Proven Through Every Test

By Pamela Hammonds

Not even a pandemic can keep a GPS girl from the school she most reveres!

PERHAPS THE MOST ADMIRABLE TRAITS for an educator in 2020 are adaptability, ingenuity, and compassion. Fortunately for GPS students, their teachers, coaches, and counselors proved proficient in all of these attributes and more.

When the GPS campus closed on Friday, March 13, due to growing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic’s potential impact on our community, students and teachers packed up their belongings with the hope of returning in a matter of weeks. Then as weeks turned into months, they accepted the fact that the school year would come to a close in a manner no one could have anticipated.

What students and their parents didn’t realize, is that while it took until only the following Tuesday for classes to resume on an online platform, preparations for an unprecedented form of teaching had been in the works for weeks.

On February 27, Dr. Autumn Graves, Head of School, sent out a communication to families, assuring them that school administration was tracking the virus and its implications it might present for schools. With guidance from local health experts, including former and current members of the Board of Trustees, as well as information from local and national health organizations, GPS immediately enacted stricter hygiene and health practices on campus.

Meanwhile the division heads along with department chairs began preparations for the possibility of an impending campus closure. Phase I planned for teachers posting activities and assignments that students would complete on their own. Phase II envisioned teachers and students meeting online via Zoom (a cloud-based platform for telecommuting and distance education), so they could have face-to-face interactions. Distance learning, synchronous/ asynchronous, and pivot became a part of our daily vernacular. Boy, did we ever learn to pivot!

The DeGaetano Family

We have been so impressed with GPS’s ability to adapt quickly to an online learning environment.

—Heather DeGaetano, P’24

EQUAL FOOTING

Perhaps what made the move to learning at home so successful was our teachers and students’ ability to leverage their online platforms with ease. Each Middle School student is issued an iPad before her first day at GPS; each Upper School student has her own MacBook laptop. All students use the Google suite of products, have access to platforms that allow them to virtually meet as groups, and use the school’s MyGPS online resource board to keep up with assignments and messages from teachers. So when a teacher issued an assignment, he or she could trust that each student had the tools to complete the task.

“I am so proud of our teachers and the energy, thoughtfulness, creativity, and professionalism they are bringing to this new challenge,” Graves shared with parents. “Their approach is motivated by love for their work and a deep commitment to each girl and her educational success.”

Graves’ main concern was the health and well-being of the girls, and that included their mental health. “Our girls experienced a major upheaval in their lives,” she said. “Social distancing is most challenging for girls, who are highly relational, and they miss the close interactions with their friends and teachers.” She assured parents that any anxiety or emotional concerns detected in their girls should be addressed and that the school’s support services team was ready to assist. Additionally, deans, advisors, and counselors regularly checked in with each student.

At the end of March, GPS held virtual town halls that allowed parents and students to hear directly from Graves, division heads, deans, and counselors, and families were given up-to-date information regarding everything from athletic events and AP exams to alternative plans for May Day and Commencement. Graves met with and communicated exclusively and often with the Class of 2020 about their senior year events, while the GPS Parents group on Facebook allowed parents and teachers to share information and tips for helping support their girls.

The Carpenter Family

We want to express our appreciation for what you have done and for what you are doing for our girls.

—The Carpenter Family, P’24, ’26

BEST OF PLANS

Even with clear communications and plans for nearly every circumstance, challenges arose.

At the end of spring break, on Easter Sunday, April 12, parts of the Chattanooga area, particularly Ooltewah and Collegedale, were hit with an EF-3 tornado that caused major damage to homes, properties, and the towns’ infrastructure. Some GPS students and faculty were displaced, and many lost power and access to the internet for days. Thankfully our community came alongside those in greatest need and assisted with housing, funds, and basic needs.

Phase III of the learning plan was then put into place. This phase allowed teachers and students to still meet in real time to discuss lessons, but also gave them a break from the screen. Some assignments were then given for the girls to complete asynchronously, and a special Sun Day off was announced for Friday, May 1.

By the end of April it was clear students and teachers would not be returning to campus for the 2019-20 school year. Plans were announced for celebrating year-end events virtually, AP exams that are traditionally mandatory became optional, and all final exams were canceled. Summer dates for celebrating May Day and Commencement were offered and June camp dates were called off.

To continue our successful learning platforms, summer classes were offered to current GPS students at no charge, with 202 registrations for 18 classes, including cooking, personal finance, book discussions, history, and world languages.

The Brumley Family

I appreciate GPS still doing YGGs during this time because it is so needed.

—Leah Brumley ’97, P’26

LOOKING AHEAD

As we approach the 2020-21 school year, every effort is being made for students to safely return to campus. Classrooms are being modified to allow for more room between desks. Class times will be extended to decrease the number of transitions between classes for students and teachers. Hands-free door kicks, soap dispensers, hand sanitizers, and more are being installed. Lunches will be served across campus, and additional covered outdoor areas will allow more students to work outside as weather permits.

Students and teachers who choose to participate from home can interact in real time with those on campus. Newly installed technology integrated with iPads in each classroom will utilize cameras that follow the teacher and display the teacher's writing on the screen to remote participants.

Everyone on campus will be required to wear a face covering while indoors but can remove it while practicing safe distancing when outside. And students will not use their lockers this year, with additional space provided in classrooms for storing backpacks.

But if the health of our students and faculty would benefit from learning at home versus on campus, we will do so with the assurance that we’ve successfully completed nearly an entire semester with virtual learning and can do so again. We are GPS Bruisers and can rise to any challenge and learn and grow from it.

The Salter Family

We are so grateful for GPS and the positive impact it has had on her and our family.

—Kendra Salter, P’24