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News

Successful Pivot to Virtual Learning
August 5, 2020
Published in the Valley News on June 20, 2020

This is a letter of appreciation for the faculty and administration of Crossroads Academy. During this amazingly challenging spring, they worked tirelessly to provide the best for our students, and they succeeded beyond what could ever have been reasonably expected.Like every school in the state, Crossroads closed abruptly in mid-March. But unlike what I have heard from friends with children in other schools, Crossroads was able to pivot almost seamlessly to virtual learning. Within 24 hours of the announcement that school would be closed, we had a schedule for when children could come to campus to pick up their supplies to start remote learning, a schedule for online classes, which would start two days later, and a schedule of “office hours” during which faculty members would be in front of their computers or next to their phones, available for questions from students or parents. Clear expectations were set out: Classes would occur between 9:30 and 12:30 Monday-Friday, with afternoons free for homework, extracurriculars and the like.

True to the school’s word, classes started two days later, and continued seamlessly through the end of the year. The vast majority of classes were conducted “live” via Zoom. Each class met a minimum of twice a week, with at least two classes per day. Students completed research papers, conducted science experiments, took exams, and even continued meeting weekly with their faculty advisers.

I can’t imagine a better virtual learning experience. While it doesn’t fully replace the rich environment of our in-person school life, it was more than I could ever have hoped for. I have no fears that my son missed out on any academic training. But more than that, he stayed connected to peers and teachers in a way that was crucial to his emotional life during this time of separation.

I know there are many children who just don’t do well learning virtually; all we can do is ask for a school’s best effort, and, in the case of Crossroads Academy, we got that and more.

Deb Hoffer P’20, 16