STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Emma Totten At Home with Real World Connections BY LAUREN ALPERN
B
ack when COVID19 wasn’t in our vocabulary, Emma Totten would leave her house in Port Credit by 6:30 in the morning and not get home until 8:00 in the evening. Her young daughter, Chloe, got used to not seeing her mother
on weekdays, while Emma adapted to missing family meals from Monday to Friday. Time with her husband, Jeff, was also sparse. Enter the pandemic. Both Emma and Jeff are working from home full-time. Chloe is enrolled in full-time
Emma and her daughter Chloe
14 The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College
online school. They’re together for all meals, and there’s not much privacy to be had. It’s a big shift from years past, but it’s a silver lining in what has been a difficult time for many. “As much as I miss the staff by not being on campus, I’m enjoying the time with my family,” said Emma. “And I certainly don’t miss the commute. I could be in the car up to three hours a day sometimes.” Emma, who is the Coordinator of Global Partnerships and Real World Connections, has also been working as a Learning Strategist in the Senior School this year, covering Tara Ardila’s maternity leave. And while she thoroughly enjoys her time with the students, she has still had the challenging task of finding volunteer opportunities for the boys and meeting the needs of the College’s community partners. That includes Lord Dufferin Public School, which had always been the recipient of many classroom visits with Right to Play and Reading Buddies, along with donations of school supplies from RSGC community drives.
While the in-person component this year hasn’t been able to happen, a loyal group of students still “visit” a Grade 2/3 classroom at Lord Dufferin twice a week through virtual Reading Buddies, sponsored by First Book Canada, and virtual Math Buddies, a new program this year. It’s a very popular program, both with the Georgians and with the kids at Lord Dufferin. Teacher Elizabeth Baltazar is so appreciative that Emma has kept this program running. “I’m so very grateful that Emma has ensured our partnership with RSGC continues even through a pandemic,” said Elizabeth. “Our time with RSGC may not be in person, but the ongoing connections through the Reading Buddies and Math Buddies programs have been heartwarming. It’s honestly such a relief knowing that the school community I work in is also valued and remembered by so many Georgians—all thanks to Emma and Lauren Alpern.” Emma and Chloe are weekly participants in the virtual programs. In fact, Chloe often takes over Emma’s seat at her computer, captivated by the
