Overview
Prior to COVID-19, the School District of Cudahy had not adopted a consistent advisory or daily check-in process across schools. With two-thirds of students returning to school with reopening, there were concerns about how teachers would establish connections with students working virtually as well as rebuild coherent classroom communities.
Approach
Cudahy adopted a district-wide morning meeting approach, stipulating in school reopening plans that every student — in-person or virtual — would participate in a whole-class check in at the start of the day. Teachers had flexibility to choose the meeting length and format but the common expectation was that this time would focus on relationship building. Many teachers implemented questions or stories of the day. This time also helped teachers have a common point for checking attendance.
This strategy is a part of TLA's Hop, Skip, Leapfrog release, which explores the concrete ways in which schools and systems pursued student-centered innovation during COVID-19. Explore the full guide to find additional strategies, insights, and resources.
The School District of Cudahy is a diverse, pre-kindergarten through grade 12 public school district located south of the city of Milwaukee, WI. Located near Lake Michigan, we are a community that boasts of “Generations of Pride.”