Chronicle 2020

Learning in the time of COVID On March 25, Havergal launched its Remote Learning Plan (RLP) to provide students with continuous learning as we support their well-being and that of our faculty.

Creativity abounds in student-initiated ways to connect with one another. One example is the baking challenge established by the Middle School Prefects for Middle School students. Scheduled classes shape students’ experiences in purposeful ways. On Wellness Wednesdays, synchronous and asynchronous (pre-recorded) experiences like meditation, yoga and boot camp sessions promote peer-to-peer connectivity and self care. These and other opportunities were available to students in every grade, with many being recorded and posted for students to access on their own time. Resilience and flexibility co-exist in times of challenge and uncertainty. Our community continued to demonstrate its resolve to cultivate these qualities throughout the school’s closure. Through student feedback, we have understood that they enjoyed the choice, flexibility and personalized schedules of the remote learning plan. They also told us that they would like more collaborative learning activities, an adjustment we will make should we need to pivot into episodes of remote learning in the new academic year. Parents have expressed gratitude for the College’s balanced approach and provided feedback on monitoring student levels of engagement as COVID-19 stretched out past Week 5. Finally, as an interesting accounting of the heightened use of digital tools during the school’s campus closure, please see the accompanying infographic. From March 23 to June 5, there were thousands of logins, on-line meetings, and emails sent. These figures include actions of faculty, students, staff and parents – all key players in the educational environment, whether face-to-face or remotely. While we have proven ourselves capable of remote learning, and are prepared to do so again, whether full-time or part-time, our students and parents look forward to returning to campus.

Our approach included stages of implementation, able to evolve in this time of uncertainty. In the beginning, we established a new rhythm of life and learning. We put student and faculty well-being at the very core of this plan. We are steadfast in our belief and practice that the well-being of humans is best sustained by building student agency, transitioning intentionally to digital tools, and creating a new learning environment that is adaptable and flexible. Our faculty implemented pedagogy responsive to our students’ needs. We have a 2+1+2 schedule in our RLP: Wednesdays are for well-being. Faculty can regroup, plan and coordinate their work. This day is for everyone’s mental health management. A focus on resilience and belonging The word resilience speaks to the potential for personal growth and awareness through challenge, such as self-isolation and Havergal’s closure. People demonstrate resilience when they leverage their capacity in new and sometimes untested ways. How do we build in students a resilience to meet this unprecedented challenge? Relationships, creativity, purpose and self-care provide a framework for building resilience in these uncertain times. These elements are embedded throughout Havergal’s remote learning plan. Relationship-building is critical in education because it promotes familiarity, trust and community. Synchronous (face-to-face) web conference classes, grade meetings, one-on-one meetings with guidance counsellors and the social worker, mediations, wellness sessions and remote Prayers sustain and nurture personal and group relationships virtually.

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