School During a Pandemic: Part 2

As we are moving closer to Christmas, we have been blessed to remain operational and COVID-free. With that in mind, we continue to focus on delivering excellent education in a safe environment.  As SCS parents, we appreciate your support and cooperation as we work together to provide the best possible experiences for SCS students in the most challenging times. 

To that end, we would kindly ask you to respect and comply with SHA instructions/regulations. We have not had a positive COVID case in the school yet, and we hope  to keep it that way. SCS staff, like SCS families, run the gamut in how they feel about the regulations; however, as a school, SCS staff are required to follow the regulations. Parents can make school life easier by ensuring that they, and their families, also follow the regulations. We are all doing the best we can in these trying circumstances. Let us, therefore, extend grace and patience towards one another. In doing so, we honour God in the eyes of the larger society. 

Additionally, if your child(ren) need(s) to work from home, PLEASE ensure that your child is completing the various assignments by the specific due dates. All online learning last year (March to June) was supplemental; this year, all online learning is required. If you want your child to learn the concepts and skills, please ensure that your child does the work.

In my last email, I commented on what chapel looked like this year. In this email, I will comment on what classroom instruction looks like this year. If you think that the paragraphs after this next one sound confusing, it is because they are confusing (and complex). Dealing with instruction during a pandemic has led to a significant learning curve for the teachers as well as for the students and parents. The following paragraphs are my attempt to share some of this complexity with you and to try to make it easier for everyone to understand. If it sounds like we are making some of this up as we go, it is because we are. Right now we are trying to stay afloat as we try to meet the academic (and social) needs of the students. So, here goes…. 

Pre-pandemic, classroom instruction between the grades was very similar. The teacher presented information in a variety of ways, assigned activities to practice the new concepts, and then assessed the work. If a student missed a day, then that student would either have the work emailed to them or would collect it the next day and then complete the assignment. Instruction models have changed for this year. Rather than having all teachers follow the same general model, we now have 10 models we are working with.

The first two models are very straight forward. The first model is (regular) in-class instruction. This is still happening in the elementary school (K-8) for the most part and for a few secondary courses. At the secondary level, these courses last for one quarter (approximately 9 weeks). This sometimes moves to in-class with asynchronous learning (second model). In-class with asynchronous means that students are taught in class, but, if a student is at home, sick or not, the student can visit Google Classroom and see what assignments they have to complete.

The third model is our Online Course Instruction. This is in place for eight courses: ELA A30, ELA B30, ELA 20, History 20, ELA A10, History 10, Social Studies 9, and Science 9. For these courses, one of our SCS teachers has developed the course(s) for the Google Classroom platform. These courses are taught asynchronously; students can work on this material at a time that is convenient for them (as long as they complete the assignments by the date and time they are due). These courses are full-semester courses. Secondary students are taking two courses per quarter as well as one of these online courses.

Our fourth model is in-class and synchronous. This is a model that is being used only in our secondary classes; the teacher is doing the regular in-class teaching AND has his/her computer open to Google Meet so that the student(s) working from home can join in and follow along. (I’m glad we are trying this this year and not last year as our internet is much faster this year). This is a new model for our teachers and one that has its own set of issues associated with it. One of the challenges is the technology itself. Google Meet works better than Zoom, but can still be glitchy. This is compounded when the teacher is also using the computer to connect to the projector. Toggling back and forth between applications sometimes results in the applications cutting in and out. This is quite frustrating, both for the teacher and for the student working from home.

Our fifth model, also for secondary only, is split-class instruction. Split-class instruction is a hybrid variation of Covid-regulation Level 3 instruction. The larger collegiates in the province are required to move to Level 3: classes capped at 15 and in school for fewer days (2-3 days maximum). We have moved to a modified version of this. We have capped our classes at 15, but, instead of sending half the students home on alternate days, we have moved them into separate classrooms. History 12, for example, has approximately 14 students in one classroom and 12 students in a neighbouring classroom. The teacher then uses a webcam in each classroom to link them together. The one room has the teacher; the other classroom either has an Educational Assistant or a second teacher to help with behaviour and answering questions. The teacher can hear students in either classroom and the students in the one room can see the students in the other room. The teacher may also be using the projector to share information on the board while using the two webcams. This model is a first for us and the teachers are making it work.

This model has two other hybrid versions as well. The sixth model is split in-class with pre-recorded instruction. In this model, the teacher still has the two classes (one course split in half) but, rather than teaching ‘live’ in both classes, it has pre-recorded instruction that is played for one class while the teacher is teaching the other class ‘live’. The seventh model is also split in-class instruction while also having students connecting synchronously from home via Google Meet. Here we have two webcams connecting the two classes while the teacher’s computer is connecting with students from home through Google Meet. This model is the most advanced technologically and the most challenging in terms of staying connected with each student. This model also creates the most technological challenges. We are in the process of purchasing new technology that should make this process easier.

The eighth model is regular in-class instruction while using pre-recorded instruction. There are times when the teacher is aware that he/she will be absent for a class and so has prepared pre-recorded instruction. (This could work at any grade level). The teacher would instruct and the teacher or Educational Assistant in the classroom would help the students work through the material.

The ninth model, so far only used in the elementary grades, is when the teacher must stay home (generally due to a concern regarding COVID). In this model, the teacher is instructing the class from home via Google Meet while an Educational Assistant is in the actual classroom working with the students.

The tenth, and final, model is our SCS Online School. (There are two versions: full-time SCS Online School and part-time SCS Online School). Immuno-compromised elementary students who are working from home this year are taking (full-time) classes through SCS Online School. We are partnering with FlexEd to deliver these courses. FlexEd provides the online platform and SCS provides the teacher. Secondary students are generally taking one or two online courses through our SCS Online School program. In previous years, the secondary students would have taken these courses through SPSD online classes; since we are no longer a part of SPSD, SCS students are taking these courses through our (FlexEd) SCS Online School program. Again, FlexEd provides the online platform and content and SCS provides the teacher.

Any, or all, of these models can be adapted, if needed, for a student on an IIP.

Trying to operate a school where ten models of instruction are being used concurrently is confusing for students, parents, and teachers. It is even more challenging for teachers who are trying to make the technology work properly while conducting instruction. Please be patient with the teachers as they are trying to learn how to make this work (while they are making it work); it is like trying to build a bridge as you are walking on it. We are providing new technology to make the teacher’s job more workable and appropriate training as needed to help the teachers use the new technology (or instructional model).

In light of this complexity, if we partner together well at school and at home, as staff and as parents, SCS students will have the best possible chance at succeeding and growing in 2020-2021. I wish your family a blessed and joyful Christmas season.   

School During a Pandemic: Part 1

This has been an interesting year; (I guess that qualifies for an ‘Understatement of the Year’ award). So many things have changed over this past year. Many of these changes are things that do change over time: new staff, new courses, new schedules, and so forth. However, sometimes those changes also bring with them new ways of accomplishing long-standing practices. One significant change this year is how chapel is run.

Over the last number of years, chapels were held in the multi-purpose room, a variety of teachers led the teaching components, some students led the singing and the rest participated in the singing. Guest speakers would be brought in, and those speakers may have addressed one or more of the three chapels that were offered: primary, middle years’, and secondary. Over the last three years, I provided much of the teaching material for the middle years’ and the secondary chapels; the primary teachers took turns providing the teaching content for the primary chapel.

This year, we brought Mr. Ron Smeding on as chaplain. He would now be in charge of arranging (and providing) content for the chapels. However, he was also hired during the pandemic and knew he would have to run chapels during a pandemic. That has led to certain changes in the delivery of our chapel program.

The first big change for all chapels is that they are being delivered to every classroom via video. For the first six weeks of the school year, the content of the chapels was shared by both the middle years’ and the secondary classes. September started with the theme of A Foundation of Fearlessness from Isaiah 43 followed by An Attitude of Gratitude for Thanksgiving. A final interview on God’s Work Behind the Scenes at SCS took place before the chapels were split into middle years’ and secondary chapels.

Since Thanksgiving, high school chapels have covered the Awards, a Missions Moment by Mark Ronald (a missionary from Zambia who is related to an SCS school family), How Jewish Dress anticipates Jesus by Mr. Graham, and a Remembrance Day event organized by Miss Stonehouse and Mrs. Luma. Mr. Smeding has now started a new series on Matthew 5 called Revolutionary Discipleship. For the majority of the chapels, there was a video followed by a series of questions developed for the video. These questions were distributed to the classes for discussion.

Mr. Smeding will create some seasonally specific chapels for Christmas, New Years, and Easter as well as using parts from the video series Chosen. Mr. Smeding also plans to use Louie Giglio’s series Goliath Must Fall as well as developing another series with which to end the year.

The middle school staff and students are sharing chapel times on a rotating basis. Mr. Smeding has coordinated a schedule and meeting time with the teachers to ensure no topic or theme overlap occurs. Mr. Thiessen and the grade 6 class have shared a series of chapel video skits on the book Telescope Ted. Mr. Smeding will also add his own series into the mix and seasonal chapels for Christmas, New Years, and Easter will also take place.

The elementary teachers (and their classes) are taking turns preparing a chapel for the other classes. The main focus at the beginning of the year was on prayer: thanksgiving, praise, how to pray for others, and how to pray for self. Each created video included a discussion and featured crafts and activities. More recently, the focus shifted from prayer to character traits and where they are modeled in the Bible.