SOUTH DENNIS – The community came together earlier this year to help students “forget about the uncertainty in the world” when they developed “Quarantine Kits for Kids,” and teachers recorded book readings and posted them to a Facebook page, so children could “see” familiar faces during the spring when school instruction was remote.
Alison Curvan, a resident and teacher in the Dennis Township School District, and mother of young children, said one of the biggest challenges she saw while working from home when the district was 100% remote learning was keeping her children engaged in the new educational model.
“My kids, like most, crave routine and normalcy,” she said. “I quickly saw firsthand the impact this remote learning was having on students.”
“When the COVID-19 virus caused all county school buildings to close, we were 100% remote,” Curvan, who has been a teacher for 13 years, explained. “It was a very difficult time for our district. Parents and students were forced to navigate a new and uncertain landscape of virtual learning. Teachers were learning new programs on the fly and working harder than ever to provide meaningful learning experiences for their students.
“It was a daunting task, and there was very little time to adjust to the profound changes that affected the staff in Dennis Township, both personally and professionally,” she added.
Despite the uncertainty, Curvan and her colleagues came up with the idea of “DT Reads,” whereby teachers recorded reading books and then posted the recording on the Facebook page she created.
“Our hope was that as students listened to the teachers read, they could forget about the uncertainty in the world around them and escape in the pages of a storybook read by a familiar face,” Curvan said.
She noted that the staff posts to DT Reads sporadically, but not nightly, like they did during the initial shutdown in spring. While teachers from the district of pre-K to eighth grade participated, the books were geared toward their primary and elementary students.
Further conversations with fellow parents in the community made Curvan realize that many families were struggling to provide enriching activities to fight lockdown monotony and boredom their children were experiencing.
“Many people were hurting financially, so getting these resources for their kids could be difficult,” Curvan said. “Again, I called upon my coworkers for help with a new idea: Quarantine Kits for Kids.”
Along with friends, family, and fellow staff members from the school district, Curvan said they raised funds and collected donated items to make nearly 50 bags filled with toys, games, crafts, books and more.
“I partnered with the South Seaville United Methodist Church, who distributed these kits to local families in need during the weekly food bank,” Curvan added.
Curvan said she was “amazed” to see how the community came together to support these initiatives.
“My fellow third grade teacher, Samantha Matthews, who lives in neighboring Middle Township, helped out a lot,” Curvan said. “It was definitely a team effort. Many teachers pitched in to make these initiatives possible. They were very quick to volunteer/donate and help out in any way: A true testament to their dedication to their students. As a staff, our top priority is always meeting the needs of our students, not just academically.”
While the Dennis Township schools are open for in-person instruction coupled with some virtual instruction, as of Dec. 10, Curvan knows the pandemic is presenting an “ever-evolving situation.”
“There’s a possibility that we may need to transition to virtual instruction again,” she said. “If that happens, I have no doubt our community will show up big once again for the children here in Dennis Township.”
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.
