Kim’s Thoughts:

Disheveled or coiffed, the crew arrives with smiles. I’ve met dogs and bunnies and waved at   passing parents. We’ve tried thumb wars. The connection is different but sincere. Authentic. And just as relevant. In 6th grade, we’ve teamed up with math to build houses across the Americas. We are learning about families, geography, and of course, building research and math skills. In 7th grade, we are writing lett

ers to our friends at Madison House. In 8th grade, we are preparing for our first Model UN on zombies. Yes, zombies. And yes, light and hope are ever-present as we start to prepare testimonials for graduation. There was no way to predict this course. And yet, I have been so incredibly thrilled at how it has been embraced by so many kids and families.

Cooper’s Thoughts:

The excitement of reconnecting with the kids through this new platform of learning was overwhelming. Seeing their faces, hearing their voices, finding things to laugh about, and giving support to members of 

our community who feel anxious, scared, alone or sad, has been the best part of each day. By the end of Friday, I felt like I had the basics of our technology figured out, and as soon as I took a breath, with less worry about what screen I was sharing, or how I looked or sounded on zoom, it hit me that this is our new reality. I had to hold back my tears as I listened and shared with 8th graders. Listening to their fears of events and traditions that they worry will be cancelled, things many of them have looked forward to for years. I have noticed some big positives with our distance learning on zoom. Many students are more focused in the comfort of their chosen space. Most students are showing up to meetings on time or early, and you can see the same connections and trust being shared between the Brady Bunch-esque gallery screens on zoom.

When I sailed to New Zealand from Bainbridge, I checked every list over and over, and packed everything I thought I would possibly need. When storms and squalls came, I adjusted or reduced the sails, when they ripped, I sewed them, when my perspective became negative I had to write and sing and read and draw my way out it. Someone else said that “a sailor and their boat will never be truly ready to leave the dock to cross oceans”, but when you are out there, you make the most of what you have, which is a lot! This describes how I feel as we pushed away from the comfort and safety of our physical Hyla community dock and set sail towards our new way of connecting in the unknown.

Chris’ Thoughts:

Hyla jumped right in to help our kids stay in a strong learning pattern/environment. I think it speaks volumes about our community and our mission that we are up and running so fast. One would think kids would hate to have what at first felt like a snow day stripped from them, but overall, I have witnessed a strong sense of appreciation that their hard work up to this point isn’t being lost. There is an appreciation for structure, for education, and for community that is being heightened in the social distancing yet nurtured as best we can in our virtual gatherings. I was most touched when my class, the last period of the day, a class of eighth graders no less, ended and about two thirds of the group, who had vocalized the strain of being online all day, stayed and hung out for about 15 minutes playing instruments, telling jokes, and sharing stories. They voluntarily hung out with me until I had to go for office hours. One student’s brother came in, a Hyla alum, and hung out as well. It was really moving and showed how much we need each other in a visual, audio, interactive way. To be someone who teaches the importance and value of human contact and to still find ways to do that through a computer screen is a challenge. But this is also heightening the experience of its need in its absence, so there is excitement in that challenge of working with the current circumstances to find the fun as well.