Midwestern Heart. Global Mind. Staying Connected While Apart
By Grace Kim, Dean of Communications Math Teacher Maggie Tennyson teaches from home.
Five years ago, Lake Forest Academy completed a rebranding initiative which resulted in a tagline that many will find familiar: Midwestern Heart. Global Mind. The phrase came about after countless interviews with LFA students, faculty and staff, parents, alumnae and alumni and friends. While the anecdotes and affections for the Academy were unique to each individual, diversity and community emerged as central to the identity of LFA as an institution. Now more than ever, in this era of COVID-19, LFA has once again stayed true to these values. In early 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic began, LFA students rallied around fundraisers to support healthcare workers in Asia. For some, the projects were incredibly personal as hometowns and loved ones were affected. For others, the fundraisers allowed students to become more aware of the situation abroad and show care towards their peers. Meanwhile, LFA’s administration began discussing preparations for spring break and beyond. Life at LFA continued as normal until midMarch. As circumstances developed, LFA made the difficult decision to cancel spring break trips and open its dorms for students who could not return home. Faculty and staff stepped in to continue dorm duties and local families graciously volunteered to welcome boarding students to stay with them. However, as the virus spread globally, like many schools and universities, LFA eventually closed the dorms and transitioned to an e-learning curriculum for the rest of the school year. Parents Association President Lisa Schilling P’18, ’20, ’21 expressed her gratitude towards LFA’s thoughtful response to COVID-19. She said, “The priority was the care and safety of our school community, getting boarders home and ensuring a safe working environment for the faculty. As quarantine progressed, LFA shifted to a focus on connectivity and providing a dynamic e-learning experience, always demonstrating flexibility as we all continue to navigate this new landscape.”
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Review Summer 2020
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www.lfanet.org
On April 1, 2020, while scattered around the U.S. and the world, LFA faculty and students began eight weeks of remote learning. LFA kept its A to G schedule and many classes met during regularly scheduled periods. Students in different time zones attended classes early in the morning or late at night, and teachers met student efforts by holding various office hours and classes in the evenings. In particular, the English as a Second Language Department juggled a total of seven time zones. ESL Department Chair Constance McCabe and ESL Teacher Michele Vaca both taught classes in the morning and at night to accommodate their students, who chose to attend one of the two sessions held each day. Some classes would even go into 1 a.m. Central as the semester went on. Vaca was incredibly impressed with her students. “My students really surpassed my expectations. They submitted quality research papers as final projects and worked hard, and some were even in quarantine alone,” she said. “Next year, if other students complain about the research paper, I’ll just have to
ESL Department Chair Connie McCabe and members of the ESL class met in the morning and at night.
