Teachers at Lamprey River Elementary School greet students at the start of the school day as part of remote learning. They include, clockwise from top left, kindergarten Teacher Abigail Michaud, second grade teacher Linda Chretien, kindergarten teacher Amy McAvoy and second grade teacher Kaleigh Liupakka. (Photo Courtesy Raymond School District) 
Charlotte DiMeglio, a student in Kaleigh Liupakka’s second grade class, sports a Jacques Cousteau-inspired submarine and air helmet as part of her remote learning at home. (Photo Courtesy Raymond School District) 
Preschool students are participating in remote learning through YouTube videos, including “A Pair of Socks” by Lois Ehlert. (Photo Courtesy Raymond School District) 
Lamprey River Elementary School counselors and district food service workers have been working closely together to ensure that students have food, if needed, during the ongoing school closures. (Photo Courtesy Raymond School District)
RAYMOND, N.H. — Superintendent Tina McCoy and Principal Laura Yacek report that as of Tuesday, March 17, students at Lamprey River Elementary School have been actively participating in remote learning with staff at the school due to the recent school closures relating to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Staff have been keeping students engaged in a variety of ways, from assignments presented in Google Classroom, to staff live-streaming or recording morning messages or reading books aloud to start the day.
Students are actively posting pictures of what they are learning and doing at home, connected to the activities assigned. The district technology team, in collaboration with the maintenance staff, distributed learning technology (Chromebooks and iPads) and school supplies to support the remote learning at home.
Classroom teachers and support staff have been working collaboratively to plan engaging academic activities.
“One important thing that we discussed was that we did not want our students on computers and engrossed in screen time all day long,” Principal Yacek said. “Movement and hands-on learning remains imperative.”
The school planned an “AB schedule” as part of the remote learning plan: Monday is day A, Tuesday is day B, Wednesday is a screen-free day, Thursday is day A and Friday is day B. Teachers planned activities for certain subjects on each day.
Special Education teacher Erica Stack is creating and sharing mindfulness lessons that students can access on teachers’ Google Classrooms.
School staff and administration continue to share information with families to provide support through this transition.
“It has been so wonderful to see our teachers jump in and reinvented the way they teach students with very little advanced notice. It really shows how dedicated, creative and flexible they are,” Superintendent McCoy said. “I am also very proud of our families for embracing this change and working collaboratively with our staff to ensure their children have all that they need to participate in the remote learning experience.”
“I am so impressed with the collaboration and support that our administration and staff have provided for one another,” Principal Yacek said. “Many staff went into this transition with uncertainty and in need of training to utilize remote teaching and learning tools, but they have stepped up and in such a short time have created learning opportunities through Google Classroom and gained the confidence to be successful.”
“This has been a very challenging first week, but I am so impressed with our staff,” Assistant Principal Dorothy Franchini said. “They have gone above and beyond to meet the needs of our students and families.”
For more information on the ways the Raymond School District is dealing with school closures relating to the COVID-19 outbreak, visit www.sau33.com.
###
