After school buildings were ordered closed, the staff at Gerald Elementary School went into overdrive to find ways to help students during the COVID-19 crisis.

Principal Jennifer Hall has recognized this. “Everyone has been so flexible and has just taken what has been thrown their way. They are working to make the learning opportunities for our students as meaningful as possible. They are also doing such a good job of connecting with kids,” Hall told the Board of Education at their meeting in April.

Packets filled with schoolwork, worksheets and other material are provided for students to pick up on a regular basis. Completed work is returned when new packets are picked up. Pre-K students even received goodie bags with crayons, playdough and scissors to help them stay occupied.

Students are able to request library books that are then included in their packets.

According to Hall, out of 300 packets prepared for students, only 15 were not picked up. Staff does porch drop off for those who do not have transportation or for essential workers who cannot get to the school during normal pick up times.

Cafeteria workers come in two days per week to help organize food pick up for school families.

The school counselor, Jennifer Lindemeyer, has been able to stay in contact with the students she normally sees on a regular basis during normal school times.

Teachers use phone calls, email, texts and social media to stay in contact with each of their students.

“Our teachers have made personal contact with 99 percent of our students,” Hall noted. They also do video chats with both the students and their parents.

The staff at GES has created ways to continue doing their job and stay connected to students, even without classrooms.

Hall will be retiring at the end of the school year. Her final days as principal have most certainly not been anything she could have been expecting. She, like the rest of her staff, have adapted.