We Never Did It That Way Before

This is the second in a series of blogs where I have asked St. Ann educators if they would be willing to write a blog on what it has been like teaching during this pandemic. Several of our educators took time to write down their thoughts. So, the next several blogs will feature St. Ann educators reflecting on teaching during the pandemic. Next up is our first grade educator, Melanie Wall.

This is my first year teaching at St. Ann. While I could take this opportunity to let everyone know about the incredibly warm welcome I received and how helpful and patient all the staff and families have been, I think I'd like to share about what I’ve witnessed at St. Ann over the past two months.

Let me give you a little background first. Many people don’t know that I come from a rather diverse employment background. One job I held while working on my undergraduate degree at the University of Memphis (Memphis State, at the time) was at my father's small medical practice. I was in charge of filing insurance claims. During my time there, the big shift was made from keeping medical records and insurance claims on paper to submitting all electronically. When it was announced that we'd no longer be using the more “traditional“ ways of record keeping, I was shocked at the reaction from some of his staff, especially those who had been with him the longest. They weren't happy at all, and were quick to grumble and argue about the changes taking place. My father patiently listened to their grievances but kept moving forward. I'll never forget walking into the office break room one day during this transition and seeing a sign he had posted. It read “ . . . the last words of a dying organization are ‘We never did it that way before.’” The office eventually successfully transitioned, but the grumbling remained for quite some time.

Christmas Party

Fast forward to Friday, March 13^th this year. Mr. Aur called an emergency faculty meeting to deal with the school closing due to COVID -19. As I walked into the library that day, I was nervous. What was the atmosphere going to be like? Would I see the same resistance to change that I’d seen in the past? While I knew the situations were very different, I felt in many ways that this change would be more frightening.

What I saw was amazing. In spite of the uncertainty of the situation, there was an incredible positive attitude. I heard about ideas based on how we were going to make distance learning work instead of complaints and negativity. The teachers immediately began sharing and offered to help each other as we entered this new realm of education.

Since that day in the library, there have been incredible virtual meetings and professional development sessions. Has it been perfect? No. While there have been a few tears of frustration and sadness, the teachers and administrators have continued to work together. Distance learning has been and is a work in progress and I, especially, have struggled. But the focus from the beginning of this journey has remained on solutions. I have not seen or heard any issues of “we've never done it that way before;” instead, the prevailing attitude has been “Let's do this!” That's one of the many reasons why I’m so proud and thrilled to call St. Ann home.

"I can hardly wait to see the precious St. Ann students and their families when school opens. I hope you all have a wonderful summer!

With much love,

Melanie Wall

More Blogs on St. Ann:

Annmarie Ghio https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/05/an-educators-take-on-remote-teaching.html

Liz Wehmeyer https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/05/an-educators-take-on-remote-teaching.html

Kris Crews https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/05/re-opening-catholic-schools-this-fall.html

Joseph Gulino https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/05/just-keep-doing-what-you-are-doing_9.html

Laura Battle https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/04/dr-laura-battle-this-weeks-guest-blogger.html

Anthony Maranise https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/04/holy-week-and-easter-during-time-of.html

Christy Matlock https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/04/from-st-ann-to-new-jersey-nurses-story.html

An Educator's Take on Remote Teaching

I have asked St. Ann educators if they would be willing to write a blog on what it has been like teaching during this pandemic. Several of our educators took time to write down their thoughts. So, the next several blogs will feature St. Ann educators reflecting on teaching during the pandemic. First up is our 3^rd grade educator, Annmarie Ghio.

Remote learning. Ugh! It’s not for every student. And remote teaching, it's not for every teacher. For me, it was heart-breaking, yet heart-warming.

It was heart-breaking, because I saw students and parents struggle. Home is not a school. We have a different mindset when we’re at home in comfy clothes surrounded by snacks, toys, and television, away from the structure of a classroom and the support of a teacher. I struggled as well, both professionally and personally when my dad died unexpectedly. I was disappointed as I cancelled field trips, projects, and other special events. But a strong faith, hope, surrounding myself with supportive people, and a new routine helped.

For me, I feed off of my students. I love to see my scholars every day, and I gauge how my lessons are going by how my students are reacting. Are they engaged? Are they smiling? Do they look like they’re falling asleep? I adjust immediately. To be a teacher is to be creative and flexible. But during this time, I doubted myself. Remote teaching challenged my capacity for being creative. It drained my energy as I planned and taught like never before. When I am remote teaching, even in Hangouts, it’s hard to get feedback from students. It’s sometimes difficult to see their faces, to assess their body language, or to have a good, honest back-and-forth conversation. And I miss the socialization as much as they do. I miss their high-fives and hugs. I miss their anecdotes and endless curiosity that challenges me to dive deeper into content or broaden my scope on a lesson. Then there’s the end of the year goodbyes. We really didn’t get a proper good-bye, did we?

However, we all know that life gives us challenges. They are inevitable. But how we faced this challenge was crucial, not just for us as educators, but for the expectations and example we set for our St. Ann students and their families. Remote teaching was not optional. It's not what we were trained to do or even what we wanted to do. It’s what we needed to do, and we needed to do it well. So we researched. We learned. We changed. We adjusted. And we learned some more. And adapted again. The cycle still continues as we look toward an uncertain future. I should be preparing for summer camps, but instead I'm measuring my classroom and deciding what stays and what goes as I rethink my teaching styles and strategies for the fall.

Despite the distance, my students and I discovered new ways to stay connected. That’s what family does! Thank goodness for Hangouts, home videos, Doceri, hand-written letters, and PicCollage. I also saw not only teachers do things they never thought they could, but I also saw students and parents discover new talents and strengths. It has been amazing to see our young learners shine in a new light! And our parents stepped up to partner with us. You are all amazing, too, and we will never forget how you helped us. So even though remote teaching had its heart-breaking moments, there were unexpected opportunities over the past 10 weeks that were heart-warming. And the end result of those outweighs the bad. Those memories of seeing our students make new discoveries are what teaching is all about. Those moments are permanent. Remote learning is temporary.

No one knows what the fall will look like, but I am 100% certain that the teachers and administration at St. Ann can and will meet any challenges head-on, prepared to lead our students into another safe, meaningful year of learning filled with faith, service, and love.

Have a safe, healthy, and fantastically fun summer. I love you, and I miss you...all.

Annmarie Ghio

A Previous Blog by a St. Ann Parent, Liz Wehmeyer: https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/05/why-st-ann-by-liz-wehmeyer.html

Re-Opening Catholic Schools This Fall

Kris, Michaela,
Alex, and Sophia

This week's guest blogger is Kristine Crews. She is a St. Ann parent, soccer mom, and researcher at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She directs a Residency in Clinical Pharmacogenomics at St. Jude and teaches student pharmacists at University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. She serves on the Diocesan Transition Task Force. She has been asked to give us all an explanation of the work being performed by the Task Force regarding re-opening Catholic Schools this fall.

We are all in this together! As the 2019-20 school year comes to a close-- one we won’t forget anytime soon-- the Catholic Diocese of Memphis is looking ahead to what the return to campus in Fall 2020 will look like. As a St. Ann parent and a healthcare professional, I’ve been asked to serve on the Diocesan Transition Task Force, which is chaired by Teddi Niedzweidz, principal of St. Louis Catholic School. This task force will advise Catholic Schools on safe practices for reopening campuses in Fall 2020.

St. Ann is a school like no other. Jimmy and I send our daughter Sophia to St. Ann for the strong and nurturing community and for teachers who care for each child as a whole. I am a product of K-12 Catholic education in my hometown of Chalfont, PA. Without a doubt, my strong Catholic school education propelled me to my STEM career and formed me into a well-rounded adult. It’s the education Jimmy and I sought for our three children - Sophia, a rising 7^th grader at St. Ann; Michaela, a rising 10^th grader at St. Benedict; and Alex, a soon-to-be senior at Christian Brothers High School.

Kris and the empty halls
at St. Jude

As the diocesan task force make plans through the summer for the start of the new school year, we will keep in mind these important goals: educating our kids, continuing to provide a strong faith community in which they can grow, and keeping COVID-19 off the St. Ann campus.

No one can predict the future of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all much smarter and more experienced, however, in safety measures in our own homes and in our community than we were 2 months ago. The pandemic came upon us in Shelby County and across the country so quickly this past March. We had to adapt instantly and change the way we taught our kids. We have more time to plan for the fall return to school. The task force recognizes that we essentially need 3 separate plans for return to school depending on the level of COVID-19 transmission in August:

1.    If there remains a high level of transmission in the community: start the school year with distance learning if schools need to remain closed.

2.    For a moderate level of transmission in the community: return to school with social distancing restrictions in place.

3.    For a minimum level of transmission in the community: schools will open; some precautions may need to stay in place.

Sophia on the 1st day of 6th grade

The task force is focusing on Situation 2 above and will advise on what plans need to be in place to return to school in the case of a moderate level of transmission in the community. Those of us who are essential workers and have physically gone to work over the past few weeks have seen our places of business morph into something nearly unrecognizable from how they operated in other times.

It’s likely that St. Ann will open for the 2020-21 school year looking and running very differently than it did last fall. Over the summer, Mr. Aur and his dedicated faculty and staff will be doing previously unheard-of activities, like measuring classrooms and common spaces throughout the school to know the occupancy limits of each space for social distancing requirements. St. Ann will set up a screening protocol for students as they enter school each morning in the fall. We’ll have a renewed focus on cleaning and disinfecting the school at night. We’ll plan for hand hygiene breaks throughout the school day. We’ll look at traffic patterns to limit mixing of students as they move through the school. And we’ll consider accommodations that will be needed for vulnerable students, faculty, and staff members so that the school environment is safe for all of us. Again, we don’t know yet what precautions will need to be in place but be assured we’ll work through the summer break to have our beloved school ready to teach these kids.

What can you do this summer? 

·      Keep informed by checking for updates to evidence-based guidance on the CDC and Shelby County websites. 

·      Experts recommend helping your child stay socially connected with friends digitally for the time being. Resist the urge to start back sleepovers and Jumping World parties just yet. What we do now to stem the transmission of the coronavirus in the community will help us be in good shape to open schools in the fall.

·      If someone at higher risk for COVID-19 will be providing childcare (an older adult, such as a grandparent or someone with a chronic medical condition), limit your children’s contact with other people.

·      If your children ride bikes or play outside with neighborhood friends, reinforce 6-foot distancing from anyone who is not in your own household and keep them playing outside.

Have a great summer and see you next year!

~Kris

I would like to thank Kris Crews for saying "Yes" to serving on the Diocesan Transition Task Force. Her work along with all the other members of the task force is crucial to the planning efforts of re-opening Catholic Schools this fall. This task force is giving all school leaders a roadmap on how best to prepare with student safety at the forefront. Thank you for giving of your time and talent to helping all the children, both in Catholic Schools and St. Jude. You are making a positive difference in the world.

God bless you,

Didier Aur, Principal

St. Ann Catholic School

Previous Blogs:

Dr. Joseph Gulino: https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/05/just-keep-doing-what-you-are-doing_9.html

Liz Wehmeyer: https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/05/why-st-ann-by-liz-wehmeyer.html

Just Keep Doing What You Are Doing

Dr. Joseph Gulino

This week's guest blogger is Dr. Joseph Gulino. Dr. Gulino has spent several weeks over the past two years working with the St. Ann educators with a focus on gifted students and learning. You can learn more about Dr. Gulino by visiting the Gulino Group website. https://www.thegulinogroup.org/  I'll let Dr. Gulino take over from here.

“Just keep doing what you are doing,” music to the ears of an educator who has just been observed by a supervisor. Also, music to the supervisor who loves to watch excellent educators at their craft. These were words I was fortunate to utter to educators at St. Ann Catholic School in October. I stated those words more times at St. Ann than at any other school I have had the opportunity to observe educators. I have been at St. Ann working with the faculty approximately three weeks, May and August of 2018, and October of 2019. The first two visits were to make presentations and identify resources re: ‘How to help all students achieve,’ ‘Resources to challenge all students think critically and creatively,’ and ‘What all educators need to know about trauma, their students, and education.’

I was asked by Mr. Aur on the third visit to observe each educator and give them feedback re: the implementation of resources they had chosen the previous year. I am the former Director of Education Clinical Experiences and Master Degree program at Central Methodist College, Fayette, MO 1994-99. Working with educators and helping them become better at their craft was my favorite position in my education career.

What I Observed working with the Educators

Important behaviors of great educators that are most important to me:

Educators were deeply committed to developing relationships with their students. I could feel it, see it in their demeanor, hear it in the works they used working with students, and observe it in the reactions of the students.

Words to describe further would be caring, kind, and most importantly patient as St. Ann is serving many students with special needs and life situations, and patience is a virtue needed greatly and observed often.

The way we feel sometimes
during this pandemic.

Logically what follows is their keen knowledge of their students: the needs for all (the group/class), and the particular needs of each student. This was observed watching them work with their classes, and more importantly hearing/seeing their conversations with peers re: particular students sharing strategies and getting feedback from each other in faculty room or private settings.

Being a former principal and college professor and now consultant, I was particularly impressed with their dedication to being educators, not just teachers.  Educators do not hold down a job and JUST go to work at 7:30, get off at 3:30, play with kids all day, and have their summers off. Educators are professional. They act like professionals and love what they do more than anything else. They are always on the lookout and desire to learn more about their craft, not having more time away from their students. Whole group discussions regarding my presentation material and then later one-on-one discussions with St. Ann educators were very impressive and showed me the desire to learn, and knowledge gained. I look forward to future visits to see how all grow even further.

Lastly, the time engaged in learning was outstanding.  There was little to no, down, “get started on homework,” or wasted, time. There are only so many minutes in a school day and every one of them is important, and these educators use as many minutes as possible for learning.

Being at St. Ann for so many days also gave me a great feel for the school as whole, and I feel I should share that with you as well.

Principles of
Fearless Leadership

St. Ann Catholic School

Important characteristics of a great school important to me, what I observed as a whole:

Great schools smell good. You can tell when you enter a building by what you smell and pass judgement mentally. The cleaning staff does an excellent job of preparing the school in this area. I always liked the cafeteria to be close to the front door, so the smell of good food could be experienced by all who entered.

St. Ann is a safe, civil, and healthy environment for students to learn. Walking the halls and popping into classrooms, it is very obvious that students feel respected and connected with the faculty and staff. 

There is a clear understanding that this is a Catholic School with strong common beliefs and values. That Catholicity is openly observable as well as shared with all who come into contact with the school, its staff, and communications that come from the school or its staff.

I observed that the educators I worked with believe that all students can learn and meet high standards. Students are challenged, and guided, to be the best they can be; and those who come to the school with special needs or life situations are given the resources and help they need.

Your principal, Mr. Aur, is an outstanding leader. He is a visionary, creative, and very proactive. He knows what is needed in many situations and is very open and asks others what is needed. He also knows how to get the help needed to obtain those needs. He brings in quality staff members and then turns them loose to be the best they can be for the students, parents, and St. Ann community of faith. Professional development of the staff is important to him and he sets it up properly with continued work with professional individuals over time to strengthen trust and relationships, not just one shot one-time in-service experiences.

Possibly the strongest area I noted in the St. Ann staff after their care for students is their high level of collaboration. I observed selfless teamwork across all grades and subject areas. Another big bonus to St. Ann is the high degree of parent and community member participation in the daily school operation.

In closing, I hope you take from these observations that this professional feels/knows that St. Ann School is a special school in a special time and should be appreciated, taken care of, supported, shared, and allowed to continue to grow. The children/students are in great hands and many will be achieving great things because of the foundation they are receiving here. I look very forward to my next visit to share more with the educators and grow myself though their reflections back to me.

God Bless,

Joseph Gulino

Support St. Ann Catholic School

Thank you Dr. Gulino for your insights. You have been a tremendous help to the educators and students at St. Ann. We greatly appreciate the time you have taken to make St. Ann and even better Catholic School. We hope to see you around in 2020-21.

God bless you,
Didier Aur, Principal
St. Ann Catholic School

Read our previous blog: https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/05/why-st-ann-by-liz-wehmeyer.html

"Why St. Ann?" by Liz Wehmeyer

Liz, Olivia, and JT

This week's guest blogger is Liz Wehmeyer. Liz is an elementary school teacher with Bartlett City School and a mother of two students at St. Ann. J.T. is in 6th grade and Olivia is in PK4. Liz is also an Apple Certified Teacher, Webmaster, Social Media Coordinator, and 2nd grade teacher at Altruria who over the past two years has trained our teachers in using the iPad in the classroom. We now have about eleven teachers and one principal who are Apple Certified Teachers. Here is Liz's answer to "Why St. Ann?"

When Mr. Aur asked me to write a blog entry discussing my thoughts about St. Ann, I felt immediately overwhelmed. How could I possibly fit all the amazing things I witness in one blog entry? Where do I even begin? He suggested I just start writing and let my thoughts fill the page. So, I guess I will start at the beginning.

Mrs. Harty visits Olivia at home

When you teach at an awesome school less than a mile away from St. Ann, you get hit with the “Why don’t you bring your kids to school with you?” question pretty regularly. My standard answer is, “We are Catholic, and St. Ann is our parish.” That gets most people to accept the answer, but some press on. We always hear, “Can’t they just go to Sunday school or PRE?” I guess they could, but honestly, it’s the people and the relationships at St. Ann that are pretty high up on the list of reasons why we continue to sign our kids up year after year.

JT was only supposed to go to St. Ann for preK and then to school with me for elementary. Mrs. Morgan and Mrs. Sexton changed that plan pretty quickly for us. I attended Catholic Schools growing up in New York and Ohio, and these two amazing women quickly reminded me how important a Catholic education really is. The St. Ann teachers, administrators, staff, and volunteers help shape my children’s lives, moral compass, and religious base that help us navigate through this crazy life. They get to capitalize on those teachable moments and bring God and prayer into every aspect of life. 

JT and Online Learning

Over the years, we have watched change, growth, and innovation blossom at our school. Father Ernie and Mr. Aur have outlined a clear course to a strong future for St. Ann School and a bright future for our kids as learners. I have had the privilege to work with the students of St. Ann for the past two summers at Camp Invention. Y’all, these kids are thinkers! These teachers are teaching these kids to think outside the box and really break the mold. I was amazed with the thinking, planning, and experimenting that took place in the Innovation Lab.

Now that I have covered the “Why St. Ann”, let me switch gears and tell you what I have witnessed in the adventure that is remote learning. The COVID-19 pandemic launched into our worlds pretty quickly. St. Ann teachers and administration left their spring breaks early to come to school and learn in about 48 hours how to continue teaching without being at school, how to create a blog, post to a blog, record lessons, use new tools, and make a plan to be ready to start Monday. The fact that every teacher had a blog and assignments ready to roll for first thing Monday morning was nothing short of a miracle. I checked in with teachers and Mr. Aur to see what I could do to help. Not one teacher had a bad attitude. They were all working together and helping each other do what needed to be done to make sure our kids didn’t miss one day of instruction. How incredible is that!

The St. Ann family has truly come together to make this quarantine a strangely beautiful time where every person is doing their part to keep the learning going. Parents and grandparents are helping explain lessons at home and helping kids get assignments submitted, teachers are planning amazing and engaging lessons, our kids are being provided with meaningful feedback on work and making stronger connections with teachers.

JT on the first day of school

I know it is easy as parents for us to feel overwhelmed (me, included!) and sometimes feel frustrated hawking the online grade book to see what remote grading even looks like or wondering when the next assignment will finally be posted. I hope that we all remember that the teachers are working harder than ever in a way none of us were trained for in our college studies. Thinking of creative ways to deliver lessons, posting online, meeting virtually, and then waiting on a steady stream of work being emailed in a variety of formats to organize, grade, and provide feedback. We have asked so much of the St. Ann teachers, and they keep showing up with a smile and a new lesson for our kids. I am in total awe with the magnitude of excellence in this remote learning adventure. 

Shout outs!

• From day one of the quarantine, Ms. Ostrowski asked every 6th grader to pray a rosary every day.
• Ms. Angotti’s remote PE class is fun and hilarious. I have watched JT do yoga with his class and play basketball with socks while racing against his buddies through Google Hangouts. 
• Mrs. Wendenon’s shadow art project looks amazing, and I totally want to try it. 
• Mrs. Langford easily doubles her time on Google Meets to make sure every student is really mastering the skills. (And they better be showing their work!)
• Mrs. Harty is having Google Hangouts with her class and even did remote calendar time with the kids. And when one kid is really sad because she can’t be in Mrs. Harty’s real classroom, she totally drove to our house for a safe, social distanced visit to cheer up my Olivia. 
• Mr. Gage has assigned the coolest, real world assignments for the middle school kids. They have corrected celebrities social media, created memes, and written creative stories. 
• Mr. Cooper has the kids singing and also critiquing music from around the world.
• Mr. Maranise shared a beautiful Easter meditation for the 8th graders because we can’t attend mass
• Ms. Ostrowski sends the most thoughtful emails giving her feedback on assignments. I LOVE listening to her religion and social studies class. Her enthusiasm in contagious, and she loves our kids.
• Mrs. Metaxas has such variety in her lessons, and her animated tree project is awesome. 
• Mr. Green got every middle school student set up with a working email address in a matter of days so kids and teachers can communicate daily.
• Ms. Ghio’s blog has been incredible since JT was in 3rd grade (and probably before!), but she still is finding new and innovative ways to teach.
• Ms. Sellers’ blog is filled with pictures of our littlest learners completing remote learning projects.
• Ms. Lola has got our kids creating beautiful artwork and pushing them to get creative in every project. 
• Mrs. Griffith answers every email and hangout message even when the emails are blank and the hangout messages from 6th graders are asking if it’s legal to pick up birds or just to tell her they are hungry. (God bless these middle school teachers. For real.)

Online with Mrs. Harty

I know this is just a sampling of amazing things happening from PK3 to 8th grade at St. Ann. I love seeing my Facebook feed filled with pictures from these learning adventures. We will all get through this together, and because of the amazing leader and teachers at St. Ann, our kids will be smarter, ready for the next grade level, and will have a stronger connection to their faith. 

Stay strong, hold the course, we’re all in this together!

Liz Wehmeyer

Thank you Liz for sharing. We appreciate your kind words. You help to make St. Ann a better school. You have been there for me and all the teachers. We cannot thank you enough for your constant smile and positive words.

God bless you,

Didier Aur, Principal

St. Ann Catholic School