Staying True to the CA Mission in a Pandemic

This Spring, Robert Frost, a redtailed hawk, and rabbits ruled an empty Colorado Academy campus. With no sound of children laughing in the Dining Hall, no players competing on the fields, no students debating in the classroom, and no artists displaying their work in the Ponzio Arts Center, the CA community felt like it had lost touch with its home.

But the school did not lose its determination, its energy, its resilience, and its commitment to excellence.

Seniors pivoted on their Community Impact Projects and began sewing masks and writing letters of gratitude to health care workers. Another Senior launched a weekly talk show with students and teachers which quickly became must-see TV. Lower Schoolers learned online in the morning and took the “Courage and Kindness Challenge” in the afternoon—sometimes creating chalk art messages of appreciation for their teachers. Middle School students pursued their regular academic program and collectively exercised for more than 90,000 minutes. Between the first day of remote learning, March 25, and mid-May, CA logged more than seven million Zoom meeting minutes, the majority in the classroom with students learning. CA even found a way to continue the beloved Senior-Kindergarten Buddy Program during a pandemic. Much of what the world has seen and lived through in 2020 was certainly not normal, but even during these challenging times, Colorado Academy stayed true to its mission—Creating curious, kind, courageous, and adventurous learners and leaders. This is the story of how CA did it. Ramping up

One of the often-noted aspects of the coronavirus pandemic is how quickly it spread. CA began watching the arrival of COVID-19 in January, shortly after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on a pneumonia-like coronavirus traveling from China to other places around the world. Reports from news organizations around the country began confirming, one by one, cases of people testing positive inside the U.S. Working in conjunction with CA’s Health Assistant and consultants at Children’s Hospital Colorado, school leaders began to think about just what a pandemic would look like and how CA could prepare to respond. Each time there was a cancellation, a postponement, or directive by health or government officials, CA ramped up its response: forming a task force to monitor news developments, increasing cleaning and sanitation efforts, exploring a virtual platform provider, and planning for what was, at first the unthinkable, and then became a matter of course.

Transitioning to remote learning

Early on, CA anticipated that the school might have to make a transition to remote learning, with students and teachers all working at home, using either a >>>

Fifth Grader Georgia Roberts attending school at home

Director of Inclusivity Sarah Wright and Pre-Kindergarten Director Lizzie Rockmore ’90 train for Zoom school. Avery Lin ’20 attending school at home

What students say about Zoom school

Avery Lin, Senior

In my mind, I had the last trimester of my Senior year all laid out— prom, Senior Speeches, doing the Upper School musical—and then it was all canceled. In the weeks since the school closed, it’s been different for every one of us. It’s really sad in some ways, and in other ways that I would never have expected, I have been pleasantly surprised. In this whole experience, we are all using the principles of improvisation which are “Yes, and….” It’s a disruption for everyone, but the teachers are trying hard. Teachers propose new ways of doing things, and students go along saying, “Yes, and….” It shows what you can do when you have really smart teachers and devoted students.

One positive of Zoom learning is that we have amazing technology that allows us to see people’s faces. It doesn’t replace being in the room with my classmates, but just to wake up every morning and see their smiling faces offers a relief. Also, this gives a routine. Endless Spring Break is not something you want. The one thing that I like about this Spring is the amount of free time I’ve had. So in an odd way, even though I am trapped in my house, this has been freeing. Harper Hodgson, Grade 7

When I heard the news from Dr. Davis that we would be going to Zoom school, I was happy to have a routine. It’s good to have something to do besides sitting around the house and taking the dog for 30 walks a day. There are positives to learning on Zoom. We can go into small groups and do group projects with our teacher dropping in to check on us. The teacher can share a screen, which is just like having a projector on the whiteboard in class, so that’s a good tool. We can work alone in our own space during school, which I actually like, especially when I am writing English assignments, because there are no distractions.

We have even been able to continue meeting with our Advisory once a week and with the Eighth Grade Leadership team. We play games with them. Overall, it feels like the school really has this situation organized and under control. Because I am focused on class, I have less stress, and I am much less worried about the virus. It’s good to have something else to think about.

Georgia Roberts, Grade 5

I saw this coming. If you read the news, you knew that there were more cases of COVID-19 every day, so yes, I figured we might not come back to school, but I didn’t know that it would last this long. I was sad I wouldn’t see my friends. But I was glad that I could sleep in. An extra 90 minutes of sleep every day is definitely a plus. The plusses of Zoom school? Well, I like the “themed shares,” because you have to think ahead and have something prepared. I could never bring my two dogs to real school to share! I like short classes, because it gives me more time to do my homework. I feel like everything we are doing is very clear. The teachers show us exactly how to do things. And with Zoom, if you have questions or something doesn’t make sense, you can ask for help. Also, I like that I can see my friends and teachers.

I miss being in a community doing things together. But it could have been much worse if we didn’t have Zoom, iPads, technology, the internet, and our teachers. n

<<< synchronous or asynchronous model. With asynchronous online learning, teachers would post materials, lectures, and tests for students to do on their own schedule. There would be little, if any, interaction with students.

With synchronous learning, students and teachers would be online at the same time, continuing a regular class schedule like they had during the school year, learning together. Because a significant part of the school’s mission is a commitment to staying connected as a community, CA chose to implement synchronous learning. CA was the first school in Colorado to sign a contract with the Zoom K-12 video conferencing platform for Pre-K through Grade 12. Teachers engaged in intense training as they adapted curriculum to online teaching. Days before Spring Break, Head of School Dr. Mike Davis delivered his annual State of the School address to parents, beginning with a Question and Answer session about CA’s COVID-19 response. Many parents watched and submitted questions via Zoom. “The scale and speed of this has been unprecedented,” observes Davis. “One of the many things that independent schools can do is to react and pivot to changing conditions and to needs in our community. “It is not just our structure and operation, but it is our faculty and our mindset, and it is exactly what we want to model for students. There is no doubt, as we look to the future, that tomorrow’s leaders are going to need to know how do the same kind of thing.” After Spring Break in March, students and teachers returned to school, but not to campus. Classes continued seamlessly in real time while everyone remained safely at home. To support students’ mental health, the school’s online programming was built around a familiar schedule that followed CA’s regular six-day rotation of classes. For additional mental health support, teachers and school counselors provided virtual office hours. Lower Schoolers had a shortened school day so they spent less time on a screen. CA has been highlighted by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) for its “holistic online strategy.” The independent school trade organization applauded CA’s effort to support and engage students as much as possible during an interruption to daily school life. “Understanding that learning, development, and social-emotional wellness are about more than classroom lectures, [Davis] promised parents he would consider creative ways to engage his students,” wrote NAIS. As CA looks ahead to next year, there are many unknowns, but the school will continue to be guided by state and local health and governmental authorities. There may be state orders that limit class sizes and that enforce social distancing at schools. (Section sizes range from 15-20 students at CA.) There may be additional school closures next year, and the faculty are working to fine-tune their online teaching. CA believes that reopening the schools is key to getting the economy going. In the same way that school leadership acted quickly and strategically at the beginning of the pandemic, there is now an ongoing effort to evaluate creative solutions for the future.

Living through a pandemic—a time that our children’s children will someday study in history class—is a daily reminder of why bricks-and-mortar schools and in-person learning matter. Although online learning serves a purpose, humans were built for real connections. CA families will not forget this experience, and they will learn from it. As one CA Upper Schooler recently said, “I will never complain about school again.” n