Despite not being in the building École Mother Teresa School students, parents and staff are still getting the morning prayer and announcements.
Principal Shane Chisholm is using the school’s YouTube channel to present the morning routine to the kids at home rather than at their desks.
“I think it’s important for them to keep that sense of normalcy, even if they’re walking up a little bit later on and in their pyjamas,” said Chisholm in a phone interview, adding the teachers also jump on to watch the video each morning.
The first of the daily announcement videos was posted on March 30 as the remote learning situation kicked off after spring break and will continue every school day until the kids are back inside the building.
Chisholm says the morning announcements are recorded through a laptop then uploaded to the school’s YouTube channel every morning around 9:30 a.m. Parents are asked to subscribe to the page to get notified of the video being posted.
A survey was held with parents and students in regard to which social media platform and versions of video they would like to see the morning announcements on with YouTube being the common response.
“It’s been our first week in here as an online environment, the staff have been phenomenal, and the students and parents have been extraordinary for us,” Chisholm said.
Aside from the daily prayer and announcements the YouTube channel is also being used for home learning spirit days.
On April 3 the students were asked to wear crazy socks while working at home and submit a picture that can be added to a video slide show.
https://youtu.be/bG5KlooNoS0
“This is what we do at school, it’s fun, it’s something kids can celebrate and it’s fun for us as staff,” Chisholm explained, “as small as it is to wear a pair of crazy socks, knowing that other people are doing it, we can share it virtually.”
He says they are also working on other types of videos to celebrate the kids the best they can, such as finding a way to do a live broadcast to present Term Two awards.
“This has been really difficult, I know for staff we miss our students, we muss our families dearly out here at Mother Teresa School,” added Chisholm.
He added the videos are a piece of hope and joy in the student’s day-to-day lives.
“It’s not the same building without the kids, we’re a team here, we’re a family and if this piece of technology can bring a part of that back to them then that’s a beautiful thing in what we’re going through right now.”
École Our Lady of the Rosary School is also sharing the morning announcements on its YouTube channel.