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Elementary teachers step up for their students at school in Bellefonte

By CHRIS MORELLI cmorelli@lockhaven.com 6 min read

BELLEFONTE -- With schools throughout the state closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers and administrators around the Commonwealth have been forced to get creative as they attempt to continue to educate their students remotely.

At St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in Bellefonte, administrators and teachers have truly turned lemons into lemonade.

When the school closures began, PreSchool Director Carol Fisher -- who also teaches Pre-K -- said that her school was prepared.

"In March, I sent home a learning packet that I thought would be needed for only a few weeks. As time went on, I realized that we would not be returning to school anytime soon. I then made a packet for April and am in the process of making one for May," Fisher said.

Delivering the packets to families has been bittersweet, Fisher said.

"When the April packets were ready I emailed the parents to tell them I was delivering them to their home. The children watched for me from the window and after placing the packet on the porch I returned to the sidewalk and then they would come out to the porch to talk," Fisher said. "Many of the families had notes, cards and pictures taped to the door with messages saying 'we miss you' and 'thank you for doing this for us.' It was very uplifting and heartwarming. It was important for the children to know that we were following the rules of social distancing, but we could still see each other."

At the outset, the packets contained everything students would need to complete tasks -- crayons, glue, watercolors, a pencil and scissors. All activities are age appropriate. Fisher said that some of the activities include: Creating a spring picture using pink tissue paper for blossoms on the tree and adding details to the picture, decorating and filling plastic eggs to make the Easter Story Resurrection, write the date on a monthly calendar, do a daily task listed on another calendar, color by numbers pictures, match letters, practice printing names, play alphabet and number Bingo, making crafts, using stencils to complete "All About Me" activities and decorate the packet.

"We are staying connected socially through the Zoom sessions as well as using it for storytime and mini-lessons. I am providing parents with websites that offer a variety of activities to supplement what I've provided in the learning packets. I am encouraging the children to play outside and get lots of rest. I'm also reminding them of the healthy habits we practiced at school," Fisher said.

St. John principal Kristina Tice said that her staff has done an exceptional job during extremely trying times.

"I'm continually impressed by the dedication of my faculty and am even more so during this completely unpredictable time. No one prepares you for 'how to teach during a pandemic,' and especially not when you are working with 3, 4 and 5 year olds. Mrs. Fisher has been phenomenal in her ability to take this new challenge and run with it. From her 'porch drop offs' of learning materials and Zoom sessions, to her individual communications with families. We are very blessed to have her," Tice said.

At a time when parents are beyond stressed, Tice said she's received nothing but positive feedback.

"The feedback I have received from the parents is overwhelmingly positive and I am pleased that we are able to offer not only a continuity of education but, more importantly, a connection and a sense of normalcy," Tice said.

Heather Sharp's daughter, Allie, is a pre-school student at St. John. She's been impressed with what she's seen from the school's administrators and teachers.

"St. John's has been beyond amazing through it all. Their communication has exceeded expectations and their teachers have proven themselves top notch with our children at the forefront of their minds. They have continued to provide educational guidance and support through Zoom meetings, online music lessons and educational packets dropped on our child's doorstep, to name a few," Sharp said.

Allie's fourth birthday fell during the closure, but that didn't stop the staff at St. John from recognizing it.

"(It) unfortunately fell during the quarantine and her preschool teacher went above and beyond to recognize her special day with a birthday crown and singing her 'Happy Birthday' through the window of our home … just proves how much they love our children," Sharp said.

Sharp is trying to help her children adjust to the "new normal." She admitted that it hasn't been easy.

"Since the closure, we are trying to fill in the blanks from the missed school year. We are trying to maintain a structured schedule while including activities and experiments to keep it lighthearted and fun. Our children's worlds have been flipped upside down so we feel it's important to provide them with as much sense of normalcy as possible. I think I can speak on behalf of many parents that we now all have a greater appreciation for teachers," Sharp said.

One such person is Laura Cunningham. She is a high school teacher at St. Joseph's Catholic Academy in Boalsburg. Her child, Crew, is 5 years old and is a student in Fisher's Pre-K class. Cunningham said that she recognizes the challenges from all angles.

"I think that this adjustment has certainly had its challenges. While I have loved the time at home with both of my kids, I have quickly learned that I am not cut out to teach pre-school! The biggest difficulty I have had has not been with the lack of pre-school work provided for Crew, but rather just getting him to start the work," Cunningham said.

With doors closed for the remainder of the school year, Fisher knows that there is no chance of things getting back to "normal." However, she believes that staying connected is key.

"I know children look to the adults in their life for guidance and security when things are scary or their routines are interrupted," Fisher said. "Children can sense when adults are upset as well. This is an opportunity for us to show children how to cope when plans change."

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