Phase One: Info Gathering
State Street reached out to families to assess who would continue to participate virtually.
Phase Two: Student Accessibility
Of those families, a survey was sent out to see how many needed Chromebooks or internet access.
Phase Three: Training
In order to take the pressure off the parents, teachers reached out to parents and set-up virtual conferences to address any questions and to teach them how to use classroom software.
Phase Four: Full Implementation
Teachers recorded lessons and sent information to students on how to access their virtual meeting rooms for class. In order to allow the teachers to focus on the lesson plans, each teacher was assigned a support person to help keep track of classroom needs like attendance, technological issues, and keeping students engaged in virtual learning.
Though the first priority of the semester is to continue education, Leimeister wanted to find ways to help students feel included and seen by their teachers. Each school morning, Leimeister works to provide a sense of normalcy through leading her students virtually through their morning routine: the Pledge of Allegiance and their school STAR pledge. She continues the video with a small lesson that focuses on positivity and ways to keep connected during these difficult times. Afterwards, these messages are restated in Coach Creguer's live PE session (also through Facebook).
The theme of the workouts is '15-minutes of Fun', where the focus is to boost their immune system by getting aerobic exercise. Coach Creguer is joined in each video by his three sons, neighbor, and his neighbor's twin boys. Together, they stay motivated and enjoy working out as State Street Academy staff and students join in remotely. The workout videos have reached over 1,000 people, catching the attention of friends, neighbors, and other schools!
Authorized by Bay Mills Community College in 2000, State Street Academy is home to students grades PK-6 and located in Bay City, MI. The school's small class sizes ensure a safe and nurturing environment for students.
Learn more about State Street Academy by visiting their website: