Remote Schooling

How CA continues to flourish amid a global pandemic

Cheshire Academy’s promise to meet students where they are, and to take them beyond where they imagined possible is evident in all aspects of school life. Whether it is in the traditional classroom setting, outside on campus, in the dorms or the dining commons, or on the athletic fields, CA faculty and staff work to ensure every child’s experience is a positive one, resulting in global thinkers ready to face a 21st-century environment.

WHEN CA FIRST IDENTIFIED COVID-19 AS A THREAT IN EARLY 2020, school leadership immediately began to formulate an answer to the question of, “What if this reaches Cheshire?” CA administration formed a committee tasked with developing a Remote Schooling Plan that would keep school going even if campus had to be closed. The plan, available to parents and students, outlined an approach to maintaining instruction, learning, assessment, and feedback using digital and online resources in the event of an extended period of remote schooling.

A decision was made to close campus following spring recess and enact the Remote Schooling Plan. As CA continued the spring 2020 semester remotely, faculty, coaches, advisors, and other members of the school staff creatively delivered new ways to educate, support, and push students to new heights. For the Class of 2020 in particular, an agenda of remote and in-person events and activities was planned to honor and celebrate the seniors and postgraduates. Members of the class were recognized for their academic, artistic, and athletic achievements, as is done each year. And, on July 31, a formal graduation was held for students and their families.

Cheshire Academy has done a wonderful job transitioning from learning in the classroom to learning online. They have shown that, in the face of adversity, they are able to still provide their students with the tools to excel in the classroom and beyond.

~ Riley Norwood ’20

There is no doubt that this pandemic is a unique situation. However, the CA community has faced these times of uncertainty head-on by continuing to be kind, thinking globally, and looking out for one another.

Faculty members adapted to the virtual classroom by modifying their teaching methods. As a result, a new level of creativity was tapped to continue educating CA students. Performing Arts Director and English teacher Jennifer Guarino, for example, used the educational application Flipgrid for her students to share their draft skits. With the footage recorded, Guarino and her class were able to critique the work and help the students to improve. A change in scenery, too, helped students to focus on and learn about other aspects of filming performances.

In the Black Box Theatre, they would get feedback on their performances, write it down, and work on it. Having the feedback shared in written format and having the videos to re-watch has been helpful to them, and something I will keep when we return to in-person learning.

~ Jennifer Guarino, performing arts director and English teacher

Other faculty members, including music teacher Nate Trier, adjusted lessons that students would have normally completed in class. Trier de-emphasized the need for students to practice their instruments during class time and, instead, dedicated more time to learning how music is developed.

Science teacher Caron Quantick located multiple lab simulations to use online. While the experience could not replace in-person labs, it provided students with a wealth of knowledge on various subjects in her course. In addition, students in Quantick’s biology class conducted research on biotechnology before debating live on Zoom. Fellow faculty members served as judges, which allowed students to see teachers who they would often stop and talk to on campus.

Math teacher Nate Gartner utilized a “flipped classroom,” prompting students to watch video lessons during the evening hours, and use their class period to work on problems and raise any questions they may have.

While I was originally nervous about this method, the response from the students was unbelievably positive. They loved being able to use our class time to work together and solve problems as if we were all still together.

~ Nate Gartner, math teacher

Generally speaking, Cheshire Academy faculty members had long-term semester plans and established intentional goals about where they would like their students to be academically at the end of a unit. No one knew exactly how teaching via Zoom would pan out.

Students, too, adjusted to their new way of learning, with all of them proving that they were capable and willing to continue their pursuit of academic growth in a time of remote distancing. Some, like Krystal Charter ’20, appreciated the change in scheduling. “The most positive aspect for me was the flexibility of the online weekly schedule. It was structured in such a way that I still met with my classes multiple times per week, but also allowed me to have time to schedule meetings with teachers or extracurricular activities.”

Caitlin Rohrbacher ’22, a mid-year transfer at CA, was concerned that the distance would lead to procrastination. Instead, she implemented a daily schedule that ensured all her class demands were met, but still provided herself with some downtime.

Yiya “Lea” Qi ’22 has also modified her learning methods as a result of the Remote Schooling Plan. For her, videos that she was required to watch for her studies also came with the positive of being able to pause, rewind, reflect, and conduct additional research to fully grasp the subject material.

All areas of the CA experience were impacted by COVID-19. For example, student-athletes eager to showcase their training and talents during the spring sports season were disappointed to find out they would not be playing against rival teams. However, our Athletics Department—including coaches and athletic trainers—remained connected to our students to ensure that they continued to practice, weight train, and prepare for when they would return to the field and court.

Our son was going to play baseball this spring. There were weekly baseball team meetings where the coaches provided tips on how to stay active and provide workout routines. I think this is where it has hit our son the hardest … but I know he appreciates the effort in trying to bring the team together on a consistent basis.

~ Joanne Rafferty P’18, ’23

The support for which Cheshire Academy is known continued outside of the virtual classroom as well. There was, and still is, a wealth of resources available to students to maintain a level of normalcy during the spring semester. Each week, the lineup included virtual hangout sessions, remote clubs and activities, meetings (for parents and for students), and digital variations of CA’s academic resources (Center for Writing, library, Math Lab, and advisory). CA’s signature programs, including the Roxbury Academic Support Program, continued to provide support for every student’s academic growth.

“Roxbury remained an invaluable resource for our son to keep him organized. Especially now that he did not have the ability to have regular meetings with his teachers, the assistance that he received really kept him focused and on track. For us, Roxbury kept us in the loop so that we knew what was going on with his classes, assignments, and grades. Our son is a full IB student, and the Roxbury office worked with his teachers to ensure that his internal assessments were finished so as to keep him eligible for an IB Diploma.”

~ Lauren and David Biller P’20

The College Counseling Office continued to offer a variety of programs. Counselors worked closely with each class and with individual students and parents to ensure that every graduate was on the path to their best fit college or university. Counselors remained up to date on important SAT and ACT dates for students, as well as information relevant to the assurance that the Class of 2020 would have a seamless transition to their new schools in the fall.

College Counseling staff did miss students popping into their offices throughout the day—one of the many conveniences of being on campus—but they had deep, meaningful conversations with students who were in the comfort of their own homes.

As a senior, College Counseling has been really great in adjusting to school being online. The counselors send emails and texts to check in on what we need in these final stages of our process, and it’s easy to schedule meetings with them when we need them.

~ Krystal Charter ’20

One new opportunity noted by the College Counseling staff was the ability to connect with colleges from all over the world. They also utilized social media platforms, such as Instagram, to remain connected with the Cheshire Academy community. Associate Director of College Counseling Sarah Lasoff-Hodge said, "Although we haven’t been able to visit campuses, we have attended many more webinars from colleges and, for many, I feel even more connected to the colleges, as they are constantly sharing the information they have about this year and next.”

SUMMER SESSION @ CA

Education at Cheshire Academy did not conclude at the end of the academic year. Faculty banded together to continue their connections with their students by offering Summer Session @ CA, an optional summer school program that allowed for students to choose unique class offerings that otherwise were unavailable in the fall and spring semesters, from wherever they were at the time.

Running from June 29 through Aug. 6, courses were conducted as an extension of CA’s remote schooling program. All students who were enrolled at the time were eligible to register, including new students who would not be starting at CA until the fall. Three-week and six-week courses were offered, with some elective courses providing .5 credit for students.

Similar to the standard academic year, extra help, progress reports and conferences, and learning plans and accommodations were made available to students and families during the summer session.

The program was extremely successful, with many faculty members stepping forward to share their knowledge on a variety of subjects. Courses included, but were not limited to, Science Fiction and Philosophy, Introduction to Athletic Training, Wilderness Survival, Financial Literacy 101, Social Justice, Spanish Bridge Course, Fashion Design Process, CA Summer Stock Theater, Economics, and Summer Math Fun & Fitness.

THE FALL SEMESTER

Cheshire Academy’s campus was reopened to 317 students, with 82 students completing the semester remotely. This semester was like no other, as modifications were made to the academic schedule that allowed for a hybrid approach to in-person and remote learning. Mornings began with remote-only classes, followed by hybrid periods that bring together students both on campus and at their homes. In-person classes closed out the afternoon, followed by afternoon activities.

Academic resources, including the Math Lab, Center for Writing, library, and Roxbury Academic Support Program were available to all students. Athletic programs continued in a modified format, allowing student-athletes to continue to practice and compete against rival schools. College Counseling invited college representatives from around the country to meet virtually with students throughout the months of September and October and, on Oct. 7 and Oct. 14, held virtual college fairs. Following Thanksgiving break, students concluded the fall semester remotely and will return to campus in January.

Leading up to this semester, CA faculty launched into a rewriting of their classes to redesign the student experience with an emphasis on how to uniquely deliver the school’s academic experience, no matter if the audience was remote or in person. Faculty focused on support and personalization as the hallmarks for the making of the academic year.

Rachel Wright, assistant head of school for academic affairs, said, “A lot of thought went into setting up structures in this first part of the year so that, in our classes, we can get to know our students well and be able to personalize their education and their experiences here.”

Thanks to a special gift from Col. Paul Ingram ’44, every classroom was equipped with an extra camera, microphone, and speaker to allow for all students to effectively communicate with one another. Marc Aronson, dean of curriculum and English teacher, said CA has been able to bridge divisions across the globe, allowing for remote students to feel connected to the campus, and for in-person students to feel they are still receiving an international experience.

Students received an immersive, if not deeper, academic experience through their teachers’ redesigned classes. For example, assessments may still require a student to answer four or five questions, each with multiple parts. This semester, however, the student may be asked to explain the answer to one of their questions, implementing an oral part of the examination. This method gives the student the opportunity to show their understanding in a way that is best for them.

Part of CA’s mission is to be internationally minded and prepare students for college and beyond. A way of meeting those demands is by maximizing student potential, which is accomplished by developing their confidence, character, and critical thinking skills, Aronson said.

“A student is going to do better on a math test, or on an English paper for me, if they feel confident both in their knowledge of the actual subject, but also in their ability to communicate it in different ways," Aronson explained. “Focusing our curricular choices on ways to get students to feel like they have more facility with this, and are confident in their own voice, has, I think, already started to pay dividends.”