Remote learning

REMOTE LEARNING PLATFORM  Siblings Madison and Mason Richardson, students at All Saints Academy in Parsippany, take part in class with their teacher via distance eLearning.

PARSIPPANY  All Saints Academy here is home to a faculty, staff, and student body that has embraced the distance eLearning platform.

Founded in 2009 as a merger of the former St. Peter the Apostle and St. Christo­pher schools, both located in Parsippany, All Saints Academy is AdvancEd accredited, and was the first elementary school in the Diocese of Paterson and Morris County to become a nationally-certified STEM school. Faith and knowledge are at the forefront of the school’s mission statement, and its curriculum incorporates STEM, inquiry-based learning, and faith into every subject from preschool through eighth grade. Under the direction of Judith Berg, principal, All Saints has four supporting parishes: St. Peter the Apostle, St. Ann, St. Christopher, all in Parsippany, and St. Pius X in Montville.

When faced with the task of distance learning, All Saints Academy was prepared. “I think part of our success,” says Caitlin Sim, fourth-grade teacher, “is that our faculty was so well prepared.” Over a year ago, administration and faculty members developed an eLearning plan in the event that the school building needed to be closed due to an emergency. “Our principal, Mrs. Berg, did such an awesome and thorough job of preparing our staff. We were philosophically ready. We had all the tools that we needed to just jump right in on day one.”

Laura Alpaugh, the school’s full-time technology teacher, said, “I know it also helped that the students utilize technology which is integrated regularly into their daily school work. In addition to the tech in their classrooms, they are also in the tech lab at least twice a week, and understand how to use programs like Google Classroom, Khan Academy, Discovery Ed, etc. These platforms were not new to them, but rather, regularly accessed programs.” Having the students and faculty prepared led to a successful transition into distance learning. “We continue to nourish each child not only academically, but socially and spiritually as well,” says Berg. “In addition to an academic routine that keeps our students on task, we have also engaged in fun activities throughout the weeks, such as Spirit Week, LEGO engineering challenges, fitness classes and more to keep our student body bonded together. Morning prayers and announcements are broadcast daily. Liturgy is live­streamed every week, students participate in online retreat days, and our faculty also engages in regular Google Meet sessions with their students and with each other to connect and plan.”

As for the upcoming school year, All Saints Academy is hoping to open its doors physically to all of its students. “I can’t wait to see all the kids again next year! We have missed them so much,” said Rosemary Taibi, third-grade teacher at All Saints. However, “If in the event that we are mandated to continue to teach via distance learning,” Berg said, “our staff is ready to open their arms virtually to their new classes, and welcome in new students and families until we can all physically be together again.”