, made time to communicate with students, and learned to flex expectations and grading to accommodate emotional health. It\u2019s been a lot,\u201d he notes. \u201cI\u2019m so proud of them!<\/p>\n Online Academics<\/strong> More than 100 parents responded to a survey at the end of the first week. Most expressed appreciation for the content, teacher commitment, and ability for their students\u2019 to continue academic work. Many also suggested ways to improve. In addition, nearly 100 students responded to another survey, this one circulated by the SCO (Student Council Organization).<\/p>\n \u201cResponses provided incredibly valuable information to help shape the academic plan moving forward,\u201d says King. \u201cWe read each one, looked for trends and made adjustments the next week,\u201d says King. The principals also met virtually with each teacher to hear concerns, offer support and learn what has been working well.<\/p>\n Online learning samples<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMy son woke up at 7 a.m. because he was so excited for Mr. Martin\u2019s Friday challenge!\u201d said one sixth grade mom. The egg drop challenge<\/a>, obstacle course design<\/a> y tin foil boat design<\/a> \u201cincorporate some of the skills we are learning in math or science into a challenge,\u201d explains Larry Martin<\/a>.<\/p>\n He also asks them to contribute to science lesson slideshows. \u201cThey can be creative and then look at how others are answering the questions,\u201d he says. For example, students have made videos to \u201cexplain astronomically why we have seasons or eclipses. The videos are really creative, and it\u2019s a good way for them to \u2018see\u2019 each other,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Malea Gascho<\/a>, art teacher, sent students home with supplies for various classes. She created this video<\/a> for her watercolor students to continue their class.<\/p>\n Anna Haarer<\/a>, family and consumer science teacher, hosted a virtual smoothie lab in her home kitchen, with students following along in their own kitchens.<\/p>\n Mary Cranston<\/a>, high school English teacher, has led AP literature class synchronously online.<\/p>\n Valeria Eshleman-Robles<\/a> y Rebecca Yutzy<\/a> created this Spanish video<\/a> from their houses across the street from each other in Park View. \u201cWe call it \u201cNailed It, Park View\u201d because \u201cNailed it, Mexico\u201d is our students\u2019 favorite Spanish-language show but we both live in Park View, across the street from each other,\u201d Yutzy explains. \u201cViewers should pay attention to the end,\u201d warns Yutzy, \u201cbecause one of us made a big mistake that will affect the outcome of the cake!\u201d<\/p>\n Faith Formation Online<\/strong><\/p>\n In the days immediately following the closure, Jared Stutzman<\/a>, choir director, found solace in creating a virtual choir that included all his current choral students, faculty, staff and alumni. Since posting the virtual choir performance of \u201cDon\u2019t Be Afraid,\u201d by John Bell, more than 25,000 people have viewed it on Facebook<\/a> y YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n Elwood Yoder, in his 39th year of teaching, moved his classes online. They include: Kingdom Living, a senior level class; 9th grade Creation and Promise Bible class; and Global Christianity, a Bible and social studies elective. \u201cThese are places where I\u2019m meeting my kids with faith, encouragement, and regular Bible study.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMini chapels<\/a>\u201d for grades 6 to 12 featuring faculty, staff and students are posted several times a week, and students are assigned in their PowerSchool learning system to watch at their own pace.<\/p>\n Elementary students continue to enjoy their weekly Gathering, which normally takes place Wednesday morning. Maria Archer reads a book<\/a>, shares and prays with them now in a video. She also posted a video of their annual Passion Walk<\/a> for students to watch during Easter week.<\/p>\n The girls varsity soccer team captains asked Coach Andrew Gascho, if the team could have a weekly Bible study after an initial Zoom team meeting they had to process the loss of their season. The time of connecting and studying the book of Ephesians has been meaningful to the team, as well as coach. Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n Social and Emotional Well-being Online<\/strong><\/p>\n All elementary grades have done virtual \u201ccircles,\u201d reports Heidi Byler<\/a>, third grade teacher and elementary team leader.<\/p>\n \u201cWe invite students to a video meeting, check in with a question, and draw names to hear from everyone who wants to share.\u201d It\u2019s a way to keep fostering the community, the listening and sharing, and just general wellness, she explains. Examples of questions include: what are the losses or gains you are experiencing? How have you been creative? What are you reading?<\/p>\n Byler also sent out video \u201cwellness moments\u201d that includes things like yoga stretches, breathing exercises, and a prayer shared by a local pastor. Teachers have also had video check-ins with small groups and\/or one-on-one.<\/p>\n Debbie Katz<\/a>, high school counselor, and Jodi Hertzler<\/a>, college and career counseling, have met 1:1 with seniors to discuss their plans after graduation. \u201cMany high school students are feeling \u2018stuck\u2019, understandably so, and are having a hard time making decisions,\u201d says Katz. Joining Debbie and Jodi\u2019s skill sets in these meetings has been well received by parents, according to King.<\/p>\n Gini Trotter<\/a>, K-8 counselor, is holding virtual grade-level meetings with the 7th and 8th grade students, often separated by gender, to foster interaction and connection.<\/p>\n Student Council Organization (SCO) hosted a virtual Spirit Week for grades 6-12<\/a> y K-5<\/a> during spring break, inviting students to send photos and videos on themes for each day, such as \u201cWhatcha Making\u2019 Monday.\u201d Daily video compilations of submissions are posted on the school\u2019s YouTube<\/a> channel.<\/p>\n Junior class representatives joined junior class sponsors and Justin King, high school principal, to dress up for a v\u00eddeo<\/a> announcing that they are, indeed, planning on a Junior-Senior banquet\u2026 sometime.<\/p>\n Joy Anderson<\/a>, past musical director, and Jodi Hertlzer<\/a>, drama coordinator, created a fun video<\/a> to reveal the selected musical \u2014 Les Miserables \u2014 for next academic year and lay the groundwork for important conversations leading up to auditions and the production.<\/p>\n Laura Hershey Herr, pre-calculus teacher and middle school team leader, is one of many high school teachers who host Google meet \u201coffice hours\u201d where students can connect and just say hi or ask questions.<\/p>\n The list of the ways we are connecting could go on, notes Paul Leaman<\/a>, head of school. \u201cLike our entire nation, we are learning that we need each other now more than ever. We are grateful for tools that help us connect and our capacity as a school community to be here for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n Learn more<\/a> about EMS during the COVID-19 closure and support the school\u2019s COVID-19 Aid Fund<\/a>.<\/p>\n The photo gallery at right features teachers during the first week of online teaching from their home offices.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sleeping in, reading for fun, hours outside\u2026 Along with all of this, EMS students continue to grow academically, socially and emotionally, through virtual community at Eastern Mennonite School this spring during the COVID-19 closure. Some students wish for more online school work, while other students \u2014 and stressed parents \u2014 need less, observed Maria Archer,\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":27848,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[26,355,353,303],"class_list":["post-28132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-academics","tag-counseling","tag-covid-19","tag-faith-formation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28132"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28132\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28132"}],"curies":[{"name":"gracias","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nSince March 18<\/a>, kindergarten through grade 12 classes have been meeting online, some synchronous (live) and others asynchronous, where students view content on their own time frame. Grades 6-12 work Mondays and Wednesdays on odd period classes, Tuesday and Thursday on even period classes, and use Friday as a \u201ccatch up\u201d day.<\/p>\n