Our Unusual Journey and the Need for Prayer
The last two weeks have definitely challenged all of our school staff members in ways we never could have imagined. Although our students have plenty of access to the technology we need to successfully prepare them for high school, our teachers carefully control the amount of weekly screen time at school. And then, with barely any notice, we have been challenged to provide our students with a distance learning experience that will engage them, challenge them to learn independently, and support their parents through this new experience.
I am so proud of my staff. Over the next couple of weeks I will share some of the tools we are using, giving you a glimpse into what “distance learning” looks like at SJE.
Our upper grade group includes students in grade five through eight. They are working in a Microsoft Teams environment. This means that their teachers provide them with assignments and guidance to complete them. Teachers are able to answer questions, and even initiate discussions with students. Our challenge for the next week is to integrate video conferencing at this level.
We held our first video faculty meeting during the past week. It was awkward and challenging in many ways, but we had the chance to speak and be heard. This will help us to make sure that we support each other through this process.
Our challenges abound, but we are better for them as long as we work together and remember to pray, for each other and for our world.
You are all in my prayers,
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Staying Safer at Home and Be a Blessing!
Mary Laidlaw-Otto, Principal
