Reflecting on Remote Learning and Family Support During COVID-19

During the last three months of the school year, the COVID-19 pandemic really pushed our team to reimagine how school can still fill a vital role in the lives of our students and families without regularly scheduled classroom time and a physical location. As with many other schools across the state and country, we are still navigating what this will look like next year. Yet even as we work through these challenges, we are seeing the true power of a school model that is deeply rooted in community, parent partnership, and whole child outcomes.

As we enter the summer and look toward fall, we wanted to take a breath to reflect and share how we supported children and families during COVID-19.

Activating Whole Child Learning at Home

Teachers shared read alouds, dance breaks, art activities, and more on our new Remote Learning Channel on YouTube alongside regular weekly lessons. These academic and enrichment activities helped support students’ emotional, mental, and physical health, and stay connected to their classroom families and routines.

“It feels good to at least get to see [my teacher and classmates] when I don’t get to see them in person. I also feel like I really want to see them in person, too.”

— 2nd grade student

Each week, teachers called families to check in and offer optional office hours for parents to ask questions. Students who needed specialized support also received personalized lesson packets, regular check ins, and tele-services.

98% of students have logged into our remote learning platform
97% of preschoolers attended at least 1 live session since mid-April, when we launched the new remote learning platform

Connecting Families to Community Resources

Our deep, trusting relationships with families and strong connections with community partners helped us move quickly to address student and family needs. Our team of parent wellness coaches in East Palo Alto and Hayward called parents every week to check in and help families connect to concrete resources. Now more than ever, we are so grateful for all of the community organizations who provide meals, stop evictions, help navigate legal needs, access diapers or emergency childcare, and much more.

In March, the top three needs for families were rent and mortgage assistance, food, and internet access.
On average, our parent wellness coaches connected with 80% of our families every week since shelter-in-place guidelines started on March 17
Over 500 referrals (at least 2 referrals per family) were provided for families over the last three months of school
In March, more than 60 families expressed a need for concrete resources. Eight weeks later, that number dropped to only 15 families expressing a need for resources.

Supporting the Mental and Physical Health of Children and Parents

Making sure that children and parents are physically and mentally well during this stressful time has been just as crucial as supporting at-home learning. During the last three months of the school year, our behavioral health team offered 1:1 teletherapy and support for children who need it, and our parent wellness coaches shared weekly mindfulness exercises to help parents take a breath and keep stress levels down. Our Health Team also partnered with Ravenswood Family Health Center to share information about how to get an appointment and care during COVID-19 and to set up shortened well child visits, which ensures that families still get to see their primary care physician.

In April, our Behavioral Health Manager and Parent Wellness Coach teamed up to launch a bilingual podcast called Be Well Families. Topics included coping with change, setting routines, and understanding our emotions. You can listen to all of the podcast episodes in English and Spanish here.

Nutrition and physical activity were the two core components of our at-home health offerings. Staff members and parents volunteered to lead live weekly Move With Me sessions to get families and staff moving. Other members of our school team have been posting exercise and yoga and mindfulness videos (and even a demonstration to make a homemade mask) on our YouTube channel.

Our team also worked with Osmosis to develop a video about COVID-19 and how to stay safe. It’s available in English and Spanish.

Acknowledging Parent Resilience

Parents leaned on teacher and parent coach support when they needed it, but they also reminded us again and again about their own resilience and power in times of crisis. Despite the challenges, parents shared how this unusual time led to special moments at home--whether that’s baking together, doing creative projects, painting outside as a family until sunset, or doing a 30-minute exercise class while their children nap. Parents have also been sharing resources, support, and encouragement with other parents at school; having virtual playdates or giving each other a call to ask for help are small but important ways to stay connected and supported.

Getting Toddlers Preschool Ready

For our toddlers and parents enrolled in our Birth-to-Three programming, we launched the virtual Preschool Ready! series, which features weekly videos related to their child’s development and getting ready for preschool. We’ve also distributed physical learning kits and books and shared other activities that parents can do with toddlers at home, including bedtime stories, read aloud videos, and more.

Full List of our COVID-19 Resources

Here are some of our publicly-available resources for parents and children. We hope these resources help families in East Palo Alto, Hayward, and beyond have a safe and healthy summer!