"'We desire students to become innovative thinkers' says Jeff Kingma"

As The Wellspring School is about to end another academic year during the pandemic, we sat down with the Head of School – Jeff Kingma to learn more about how their journey adapting to the pandemic has been, and what plans they have for the future, as they look forward to welcoming students, both new and old after the end of summer this year.

• Many schools have taken various approaches on dealing with the pandemic, what have you done to make sure the students are safe, and are still receiving a well-rounded, solid education?
• How have you overcome the challenges of moving online and what positives can you take from it?
• Many believe that online education is the same at all schools. What does your program look like, and how might that be different from other schools?
• As a member of the International School Consortium (iSC) which focuses on developing leadership and character qualities, what has your school done this year to foster essential character development during the pandemic?
• Is the school anticipating a greater return to face to face learning post-summer?

Many schools have taken various approaches on dealing with the pandemic, what have you done to make sure the students are safe, and are still receiving a well-rounded, solid education?

Our desire as a school is to be caring and nurturing while fostering a strong learning environment with an excellent educational program. When the pandemic began, our desire was to keep this heart at the core regardless of learning platform or method of education.

COVID-19 has necessitated many safety procedures. Although safety has always been a first level priority at The WellSpring School, the pandemic has required a new level of procedures to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19. With these pandemic restrictions in mind, we adapted our entrance procedures to warmly welcome kids but safely guide them from their cars to their classroom. Additionally, each area of the school has separate grade level bubble entrances. Throughout the day, students remain in their reduced class size grade-level bubbles where their learning takes place. Numerous procedures are in place within the classroom to minimize the physical risk of COVID-19 during the school day.

However, safety is more than just physical wellbeing. We think about students holistically, looking at their emotional and mental wellbeing and their social health. Each classroom teacher dedicates specific time daily to check in on students in the face-to-face and online classes to ensure they are coping with the demands of school during a pandemic. We introduced Social-Emotional Learning classes with activities once per week allowing students to process situations positively and effectively. Online safety and digital citizenship are also part of the educational program.

Overall, we have needed to adapt and enhance safety procedures to help support students holistically.

How have you overcome the challenges of moving online and what positives can you take from it?

This year, The WellSpring School has a full-time online education option for students at all levels. In addition, there have been seasons when all schools were mandated to be completely online. Although online education has been a challenge for students, parents, and staff, there are many benefits that we can see from this experience.

One of our learning outcomes is that we desire our students to become innovative thinkers. In order to access online education, all of our students have had to adapt to new learning platforms. They have learned how to interact in online forums, submit work, present and debate online, research and synthesize without direct supervision, get feedback from the teacher, and so much more. They have had to overcome obstacles in order to be successful, and they have done well.

Our teachers have also grown professionally during this season. They have needed to rethink norms of teaching, explore best practices in online teaching, and virtually reach into the homes of students to get students excited about the content, keep them engaged, and help them continue to make progress toward meeting the standards. New tools have been developed and accessed that have helped make WellSpring’s education stronger and more effective. The best of these tools will continue to be used in the future even when our students all return to the classroom.

Throughout our lives we will face challenges, and these challenges help teach us perseverance and problem-solving skills. We believe our community has grown, and there are positive traits that will make us all stronger in the future.

Many believe that online education is the same at all schools. What does your program look like, and how might that be different from other schools?

While all schools’ online education programs are learning through digital means, the methods, implementation, and teacher involvement differ significantly. Learning can take place live or synchronous; it can be done self-paced or asynchronous, or a combination of the two also called semi-synchronous. There are further differences in the types of learning management platforms, assessment strategies, parent communication, method of instruction, and more.

This year, The WellSpring School has chosen instruction to be a mix of synchronous Zoom classes focused on teaching, group work, collaboration, and feedback and asynchronous learning where students work on specific materials designed for their learning level at a pace suitable for each student. This hybrid approach allows students to gain many benefits from online learning. We also adopted one common learning management platform that serves as a central location where students can access needed assignments, videos, class links, textbooks, and Zoom sessions. At the elementary level, we use SeeSaw, and at the secondary level, we use Canvas. Each platform also allows quick assessment and communication between students and parents.

As a member of the International School Consortium (iSC) which focuses on developing leadership and character qualities, what has your school done this year to foster essential character development during the pandemic?

The WellSpring School, as a member of a network of schools, has focused on teaching leadership and character qualities each month. Our Character Qualities for Life (iSC9) are nine important character traits that students at all levels learn about and put into practice each of the months of the school year. Students look at traits such as perseverance, humility, courage, persistence, compassion, and connection. The pandemic has allowed an opportunity to connect these character traits to the challenges that COVID-19 has brought about. Although there are dedicated lessons for students each week, the most impactful learning happens when the character trait can be applied in other areas of the educational program or the students’ life at home. Teachers work hard to make these connections and enrich the overall program.

Is the school anticipating a greater return to face to face learning post-summer?

The WellSpring School remains closely connected with the authorities about the educational restrictions and future planning for face-to-face learning. Safety needs to remain the first priority. If the COVID-19 situation is appropriate and the authorities provide the needed direction, we would love to see our students back to school where we can connect with them in person, and students can spend time together again. This would be great for their development and learning but needs to be done when the restrictions can be safely reduced.