~Grade 5 Parent
"We have one son in fifth grade at Sewickley Academy. Overall, our experience with Virtual School has been extremely positive. We credit that to both our son’s teachers and to the school itself. In discussions with our friends who have children in other schools, I am learning how fortunate we are to have our son at Sewickley. While they are complaining that their children do schoolwork for only 15 minutes a day, or are learning mostly via generic YouTube links, we feel that our son’s learning has continued in the same personalized and productive fashion according to established lesson plans. The teachers create lessons via video or links that the kids can watch when their individual schedules permit, which for our son is basically as soon as he wakes up, and of course, they have lessons and discussions via Zoom. Homework assignments are either emailed in or answered via Google Classroom. The teachers are available throughout the day to provide additional instruction as needed. My level of interaction with our son over his daily homework assignments is no different than before this began. Sure, certain subjects are optional and grades won’t be issued; however, we see those only as realistic concessions for the uniqueness of this situation and a way to alleviate unnecessary stress while still providing educational opportunities appropriate for this grade level."
Sewickley Academy recognizes that Virtual School isn’t just about academics. Our son’s homeroom teacher uses his Zoom conference time each day for his class to get together and connect as a group again. He lets the kids share experiences from home, he creates and plays virtual games, he provides school updates, he reads aloud, he answers questions, he reassures his students. In a time of uncertainty, he provides a consistent and familiar voice that our son looks forward to hearing each day. In addition, while other schools are deciding to cut short the academic school year, our son receives more virtual invitations each week, with teachers finding new ways for their students to engage in fun and educational opportunities via new apps, websites, and sessions with them, whether via their class or via the new Lower School Connections. This reassures us that Sewickley Academy is working hard to make the most out of this challenge, rather than throw in the towel and ride out the school year.
Is Virtual School the same as regular school on campus? Of course not. But from a "silver lining” viewpoint, Virtual School has made our son more independent and responsible for his own education, by requiring him to take ownership of his schedule and demands throughout the day. This is as important a skill as any other lesson for his transition into Middle School and, ironically, one he probably is learning better through Virtual School.
