WILTON—At a time when many preschools have been shuttered due to COVID-19, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Academy in Wilton has successfully completed eight weeks of distance learning for its 3- and 4-year-old preschool students.
Pre-K 3-4’s teacher Rebecca Gammardella, known as “Mrs. Della” within the OLFCA school community, is keenly aware that the COVID-19 pandemic arrived at a critical time in the children’s learning. At that point in the school year, students are recognizing letters and numbers, developing fine and gross motor skills, taking more responsibility in the classroom and following multi-step directions—skills that are so important when the children start kindergarten.
Gammardella knew that when the pandemic forced schools to close, she would need to find a way to keep the learning momentum going and deliver a classroom experience to each child’s home. She developed a thoughtful plan to transition her preschool students to a distance learning program.
A key component of her plan involved the creation of carefully curated “activity bags” filled with “academic skill keepers” and hands-on “craftivities.” Each weekly bag contains five individual daily packets containing all the supplies needed for each school day, which might include patterns, construction paper, glue, paint, beads, or any other needed items. The “theme” for each week varies. Gammardella estimates she spends 10-12 hours per week preparing and organizing the bags, which are then picked up each week by parents/caregivers.
Another key component of the distance learning program is a dedicated YouTube channel Gammardella created, where she broadcasts a prerecorded morning “meeting” each day. It might begin like any other morning classroom routine, with greetings, news, a daily calendar and a letter/number flashcard review. The video also includes her reading a story to the class, which pairs with an activity from the daily packet they received.
Gammardella warns that distance learning for a preschool child simply won’t be effective if it is limited to an iPad or a Chromebook. For preschool children, she believes, the hands-on activities are extremely important. “Whether it’s the feel of scissors cutting through paper or a crayon on the paper, applying glue neatly, or keeping their activity supplies in order, it’s important for a pre-k student to keep working on these skills,” she emphasized.
Equally important for preschoolers is social skill development. With assistance from parents/caregivers, Gammardella conducts Zoom sessions (live online meetings) so students can continue to see her and their peers. However, she sees the limitations of the Zoom platform for this age group (especially when it comes to “one at a time” speaking) and has found it works best in small groups. While not part of instruction per se, Zoom allows for some degree of personal interaction. “I can tell them how much I miss them. I miss their laughter, and seeing their families too,” she said.
Those families have always played an important role in the preschool even before COVID-19 (“the Fatima Family” is a phrase often heard within the school community), but Gammardella says their involvement has been critical to the success of OLFCA’s pre-k distance program. In addition to picking up the weekly activity bags, parents/caregivers are needed to help the children plan out their workspace and time, and supervise some activities as appropriate for the age.
Gammardella believes the “bond” between the student, families and the school is the single most important factor in the success of any preschool distance learning program. Without that school-home connection and excellent communication, she believes, any attempt at distance learning will be far less productive.
While distance learning has been an adjustment for all age groups, Gammardella believes it is especially challenging for preschool programs, where the curriculum includes fine and gross motor development, spatial awareness, self-regulation and social interaction. Importantly, she feels the OLFCA program did not lose “precious time” in the chaotic early days of the COVID-19 pandemic; the continuity of learning has been successfully maintained for the preschool students. Even more importantly, Gammardella points out the school is well positioned for the fall, when there is lingering uncertainty about many preschools’ ability to reopen.
In an innovative way of showcasing the program, OLFCA is offering preschoolers a complimentary week of distance learning from now until June 1, 2020. Interested parents may contact the school for more information.
About Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Academy
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Academy is co-educational, National Blue Ribbon School offering a Pre-Kindergarten 3 through Grade 8 education model. The Academy’s Personalized Approach to Learning blends classroom and small group instruction with technology to provide learning that is fluid and flexible based on the ability of the student. Multi-age, child-centered classrooms offer continuous learning. OLFCA’s faith-based environment nurtures the whole child and emphasizes strong moral values and respect for self and others. The Academy is located at 225 Danbury Road, Wilton CT 06897. For more information, contact Principal Stanley Steele at ssteele@olfcatholic.org or visit www.olfacademy.org.
