Learning during a pandemic has had an impact on students both academically and socially. To help kids fill in the gaps, teachers at Cuyahoga Heights Elementary School are aiming to “Shoot for the Moon!” this school year. “Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars,” said Principal Joy Houchen, meaning that everyone can make some progress.
“It started out to address the fact that kids are about three to five months behind academically, but then it’s also that kids don’t know how to interact with each other. Some of our preschool kids were never in a school situation. We have other kids who haven’t been out to eat. They have been by themselves for the greater part of the year. We realized, we need to teach our kids how to play together, how to negotiate with one another and to understand that everything isn’t going to go your way and that it’s OK.”
Houchen said the Rocket Theme helps teachers not feel overwhelmed by the fact that there’s much work to do this year. “We will try to fill those gaps and we will give the kids a lot of what they need, but it will take time.”
To address some of the gaps, teachers spend the first 30 minutes of the school day in Morning Meeting Time to work with students on social/emotional lessons and activities. With the help of mini “lessons” created by the school’s speech-language pathologist, guidance counselor, social worker, and occupational therapist, teachers might show short videos for example and complete follow-up activities to help students get to know each other, understand school expectations, and learn to address problems.
Students can earn Rocket Rewards for efforts to be caring, honest, engaged, and safe, and cash them in for prizes. “Our students need some incentive and some acknowledgement when they are working hard,” said Houchen. Prizes include pencils, pencil tops, a homework pass, and maybe even lunch with their teacher or a golf cart ride with their principal. Note: lunch with Superintendent Tom Evans costs 100 Rocket Rewards and lunch with Principal Houchen, 75 rewards.
To address gaps in math facts, a math computer program called Reflex Math was expanded in grades K-5. “Students love it,” said Houchen. The program was introduced in a few teachers’ classrooms last year but was adapted for the entire school this year. “The program is much better than flashcards and kids can do it on their own,” she said. Students become easily engaged in the program and often work outside of school to reach a certain goal. “The kids are excited when teachers announce that they hit their target. And, of course, once they have mastered these facts, it will help them in all of their math.”