We are beginning to hit our stride. It’s apparent that the children love to be back on campus with one another and their teachers. It’s so healthy for them socially and emotionally to be together and build community. We are also doing our best to make sure that our distant learners feel included and stay involved with our classroom activities and have social and work opportunities with their peers. It’s tricky, but thanks to the efforts of Mary Irey and the generosity of our school community, we now have the technology to help with this effort. Here are a couple of pictures that demonstrate how on-site learners work with distant learners. With our new classroom laptop and a mini projector, students are able to collaborate on various projects.
Every morning at 8:30, with the webcam perched high up to capture the whole room, the Classcam goes ‘live’, allowing distant learners to join us (if they so choose) via Zoom as we assemble and get ready for the day. Distant learners are also able to join us during recess or anytime we are playing or working outside. Here’s a picture of our classroom having a lesson under one of our outdoor classroom tents – another opportunity for distant learners to join us.
Every morning, I post the daily lesson schedule on our Google Classroom. Students can conveniently see which lessons they are in and the Zoom link is posted for each lesson. As you can see in the picture, we can even do this during a science experiment. We place the webcam on top of our pulley system (which students built last year), giving the proper vantage point for distant learners to see the materials.
Speaking of science, students are engaged in a variety of lessons and work. We are covering aspects of botany, human anatomy, earth science and biology. As far as other work and activities in the classroom are concerned, the 6th years have begun the work of Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN). The students will be representing the country of the Czech Republic when they participate in a March virtual conference with thousands of upper elementary Montessori students from around the world. This opportunity also affords our 6th years to work and collaborate with UEN 6th years virtually.

