Remote learning long part of Faith Academy instruction model
Students at Faith Academy of Marble Falls won’t see much difference in their school days from before the COVID-19 pandemic closed campuses to in-person learning.
“The kids here are already familiar with remote learning and all the technology you need for it,” said Donna Wilcox, director of Operations and Development at Faith Academy. “We had very little transition when the governor made his announcement that schools would shut down after Spring Break.”
Whether or not they will be wearing masks will depend on what Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive orders require for private schools. Faith is waiting for the governor’s final orders before finalizing its own mask, social distancing, and safety protocols for on-campus school days.
A private school that uses the University-Model, Faith Academy has always combined home-based learning with classroom instruction. Depending on grade levels, students are only on campus a few days a week.
Students, parents, and teachers are also accustomed to frequent interaction over curriculum and student progress.
“The other great thing about Faith is that our campus is already open,” Wilcox said. “There are no hallways between classrooms.”
Sports will suffer the most disruption. The school’s six-on-six football games cannot begin until after Sept. 28. For other sports, gyms and fields have already been marked off for social distance seating in preparation for fan attendance at events.
Campus classrooms and facilities all have been sanitized prior to the first day of school, which is Aug. 18.
“We want our students to know that we love and care about them and will do everything possible to ensure their safety while at school,” Wilcox said. “We will be reminding them to wash their hands and to use sanitizer. We want them to know we are in contact with their parents, we are listening to their parents, and as we walk through the beginning of this school year with so many unknowns, we want them to know we are all in this together.”