Lessons Learned--HFCA One Month into E-learning

Holy Family Catholic Academy (Inverness) is into its second month of e-learning for its 500 students in preschool through middle school and like all other Illinois schools, will continue through the end of the school year. As an International Baccalaureate World School, Principal Kate O'Brien's agile and dedicated team regularly reflects on lessons learned to identify improvements and celebrate successes.

HFCA has identified three critical areas that have helped the nationally and internationally recognized school meet the challenges of e-learning.

HFCA Teachers are Prepared, not Panicked

HFCA's teachers began preparing for e-learning in August 2019. Teacher webpages were created, and students became familiar with working with Google Classroom and other digital tools. This solid foundation allowed HFCA teachers and students to transition to remote learning and also provided confidence to explore and learn new digital tools.

Feedback and Flexibility Fuel Progress

Just as in-person instruction does not always go as planned, e-learning instruction needed to be adjusted to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of students. Middle school teacher Eileen Paparone explains, "I routinely ask my students for feedback. Hearing some students share that they were a bit overwhelmed, led me to restructure and simplify lessons while still covering content with equal rigor."

Now more than ever, HFCA teachers value their partnership with parents. Fourth grade teachers Lorry Liesenberg and Debbie Toussaint agree that parents have offered valuable suggestions, and the parent-teacher partnership has contributed to the success and balance of the Academy's e-learning efforts.

Community Counts

School is about learning and belonging. HFCA realizes that being away from friends and disrupting daily activities is stressful for everyone, and they have gone to great lengths to keep connected. Principal O'Brien begins each day with a Facebook live video including announcements, daily challenges, birthday wishes, Pledge of Allegiance and prayer.

Interactive lessons have been designed so students can see their friends and teachers, and daily videos created by Assistant Principal Laura Clark help students and families stay connected with the larger community.Principal O'Brien invites parents to participate in Zoom meetings, and even preschool and kindergarten parents' social meet-ups have continued virtually.

Good news travels fast. Brittany Chenicek, parent of two HFCA graduates shared, "Word on the street is that HFCA is killing it with e-learning! We're so proud that HFCA continues to excel even under the most inexplicable circumstances."

Community counts in challenging times. Adds Paparone, "Small things like posting yard signs at every staff member's house reminded all of us that HFCA is a special place. I am so thankful to be part of a community that shares ideas, laughs together, cries together, and always holds each other to a high standard."

It is these high standards that drive HFCA to prepare rather than panic, listen and respond to feedback, and lean into a strong community of teachers, students and families. E-learning is indeed challenging, but HFCA's reflection on lessons learned keeps the focus on the students as we all navigate this new way of doing school.