What a change a year can make. The COVID-19 pandemic has up-ended the day-to-day life for everyone. At Gilbert Plains Elementary School, we have been challenged, stretched and pushed into accepting this new reality which has caused us to work through problems and explore new possibilities in our small school.
When the pandemic first hit us in March of 2020, Gilbert Plains Elementary was caught by surprise. We had more questions than answers: How are we going to teach students? How do we provide a quality education from a distance? How do we be mindful of unique challenges the pandemic has on families? The list goes on. One of the big questions we focused on was how do we continue to provide a quality education? Back in March of 2020, we provided students with paper packages of work. This was more in line with “emergency teaching” and being reactive to the unfolding of COVID-19 in our province. At the time, we focused on re-enforcing previously taught concepts. While this proved to be good in a pinch, we realized that this method could only go so far. We learned that it was very difficult to engage with the paper packages. Gilbert Plains Elementary has shown that we are capable of adapting in our teaching and learning and “raising the bar” as we made the move and pivoted to online learning. Teachers utilized platforms like Class Dojo and Microsoft TEAMS. Through the implementation of these platforms, lessons were streamed in real-time, right into a student’s home. Now, we were able to deliver new content and keep pace with curricula. Gilbert Plains Elementary was posed with the challenge to ensure learning continues; while there was (and still are) difficulties, we have rapidly evolved from paper packages to real-time online instruction and digital assignments.
With the increased use of technology, we have seen an increase in transparency and communication between teachers, students and families. Messages are exchanged instantaneously, assignments are collected and stored as evidence of learning and feedback is provided. If a student is away, they are able to catch up on the work that they miss. Further, the use of technology has ushered in a new set of skills that students are developing. Students are learning core curriculum, along with 21st century skills like email, collaboration, and problem solving. Without a teacher in the same physical location of a student, they are also building competencies like self-regulation and agency. Further, it requires a much more conscious and active role on the student’s part.
Welcoming our students back in September of 2020 was unlike any other September. Everyone had new procedures and regulations to follow. Students took all of this in stride and accepted this new way of doing things. Dealing with Covid-19 protocols was one aspect that was different. Another factor that changed our school was the evolving list of guidelines. Everyone had been impacted and asked to do things that were above and beyond what was normally asked of them. Gilbert Plains Elementary pulled together as a team; teachers were tasked with teaching in two different classrooms and online, educational assistants made phone calls to students, their schedules were upended, and custodians had their roles increase significantly. Finally, our secretary had to take on the task of knowing every new Public Health guideline, and be the front line of communication between the school and community. Everyone at GPE had taken on more initiatives than anyone could have asked for. Staff and students have adapted to constant change and we all learned to rely on each other. Teamwork makes dreamwork.
The other aspect that was new to us at GPE was recovery learning. To help ensure the students at GPE succeed, we implemented a multi-step plan to address learning needs. First and foremost, every teacher identified their important learning targets in areas of literacy and numeracy. Teachers used curriculum, professional judgment, and current research to help identify high priority outcomes and goals that will help students achieve in their current grade level. Second, we adopted a common school-wide reading assessment. This has helped us identify students who need extra support so we can help develop good readers. Third, teachers developed classroom-based assessments to measure the learning that is occurring each and every day. Finally, we implemented a multi-faceted approach to helping students who need it. We have dedicated Response to Intervention (RTI) time in the early years and middle years. Homework Club has also been put in place for middle years students to ensure they are keeping pace with academic demands. GPE also offers Reading Recovery for beginning readers, and literacy lessons for students who have developed some reading strategies. Daily lessons and reading homework are assigned with a goal of accelerating reading and writing skills in a short period of time.
Finally, despite our efforts of practicing the fundamentals, GPE did have the first confirmed case in Mountain View School Division. This added a whole other form of stress and anxiety experienced by everyone. That experience proved that the students and staff at Gilbert Plains Elementary are some of the most resilient, dependable and thoughtful around. In the midst of adjusting to the news, students and staff still thought about the community. Many showed up to school the very next day. Having gone through this experience has taught us about what it means to be a part of a strong community. Right before the Christmas holiday, students decorated holiday cards and crafts while staff at GPE put them outside the windows of the residence of the GP Care Home to try to brighten their day and show our support for the COVID-19 challenge they went through. It was the least we could do for our neighbours across the street.
Since March of 2020, staff, students and families have taken on the challenge of adapting to a worldwide pandemic. We have proven to ourselves and the community that we can change, adapt and learn. While the pandemic has posed many challenges for our small school community, we have realized that for every problem, we can create a new possibility.