School buildings might be closed, but Washington Primary School isn’t about to stop presenting awards to its students for a job well done.
Just like their colleagues across Huntington UFSD, faculty members are stepping up for the youngsters in their classes, including giving them a proverbial pat on the back.
The Washington Ways Award program is entrenched in the building. The current criteria might be a little bit different than usual, but the essence is the same: Students who work hard, are conscientious and who do their best to complete their assignments and give all of their daily work the attention it deserves are recognized.
The Washington Ways initiative typically focuses on recognizing and rewarding positive behavior while encouraging students to be safe, respectful and responsible.
The March award recipients were cited for a combination of the work they did in their classrooms before the COVID-19 pandemic and since the health crisis forced classes to move into distance learning mode. Since then students continue to interact with their teachers and submit their assignments online.
The honorees include: Colin Kiernan, Dylan Sbrocchi, Adelina Harkinish, Alexa Hobbi, John Nicholas, Leo Affa, Jacob Arelt, Dominguez Lopez, Lindsay Oh, Abigail Van Horn, Andrew Parrott, Khloe Bedell, Nathan Falk, Vader Renkewitz, Paige Falk, Ethan Hobbi and Anthony Rivera.
Principal Michelle Richards and the teacher corps is working hard to give Washington students everything that they possibly can during this surreal period.
“We are ‘Washington Strong,’” Dr. Richards said. “During this time of distance learning the teachers and staff of Washington Primary School are working tirelessly to engage our students and each other.”
Each day, Dr. Richards posts read alouds that she calls “Dr. Richards Reads.” To date there’s been about 25 hours of read aloud time.
“Students are sharing their ‘vibes’ through Flipgrid,” Dr. Richards said. “The teachers are hard at work engaging students in their Google Classrooms. Students are posting pictures of themselves completing assignments and saying hello.”
Third grade teacher Katie Kalkau created a “hello video” comprised of teachers and staff members sharing words of love to Washington’s families.
There’s been a Spirit Week and other special days that have seen teachers, staff, students and family members sharing selfies or videos on Flipgrid wearing the theme of the day. Here’s one example: Wear a Shirt You Can Read Day!
The Washington Primary School community can’t wait for a return to “normal” with school’s open and traditional classes being held. In the meantime, everyone is pulling together and doing their best for the 350 students spread across grades K-3.
