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June 2020 Monthly Alumni Newsletter
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A message from Elms College President,
Dr. Harry E. Dumay
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Dear Elm
s College Alumni,
I hope that this note finds you and your family well. The past few months have been filled with challenges for all of us, as we learn to cope with social distancing and other new concepts. Many of us have felt the effect of the pandemic more acutely as we learned about acquaintances', friends', or even loved ones' battles with the COVID-19 virus.
Thank you for remaining in touch with Elms College during these difficult times and sharing your support in multiple forms.
Over the past months, faculty, staff, and the entire Elms community have shown an extraordinary amount of flexibility and dedication. Together, we rose to the challenge of finishing the last weeks of the academic year remotely and ensuring that we acknowledge the hard work of the Class of 2020 with virtual events, such as a Zoom Honors Society Induction Ceremony.
On May 16, on what would have been Commencement Day, we produced a virtual recognition ceremony to honor the extraordinary accomplishments of our 2020 graduates. If you would like to see the ceremony, you can watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g1j0srU9eU. We are also
planning an in-person graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 as soon as it is safe.
Throughout the pandemic, and to this day, the college's business operations have been running normally, while the campus remains closed for safety reasons. Most of the staff are working remotely.
As we look to the fall season, I have appointed a cross-campus task force with representation from the key business units of the college. The goal of the task force is to plan all aspects of resuming on-campus activities for students in a safe manner. We are well on our way to complete a comprehensive re-opening plan by the end of June, which we will refine over the summer.
As soon as it is safe to do so, I will be ready to welcome you back to our beautiful campus. In particular, I am looking forward to recognizing the Class of 1970 and reunion classes (0 and 5), all of whom we hope to be able to honor next year safely.
Until we can meet in person, please be safe and well!
Sincerely,
Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA
President, College of Our Lady of the Elms
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An average of $1,478 was distributed to students through an applications process.
Expenses such as food, housing, course materials, health care, childcare, technology, and transportation, were considered.
Elms College received nearly $1.3 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Stability Act. Just over $649,000 was reserved for eligible students in need of emergency aid and the other half was issued to the college to cover costs and expenses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The college has awarded over $628,000 and the remaining
$21,000, will be held to fund students' future emergency needs.
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More than 50 graduates from the Class of 2020 School of Nursing at Our Lady of the Elms College gathered in the commuter parking lot for a car parade and celebration toast on nonalcoholic sparkling juice, compliments of the School of Nursing and the Student Nurses Association.
Students decorated their vehicles and proceed to the St. Stanislaus Basilica, there
Dr. Kathleen Scoble, Dean of School of Nursing, stated "The world needs you now more than ever. Inspire a world of kindness and good. That's who you are, and never forget it...".
There were a total of 67 students graduating from the traditional and accelerated nursing programs.
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CNN recently highlighted the talents of Elms College alumna, Kelsey Methe '12 with her rendition of
Hallelujah.
Kelsey is a nurse at Mercy Medial Center in Springfield. We are proud of her and all our alumni working on the front lines.
Each week, the staff at Mercy Medial Center broadcast performances on Facebook Live
to lift spirits during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Take
a moment to listen to
Kelsey
. So inspirational!
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Virtual Meetups: Not Just for Reunion Classes
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A small but mighty group of women from the class of 1967 have been meeting by Zoom during the COVID -19 pandemic. This group of friends has gathered a handful of times. The number shifts based on who is available and whose email they can locate. It seems like new people joining each time. Recently, they invited me to join in and I was thrilled to be included. As the new alumni director, I was able to meet a group of women from all over the US, who are trying to stay connected and make the best out of a tough situation.
They discussed their lives, families, work, church and volunteering. They are genuinely engaged with each other and talked about the positive things in life and how they are finding joy in our current pandemic situation. That was the main dialogue when I visited the group. Each alum shared one thing they found joy in as a result of our current environment. We discussed renewed joy in stopping to listen to the birds, watching the wildlife, catching up on shows, Zooming with family and friends an many more new joys.
Thank you to these alums for leading the way and showing their true Elms spirit and pride.
Here is my shameless plug. I know other groups of Elms alumni are meeting, please invite me! I would love to meet as many Elms alumni as I can. I will come to coffee hours, happy hours, book discussions, class reunions, program networking, etc.
I can also help you develop a meetup and get the word out. I have developed a guide for creating virtual events and would love to share it with alumni.
Please email me, Andrea, at
[email protected] or call 413-265-2454 if you want to invite me to your virtual meet up, talk about ideas or are willing to volunteer as a virtual host.
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MaiCherish Harris '22, Elms College Intern Supports Education & PBS Learning Media Resources
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While families may now find themselves able to go outdoors in limited ways, there will still be many occasions where they need to stay inside.
Staying indoors during this difficult time may be one of the most challenging changes for children and families, especially as
the weather is getting nicer. Parents might find themselves challenged to find ways and time to help children stay active.
These activities will help children burn energy while igniting their imaginations. They include music, competition and even chores turned into games! Also included is a way to make story time interactive, engaging and more physical.
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This year as part of my studies, I took a class called "Social Studies and Science Methods." For this class, I am required to create lesson plans and teach demonstration lessons.
Attempting to create lessons for a subject that isn't your strong suit is daunting.
I was extremely relieved to learn that PBS Learning Media has lesson plans structured around
PBS KIDS shows. By creating a free teacher account, I was able to search for lessons by standards. I was also able to save lesson plans that I liked to my "favorites."
Since creating the lesson plan was part of my homework, I checked with my teacher to see if it was okay to use the ones I found. I was told I could use them as guides and used a Peep and the Big Wide W
orld lesson plan about weather.
The support materials for this lesson included some background reading as well as tips for teaching it. Using both of these gave me the confidence I needed to teach an entire 40 minute lesson for the first time.
Teachers can learn how to use the search tool at PBS LearningMedia to find their own relevant lesson plans here.
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When schools originally closed, families believed it would only be for a short period of time. That time was extended repeatedly until schools were finally closed for the rest of the year. This was a difficult change for everyone involved.
Even now some educators are unsure how to
make their virtual classrooms inviting and productive environments.
A PBS Teachers Lounge piece entitled
By doing things like spirit week and "including opportunities for asynchronous participation," you can help insure the success of students learning in a virtual environment.
These posts were originally written and published by PBS Learning Media and WGBY education intern, MaiCherish Harris '22, an ESL major at Elms College.
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| Keeping Elms Alumni Connected |
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New Facebook Elms Frame |
Elms Notes is a weekly email to Elms College alumni. This initiative is a short term project to stay connected to Elms College alumni during COVID-19. We will share Elms updates, offer opportunities to connect virtually, showcase resources and activities for you and your family during these challenging times.
In addition, please
stay connected on Elms College and Elms Alumni social media
. Watch for opportunities to share how you are doing, posting your favorite recipes, participate in contests and generally spending time with a community you love, the Elms!
New this week, use the
Elms College Proud Alumni frame on Facebook and show off your Elms Pride. Check out the frame above! Go to either the Elms College or Elms College Alumni page and click "Try It" button select the new frame.
Summer and fall event planning is underway.
It may look different but what's most important is that we can find ways to be together, if only virtually. Watch for more information in the coming weeks.
Sharing your feedback and ideas for Elms College swag. Please let me know what you are liking best in the Weekly Notes, Monthly Newsletter, virtual events, social media. What are your creative ideas? Every alum that shares an idea with me for a summer or fall event will be entered in a drawing for some Elms swag.
Please contact Andrea Holden at [email protected] or 413-265-2454 with your creative ideas.
Most of all, get connected:
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| Join the Virtual Book Club this Summer |
There is still time to join our next reading period, with an exciting summer format of
"Choose Your Own Adventure"
. You will have the opportunity to read and discuss 1-3 books individually or simultaneously in
the Online Forum
.
T
he journey is yours to make! It's time to act and get your book(s) now. Discussions will begin on June 11. The three offerings during this reading period are;
- In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
- The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Click any of these books to join the book club today!
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Have you heard of our 1928 Founders Appeal?
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During the month of June supporters who make a gift of $75+, or set up a $6.25 recurring donation, to our 1928 Founders Appeal will receive a pair of special edition Elms College socks!
All gifts made to the 1928 Appeal will directly support student scholarships!
P.S. Thank you to all of our alumni who have made a gift to this campaign! Your generosity helps support our future and current students!
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