Gordonville Elementary welcoming students back ahead of classes

Gordonville Elementary teachers and staff are making videos to welcome students back after being out of the building since March, ready to learn again later this month.

Joseph Moore, music teacher at Gordonville Elementary who also teaches at North Elementary and Millersville Elementary, wrote an upbeat, cheerful song for his students.

“I wanted to get them back in the spirit to be back in school and be excited,” Moore said. “COVID-19 robbed them of last school year, and we’ve been out of school so long. I just wanted them to have a moment to be excited about school.”

Moore acknowledged the uncertainty around starting school, “but it’s not a scary place. It’s a place where we are going to come together. We’re ready to learn again.”

He put together the song and video after a message from building principal Christine Zirges in May, encouraging all faculty and staff to think about doing a welcome-back video ahead of the face-to-face school year beginning Aug. 24.

“As an administrative team in the district, we knew we would need to get creative with ways to engage our community in the coming year,” Zirges said.

Welcoming new students was also part of the goal, especially since the usual face-to-face open house at the beginning of the year won’t be held this year — kindergarten will be by appointment only, and first- and second grades will hold a Zoom session to welcome students and families.

“This is something I wouldn’t have thought about last year, but our teachers have jumped in with the technology, spent the summer learning more about it. They’re way more comfortable,” Zirges said.

Everyone from the school’s cook and administrative assistant, instructional aides and other teachers have put together videos, now up on the school’s Facebook page, Zirges said.

And, she said, teachers were able to develop a different kind of connection with students while teaching remotely.

“Students met family and animals of the teachers, and teachers got a glimpse into the lives of students, too,” Zirges said. “We just want the kids to be able to get that glimpse into our lives in order to build connections and be relatable as connection is the building block of relationships, which are essential for learning.”