Nate Hansen’s family’s morning routine hasn’t changed much since the novel coronavirus precautions have been in place. Like usual, Hansen and Lupita Pollock prepare breakfast for Finn, 12, and Lily, 9. After the family eats together, it’s off to work and school — only, no one needs to leave the kitchen table.

The sixth- and third-grader transition into school time by reciting verses that they would have sung at the Waldorf-inspired Running River School, located on Brewer Road. 
Pollock, who is administrator of operations at the school and has subbed for her daughter’s class before, is able to assist Lily and Finn with classwork. Hansen helps with research projects and motivation in between his own virtual classroom with his middle schoolers from American Heritage Academy in Cottonwood.

“Running River School was one of the first schools to close their campus and transition to remote home learning,” Hansen said.

Running River School Director of Administration Eddie Simmons and the Board of Directors decided to close on their own accord before Gov. Doug Ducey’s March order for the safety of their students.

“Despite the vast news of children not being as susceptible to the virus as adults, we knew the best decision to prevent spreading of any contagion was to simply isolate everyone, no matter what age,” Hansen said of his and Pollock’s agreement that their children’s school should be shut for now.

Even though the physical school is not open as usual, students are still expected to complete all work through the school year, which the teachers deliver via Google Classroom. However, this creates a dilemma since Running River School, like most school’s that embrace the Waldorf philosophy, don’t condone technology as a medium for learning or play.

The school’s Parent Handbook states, “we ask that parents of RRS students strive to eliminate as much electronic media from their child’s life as possible. This includes the use of videos, computer [and computer games], video games and the like.”

The handbook suggests alternatives to electronic media “may be found in domestic work,” and lists as examples such as cooking, washing dishes, yard work, gardening and carpentry. For older children, reading, writing stories or poetry, building projects, painting, juggling, physical activities and exploring nature are recommended.

At the RRS campus, parents were asked not to use cell phones and teachers could only use phones for planning or emergency purposes — out of the sight of students. But now, these teachers are asked to deliver lessons primarily online, relying on the technology rather than condemning it. 

“Finn just told us this morning that he felt more motivated and confident about his homework,” Hansen said. “He looked excited, actually, but maybe because Lupita and I both get excited for fun lessons offered by their teachers and he feeds off our energy. Lily also approaches morning lessons with a level of interest I most certainly never had when I was young.”

Desert Star Community School in Cornville, also Waldorf-based, has had to adapt to teaching via technology as well.

Administrative director Cheryl LeBlanc of the Village of Oak Creek, said before the school closure, students only used the school’s laptops to practice and complete state standardized testing. Now, the laptops are essential.

About 57 DSCS families have opted to borrow the laptops for student school work, LeBlanc said. While some families didn’t have the technology in the first place, other families’ at-home computers were already tied up with parents using them to work from home, or siblings were fighting over a single computer. 

“There are a few families that are harder to connect with but I’ve been doing home visits to help them overcome any obstacles that they might perceive,” LeBlanc said. “Some parents don’t know the technology, so I make sure the computers are set up, the Wi-Fi is set up and that they know how to access the teacher.” 

LeBlanc has been traveling all over the Verde Valley to help make sure all students are connected.

Zoom, teacher videos, Google Classroom and Khan Academy are just some ways teachers are communicating with their students.

“We can’t give a full Waldorf program remotely, it’s just not possible,” LeBlanc said, adding that the teachers are focusing on the core academics, but implementing “as many aspects as the Waldorf philosophy that we can bring in to their work.”

Some work is turned in and graded through Google Classroom, but students also have the option to work by hand and then turn it into the Cornville campus, where the teacher will grade it on the paper as usual. Either way, DSCS students are expected to take at-home learning seriously and complete all work through May 22 — the last day of school. 

Meg Haesloop, mother of sixth-grader Lucy and third-grader Juni Spielman, said she has been “absolutely blown away” with the way Sedona Charter School was able to modify their also largely hands-on learning model into a virtual one so quickly.

“It was astonishing that those teachers had an online program within about 72 hours after the announcement that they were closing,” Haesloop said. “I’ve just been really impressed with the extent to which the teachers have moved the curriculum forward.”

After watching a video that one of Juni’s teachers posted teaching long division through Montessori materials, Haesloop was able to help Juni practice, using rocks instead. Lucy, who usually meets with her book club group twice a week, has been able to continue to do so virtually, with the teacher facilitating.

Haesloop said that Lucy is “almost fully autonomous,” knowing when her deadlines are and how to upload work.

“I feel really fortunate that the Montessori approach sets the students up for [learning how to] set a schedule, meet certain objectives, knowing what work needs to be done when,” she said.

Even at the preschool level, children are staying connected with their class via the internet. At Sedona Village Learning Center, enrolled 3, 4 and 5-year-old’s and their parents gather for virtual circle time with Shara Coughlin for story time, singing and activity sharing. The center’s new At-Home Preschool program also offers the children weekly take-home activity bags filled with projects and worksheets for science, food and art lessons.

Alexandra Wittenberg can be reached at 282-7795 ext 126 or at awittenberg@larsonnewspapers.com