THOUGHTS FROM THE MAN CAVE
“FUNplugged Fridays” A Father’s Day letter - our twist on education in a year of COVID
Mike Savicki and daughter Caroline explored zoos, trails, aquariums, state parks and more as part of their virtual school program.
by Mike Savicki | photography courtesy of Mike Savicki
Dear Caroline, Late last year, when COVID-19 made schools close and we were all sent home to learn differently, I was kind of afraid. As much as I love teaching, and as much as I love spending time with you, I was scared that I wouldn’t do a good job coordinating things. With computers and Zooms and e-learning and so much more every day of the week, I was scared it would all become a great big mess with me as the captain of the sinking ship headed straight to the bottom. Then we had an idea. We decided to do Fridays differently. We agreed to make the last day of every school week a day for an alternative style of learning. No computers, no phones, no Zooms, no passwords, nothing. We renamed the day “FUNplugged Fridays” and we made it OUR day of adventure—a different way to learn, explore, and grow. The idea was to get outside, to learn away from our home “class28
LAKE NORMAN CURRENTS | JUNE 2021
room.” At first, we did things near home. We had scavenger hunts in the neighborhood, played chess in the shade, watched houses being built, tracked birds, did hands-on crafts in your outdoor “maker space,” learned more about recycling, and even did a few house projects. Sports were important, too. We built a basketball goal, went fishing, and you learned to ride a bike without training wheels. (I’ll never forget you taking a wrench from the toolbox, unscrewing your training wheels, putting on pedals, and cycling away.) When quarantine ended, we began making day trips. At first, we started small. A picnic lunch watching boats. Hikes through local parks. We watched water overflow the dam. Then we got a little bolder. We pulled out a map and found state parks and historical sites within a couple hours’ drive and started checking them off one by one. Kings Mountain. Stone Mountain. Fort Dobbs. Murray’s Mill. The Bunker Hill Covered Bridge. We discovered the Mountain to Sea Trail. When your little kid bike
