Page 46 - Priorities #74

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blanket, plushie panther, and lawn sign. “We worked diligently to let the students know that we care deeply about them through this tough time,” explained Yvonne Faisal, Director of Systems and Innovation. The middle school held a movie night and sent lawn signs to its eighth graders. Middle School Head Caitha Ambler said that “with the message ‘We Love Our 8th Graders,’ we are saying we know and love you regardless of proximity.” Priory students, of course, also showed their hospitality. Tri-M club members, led by Remy Fu ‘22, Christina Cheng ‘21, Justine Biscay ‘20, and Sarah Park ‘20, recorded themselves singing, playing instruments, and making art to cheer up senior citizens. Remy wrote, “We wanted to do something to bring joy to many of the seniors who can’t see their loved ones.” And our monks, beacons of Benedictine hospitality, delivered homemade pizza to campus families. All are included!
Community
Hospitality is an integral part of Priory’s community so that everyone feels known and loved, whether we’re on campus together or sheltering in place. Immediately upon school closing, faculty discussed how to encourage a sense of community while teaching via Zoom. To stay connected, students posted on Weebly for their classmates to leave comments, or published their podcasts, Senior Project, or Project
Step-Up for others to enjoy. Folks also offered other ways to gather: yoga meet-ups headed by math teacher Sally Aalfs and seventh grade parent Julie Blenkhorn; open mic night organized by Abigail Milne and English teachers Tess Tran and Amy Payne; and middle school Lunch Bunch hosted Andrew Daniel, David Moseley, Paul Trudelle, Mary Carroll, Sally Aalfs, Lisa Wood, and others. “The kids can be silly with each other (and their teachers) in a less structured way that allows for community to shine through,” noted Caitha Ambler. School Counselor Sandra Kelly offered a hang out space, too. “The drop in aspect is really impactful,” she said, “in that it mimics (as closely as Zoom can) the way things used to be–how kiddos could walk up to my office or Mr. Simon’s, say hi, unload a bit, and then be on their way.” The Priory Tech Department and financial aid office made sure all members of our community had the needed resources. Kailen Song, Priory’s Systems and Database Administrator, commented, “While ensuring teachers had what they needed to be up and running remotely, we also made phone calls to students, coordinated with internet providers and families, and worked to support our international students who needed access from abroad.” While the coronavirus pushed people to distance themselves, Priory folks countered this with ways to bring us back together.
DISTANCE LEARNING