LOS FELIZ－Our Mother of Good Counsel School (OMGC), the local Catholic elementary school in Los Feliz, launched platforms for social distance learning, as a result of the stay-at home order that was issued on March 19.
“At the end of the first three weeks of Distance Learning, both faculty and school parents completed surveys to share successes and challenges they faced that week, as well as suggestions and areas needing support,” said Allison Essman, the principle of OMGC to Canyon News. The school adjusted its plans for online classes based on everyone’s feedback.
“The biggest challenge of Distance learning is meeting the needs of all of our families. Every household is different – different technology access and ability, different parent working situations, siblings, ages of children, etc…” said Essman. She indicated that each family has its own expectation and difficulties for online classes, so all teachers are trying to be flexible in every aspect. “We are not compromising on grade-level standards and expectations.”
OMGC has offered and asked students to attend regularly scheduled live instructional classes, and assigned supplemental practice to them. For families who are not able to attend live instructional classes, the school has allowed them to complete the work with a more flexible due date. Essman said that during this tough time, focusing on healthy mindsets and overall comprehension is more important than just simply asking all the students with different situations to complete their homework on time and be graded.
“We want students to still feel excited about learning and feel successful in school. We also want parents to feel being partnered with and supported by our school. The key is communication and understanding. We are all in this together,” Essman added.
She indicated that no one has expected this situation, so the school has to be flexible and help each family cope with any problem. “We pride ourselves as a school that feels like family, so we are there for each other during this time,” said Essman.
