Innovation at LCS Supports Safe In-Person Learning

“I am so happy to be back at school.”

This is not normally what you hear on the first day of school from a tenth-grade boy, but it is exactly what I heard from one of our students as he entered the building on August 20, masked and ready to learn.

After months of planning and preparation, we are pleased to be doing in-person learning on our campus. The reopening plan, also known as the 2020-2021 Preparedness and Response Plan, is being fully executed. The first weeks of school have involved living into a “new normal.” Physical distancing, face coverings, student cohorts, lots of cleaning and disinfecting during the school day, hand washing, fresh air breaks, entering and exiting the school from multiple access points, and having a school nurse on campus every day are all integral parts of how we are supporting in-person learning. Students continue to be grateful for the opportunity to be on campus, with their peers and with their teachers, during the school day. While in-person learning continues to be our priority, the school is also creating a whole school remote learning plan to support circumstances when it is recommended or required for the school to pivot to remote learning.

Teaching with Innovation:

It is impressive to see how well our students and staff are adjusting to new circumstances and protocols and thinking innovatively about how to teach and learn, and how to cultivate Christian community with one another in this new environment. Below are just a few examples of how teachers are thinking creatively in the COVID era:

• Take Home Chemistry Lab – The LCS chemistry lab didn’t accommodate physical distancing guidelines so in this case thinking outside the box meant actually using a box. High School chemistry students have individual, portable, lab kits that can be utilized anywhere in the school building or at home, when necessary.

• Virtual Field Trips – Field trips are an important part of school, so when you can’t safely transport a preschool class to the zoo, you bring the zoo to them. Last week our preschoolers observed live camera feeds of pandas at different zoos across the country to learn about the animals and their behavior. They capped off their virtual trip with a bear themed treat.

• Outdoor Education – LCS is located on 70 acres of land and that space has provided wonderful opportunities for our teachers to move their classrooms and learning outdoors.

Hosting Events Virtually:

This year’s Annual Fund Run will be hosted virtually. Instead of running at school, elementary students will run/walk a mile in their own neighborhoods the weekend of October 10-11. To live our school’s theme, Loving Our Neighbor, families are being challenged to pray for the needs of those they live near and to be an encouragement to those they may meet along the way. The sponsorships that students raise will support the quality Christ-centered education at Lansing Christian School, and 25% of proceeds will be donated to Weekend Survival Kits, a local organization that provides meals for kids in the Greater Lansing area.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the event, and we encourage everyone to join us in praying for our community!