Ahead of the curve
By JOSE NEGRON
jnegron@yourmvi.com
While local schools have felt the impact of COVID-19 and are just now beginning remote instruction for students, the Elizabeth Forward School District remains ahead of the curve.
Students at EF have missed just one day of school — on March 16 — since Pennsylvania school districts were shut down just over two weeks ago.
Elizabeth Forward is in its third week of virtual instruction days.
“Our teachers and our kids are all familiar with the technology because they use it every single day,” said Elizabeth Forward Superintendent Dr. Todd Keruskin. “One of our focuses is on personalized learning, so we have given years of professional development to our teachers and principals. Everybody has embraced this for years now.”
For the past eight years, every student in the district has been given an iPad, making virtual learning simple for students at all grade levels.
Keruskin said the district has embraced a “blended learning” model where students get the opportunity to use iPads while physically learning in the classroom.
Students also have experience using the iPads at home during virtual instruction days implemented during past snow days.
Keruskin said EF was one of less than a dozen districts in the state that served as pilot schools with the Pennsylvania Department of Education during the 2014-15 school year.
“Having done this has helped us transition into a more virtual world,” Keruskin said. “It has prepared us, but we continue to tweak what we have done in the past, too, because dealing with virtual days when there is snow out and school is canceled today, but we’re going to back tomorrow is different since this is more long term.”
While students are properly equipped to virtually learn, teachers are just as prepared to virtually teach.
Instructors are utilizing a management system known as “Canvas” for the first time this year.
According to middle school mathematics teacher Rob Miele, the system is similar to “Blackboard” or “Moodle,” which are commonly used by college professors.
Through the “Canvas” system, teachers are able to assign different content materials, video conference and provide immediate feedback to students.
“The possibilities are really unimaginable and the best part is, the entire district takes part in it, K-12,” Miele said. “It certainly looks different for each grade level, but from a comfort level, everyone is on the same page.”
Despite utilizing a new system, Miele said the recent move to virtual instruction has been relatively seamless.
“We are so fortunate to have the resources and platforms to adjust on the fly and still provide such high quality instruction to our students,” he said. “As teachers, we’ve had tremendous support from our administrators.”
Keruskin has been impressed by what he’s seen from teachers through video conferencing sessions.
One teacher he was notably impressed by is Central Elementary music teacher Kristy Ochs, who recently conducted a virtual Disney singalong with nearly 100 students.
“She was singing and using her piano from home,” Keruskin explained. “It was just incredible. We continue to see our teachers be creative and innovative to engage kids and try to give our kids some normalcy during COVID-19.”
Not only are EF students getting their education through virtual instruction days, they are also getting a sense of normality from administrators and teachers online through social media.
Those who use Twitter have noticed faculty members taking necessary steps to spread uplifting messages of unity and strength.
“There is the educational piece and then there is the mental health piece in trying to make sure we care for the needs of our kids,” Keruskin said. “It still connects our students to our teachers and that connection is very important during something like this.”
High school principal Michael Routh is one of the administrators interacting with the EF community on a daily basis.
Via his Twitter account, Routh has shared encouraging posts made by other teachers, while even posting birthday wishes to students celebrating during this pandemic.
One of Routh’s most uplifting posts, however, was posted Sunday afternoon when he shared a collection of words that held a significant meaning.
He clarified that they weren’t his words, but that he found them hopeful during these unprecedented times when schools are closed, local businesses are finding ways to make ends meet and human beings are holding on to hope.
“This moment humanity is going through can be seen as a portal or as a hole,” the tweet reads. “The decision to fall into the hole or go through the portal is up to you.”
Routh said he felt like it was the right time to share those words.
“The passage spoke to a sense of hope and belief that things will get better and, believe it or not, we do have some control over it,” Routh said. “It’s how we decide to cope with it that matters most.”
Miele has been active in spreading positive messages as well.
He posted a two-plus minute video March 24 that featured middle school staff members holding signs with positive messages and inspirational quotes written on them.
The post, which received nearly 2,000 views, also featured a message from Miele that reads, “Although our classrooms are empty and silence fills the halls, we must stay #EFStrong.”
“Our building is so close; we have a great environment at Elizabeth Forward Middle School and our kids are a huge part of that,” Miele said. “I thought it would be nice to let the students know that we do miss them; we miss being in our classrooms and we miss our normal routine.
“The photo with the message each teacher submitted was a creative way for us to give the students and community a quick glimpse of us outside our classroom during this difficult time.”
Students and faculty members have also taken part in virtual spirit weeks on Twitter.
Last week, they followed themes such as Productive in PJs day, Tye Dye Tuesday and Red and Black day.
“The schools have a responsibility to their students to care for their mental well-being as we go through this difficult time,” Routh said. “Students need us now more than ever.”
It’s unknown when students and teachers will be back in the classroom together.
That’s the case all over the state of Pennsylvania.
But regardless of when things get back to how they used to be, Elizabeth Forward students won’t be falling behind.
They’ll carry on as usual, learning all that they can via virtual instruction while following their fellow instructors in keeping a positive mindset amid unprecedented times.
“I’m just so proud of our whole community as well as our school board, our administrators and our staff for pulling together,” Keruskin said. “We’ve been saying that we’re going to get through this, but we have to get through it together as a community. At EF, we’re a team.”
