A Virtual Hug (and Practical Advice!) for the Class of 2020

It has fast become a tradition for our kindergarten and first-grade students to visit Teel Campus and deliver homemade letters of advice for seniors during their last few weeks of school. It is a beloved event for our community — a bookend to the year that begins with those same students paired together for Convocation. And although we are in remote learning mode, the tradition carries on thanks to our dedicated faculty and students. This past Thursday on Zoom, we watched the kids’ faces light up as over 160 Severn Admirals joined our virtual celebration — we are grateful to each and every one.

Getting Ready

Just as in previous years, our kindergarten and first-grade students used a well-practiced writing process to compose the letters including a first draft, edits and the final piece. They began with activating lessons to jumpstart their thinking. Kindergarten talked about the concept of advice and the types of things people need to do when they live on their own. First graders, having some background knowledge already, brainstormed ideas and discussed the components of a friendly letter. Both grades completed their letters with advice ranging from practical, “make sure to get up on time and work hard,” to endearing, “be kind.” Our teachers then mailed the letters to our seniors along with a pair of “2020” glasses for them to open on the day of the event.
A photo of the letter and sunglasses care package.
Lower School teachers mailed these to the parents of every senior to make sure there was no peeking ahead of time!

The Big Day

With Ms. Minda Wesley leading the charge, our faculty and students joined a large Zoom meeting. Lower and upper schoolers alike shared group chat messages, with smiles and virtual high fives abound.
Severn School students and teachers on Zoom.
There’s one thing that remote learning hasn’t changed...our love for striking a silly pose!
Ms. Wesley welcomed everyone, remarking that this day is particularly special for her as she doesn’t often get the chance to work with our youngest students. We took a few minutes to snap some photos and then broke out into smaller sessions. The little ones read their letters to our seniors and had a great time just hanging out, sharing in that good ol' Admiral spirit from one screen to another.
Severn School teachers and students on Zoom.
The breakout sessions included teachers to troubleshoot any tech issues.

Shared Milestones Make Us Who We Are

For our seniors, this event is one of the last milestones on their way toward graduation. For our kindergarteners and first-grade students, it marks the beginning of many more to come. It is our mission to know and value every student, to foster a real sense of belonging regardless of grade level or age. Events like these remind us that we truly are one school and one community, no matter how close or how far.
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