Home Our Diocese Transition to virtual learning has been smooth for Archmere Academy students, staff

Transition to virtual learning has been smooth for Archmere Academy students, staff

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Archmere sophomores used graphics to demonstrate how a line from a poem spoke to them. (Photo courtesy of Archmere Academy)

Students at Archmere Academy have not been on campus since mid-March, but the school’s preparations long before the COVID-19 pandemic have assured a smooth transition into a virtual environment.

Archmere’s students meet each day for academic classes, of course, but they also meet for clubs, activities, arts and athletics, according to the school. The academic aspect has been helped by the 1:1 Mac laptop program, and the teachers and administrators collaborate on a regular basis.

Chris Boehm (right), Archmere’s director of college counseling, meets with a school family. (Photos courtesy of Archmere Academy)

“Teachers continue to seek out and incorporate new tools and technologies to ensure that classes are interactive and remain highly engaging for students while ‘learning together from home,’” reads a statement from Archmere.

The teachers created 76 short movies, with a combined 15 hours of original footage, for the school’s virtual class fair on April 21 to help students make their choices for the 2020-21 academic year. The movies, which were posted on Flipgrid, had nearly 5,000 views within two days of going live.

Members of the Archmere community have been getting daily workout suggestions from the athletic staff.

The technological approach has occurred in every subject. For example, in world languages, students participated in educational scavenger hunts through an app called GooseChase. According to the school, that provided an opportunity for students to demonstrate comprehension of the target language by finding objects and posting pictures of them from their homes.

College counseling continues to assist juniors and seniors; since moving to online learning, the department has conducted nearly 50 junior family meetings using Zoom. For potential Auks, the school will host a virtual open house on April 29 at 7 p.m.

English teacher Valerie Wright and her students have transitioned to a virtual classroom, but there will be a day when they return to the campus.