Like all local schools, after having the semester interrupted by the pandemic Heritage Christian Academy students switched to online learning, keeping them from their daily routine of socializing with teachers and fellow students.

To celebrate the end of the school year and provide a sense of closure and normalcy, students and their parents were able to drive through the campus to pickup schoolwork and report cards on Thursday. Perhaps more importantly, students and teachers were able to say farewell to each other in person, said Head of School Jeremy Williams.

Students waved to their teachers from cars, held hand-drawn signs and some even handed teachers brightly colored potted plants as thank you gifts.

Teachers passed students workbooks through the car windows and some students even received lawn signs proclaiming them as student of the month.

“You do get to see the genuine connection students make with teachers,” said Williams.
First grade teachers Gennifer Crosby and Tara Spiers were excited to see their students before sending them off for the summer.

While teaching online was an adjustment, it forced the teachers to learn about more digital resources that are available, said Spiers. Teachers at the school made videos of themselves teaching lessons, and Crosby said she was surprised to learn from parents that some students watched the videos over and over again.

The private Christian school continued to require students to complete graded assignments. Although, it was harder to transition a lot of the material for the school’s older seventh and eighth grade students to an online format, said Williams.

Not all of the students were able to use the Internet to complete assignments. Some students did have to work from physical packets, said Williams. However, all of the seventh and eighth grade students were able to use iPads.

Although the assignments were different than originally planned, with more project-based assignments for older students, Williams said the students still met the academic goals the school’s administration set.

The school administrators plan to hold in-person classes again in the fall.