Virtual Learning Week 2: Group clinical sessions and fun academic lessons

We continued our Virtual Learning program with Latham students last week – including multiple sessions with our clinicians as well as lessons on English Language Arts (ELA), Geography, Spanish, Science, Performing Arts, Math, and Reading.

In between the lessons, Director of Education Kelly Dunn brought her mobile device on a “virtual field trip” through the classrooms. Students on campus were able to say hello and catch up briefly with students at home. While the students love learning and are enthusiastic about the online classes, this connection with each other has been their favorite part of virtual learning! We are so grateful to be able to continue to foster Latham Centers’ warm community of support between peers.  

To start each day, our students participate in a fitness activity independently or with their family. This past week, Monique Williams, a favorite Latham staff member and Special Olympics coach, put together 30-minute videos and shared them through Google Drive. In one video, she stretched with the students and held yoga poses for 30-second intervals. The group of students then met with clinicians, each of whom held discussions about emotional regulation. Chelsea showed them the “Unworry Book” and the “Worry Rocket.” Students openly discussed how each is feeling right now and what they are worried about. Chelsea wrote their worries into the rocket, and saw it zoom off in virtual space.

Participating students wholeheartedly engaged in focused lessons with different teachers each day. In ELA, Catherine taught a lesson on capitalization, and in Geography, Katie and the students read about North America. Katie and the students created a “Know/Want to Know/Learned” chart which contained information about climate, government, native species, economy, and historic sites. Tuesday was National Rainbow Day and the students learned about the science of rainbows with Matt. They will continue this lesson in their next science class! In Brogan’s ELA class, the focus was long vowels. Carl has been teaching both performing arts and Spanish, where students are learning the alphabet and short words. Matt taught Math, where the students played a virtual game of Money Counting Jeopardy.

We are so grateful to the Education and Clinical teams, and to Katrina Fryklund, Brittni Kliment, Patrice Carroll, and Kelly Dunn for sharing the highlights of Latham’s Virtual Learning program!