Mount Pleasant Magazine July/August 2020

148 www.CharlestonSchoolDirectory.com | www.MountPleasantHomes.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com A s schools closed in March to protect students and staff from the spread of COVID-19, teachers and administrators worked tirelessly to develop a game plan for distance learning. Many parents, eager to keep their students on track academically, leaned on educators for assistance on how to homeschool, and the response from two prominent Charleston area private schools was memorable. Christ Our King – Stella Maris School, located in Mount Pleasant, is one of many private schools in the area that successfully implemented a distance learning program catered to the needs of individual grade levels with the objective for students to thrive at home. Susan Splendido, principal, recognized her staff’s efforts and commended teachers for going above and beyond to promote success in learning during a time of great uncertainty. “I believe that the teachers worked very, very hard. In addition to preparing the lessons, the teachers spent hours learning different platforms to find the best way to teach online,” she said. Splendido further explained how teachers met the needs of their students and parents, while simultaneously caring for their own families and facilitating the learning of their own children. During the quarantine, the demand on teachers was high, and the teachers of Christ Our King continued to promote success and the importance of community in and outside the “classroom.” Middle school math teacher Kathy Schertz spent hours of her personal time in Zoom sessions, helping struggling students to understand the fundamentals of algebra and geometry. Kelly Ann Anderson, a first grade teacher, set up a “reading corner” on the front porch of her home, providing learning materials and art supplies to any child or parent in need of additional educational resources. When the support system is strong, students will thrive. At the completion of distance learning, which coincided with the end of the 2019-20 school year, Splendido and her staff delivered caps, gowns, yearbooks and yard signs to 75 eighth grade graduates. “Without a doubt, I think our kids have learned just how important community is. I think they gained an appreciation and an understanding of how much we depend upon each other to learn and grow,” Splendido said. Another successful distance learning program was implemented by Ashley Hall, a private school for girls located in downtown Charleston. Paula Harrell, director of marketing and communications, explained how a comprehensive distance learning plan that supported each division — from early education to the upper school — was developed not with the intent to create something entirely Going the Distance LOCAL PRIVATE SCHOOLS KEPT STUDENTS ON TRACK BY JENNIFER HARRISON Independent Schools