Glenwood Elementary

Virtual Beach Buddies- Jennifer Malit and Stephanie Marshall

This pair has initiated a cross-grade level buddy program to their entire school (nearly 50 homeroom classes). After a school-wide survey showed interest in much of the staff, classes have been paired up to become "virtual buddies" for the remainder of the year. Specialists will join homerooms. Engagement activities include: Morning Meetings, games, challenges, sharing, Zoom meetings, Flipgrid, and more; these ideas have been shared with the staff to promote a culture of "togetherness" and to encourage communication and collaboration between students. When schools reopen, the plan is to continue this program (both in person and digitally) with even more participation. Teacher submitted photos and experiences will be requested so the team can monitor how the program is progressing.

This project is also potentially expanding to middle school, so students can have an opportunity to collaborate across buildings within the feeder pattern.

A description of the images you are showcasing for your project, your process and the artefacts you created along the way

Describe what role you played on your team. Who did you have to work with to achieve your goal? What was the outcome of the project?