During this very different school year, Minisink Valley teachers continue to be creative in the ways they engage and bring their in-person, remote and fully remote students together.

Before the post-Thanksgiving “on pause” extended break, Joanna Browning’s sixth-graders were asked to create slideshows describing artifacts or primary sources they found at home and present it to the class.

Remote, in-person fully remote students gathered in one Google Meet and took turns sharing and presenting their screens while talking about their slide show.  In-person students were encouraged to bring in their items to share in-class.

“The students really enjoyed this so much,” said Ms. Browning.  “They put positive comments in ‘the chat’ to one another, asked questions and clapped for each of their classmates. It was so nice to see them sharing, interacting, asking questions and encouraging their peers after so many months of not having that type of interaction with one another. Their faces were so happy and you could see those smiling eyes behind their masks while they were presenting.”

As examples: student Peter Westby brought in his Grandfather’s Vietnam War uniform, pictures, dog tags and helmet.  Hannah Weibolt brought in an arrowhead; and Brenden Elwood shared his grandfather’s helmet worn on Sept. 11.

Other students presented cassette tapes, old video consoles, antique sewing machines, computers with floppy disks, paintings and other interesting finds.