MEMPHIS, Tenn. — For the teachers at Emmanuel United Methodist Kindergarten, this outbreak is just too long to go without seeing their students. And for many families, it has been a major disruption to everyday routines and everyday life.
This has been an especially difficult time for children.
That's why teachers Beth Hogue, Jean Wyatt, and assistant director Rena Hiatt made home visits, alongside director Alice Wilson, to check in on the kids during times of uncertainty.
The EUMK staff were hoping to maintain a level of normalcy for the kids and check in with the smiling faces they are used to seeing every morning, all while keeping their distance, of course.
"I don't know who was more excited, the staff or the children and their families" Hogue said.
After a week of planning, the staff took their respective cars to make 15 home visits in one afternoon.
"Our school felt that the home visits were a powerful way to connect. We were able to have face to face conversations from a safe distance," Wilson said.
They would leave chalk messages on the sidewalk and driveways for the children to read once they left. Their reaction is priceless!
Mid-South teachers make home visits to their kindergarten class while social distancing
"This was different. It was personal to each child in the class. We wanted to have that connection with each child." Hogue added.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, the staff said that in the time class has been cancelled, students have learned to ride bikes, some have lost teeth, and some have even become artists.
There were even a few tears shed as the students expressed how much they missed coming to school.
With city guidelines pushing for people to stay home until the end of April, it's tough to say when these teachers will see their students back in the classroom. Until then, they are finding incredible ways to stay connected.