By JENNIFER OSBORN
Over the past few months, the unfortunate theme has leaned toward, “Here are all the things we haven’t been able to do.” With the start of a new school year, it’s as good a time as any to look at all the things we are able to do, and the efforts that have been made to continue to move forward.
First, while instruction at Helix High School is in 100% distance-learning format, teachers are finding ways to provide meaningful assignments, and are able to meet online with students who need more information, additional support, or just have a question answered outside of class. Helix Academic Coaches are also available for one-on-one online tutoring sessions. Students meet with their Grade Level Team every Monday for Advisory — a time for the team to provide information for all students in the same grade level.
Helix National Honor Society (NHS) is still going strong, even with social distancing and online learning. More than 50 students meet on Zoom each week to discuss scholarship and leadership opportunities and plan the year. October events will include the creation of a new YouTube channel called “Read with a Scottie.” Helix NHS students will be reading children’s books for families and teachers to watch. NHS students will also be live Zooming with elementary school classrooms to read and promote literacy. This is in place of their annual “Read with a Scottie” booth at Oktoberfest. Books will be donated to local schools and children at lunch pickup sites around La Mesa and nearby neighborhoods.
Beyond academics, staff is providing opportunities for students to participate in other activities. In performing arts, the Helix Dance program is putting together a virtual dance performance. The Highland Players (theater group) will produce “Clue” — all cast members will be in different locations, and the performances will be streamed live. The Vocal Music program is working on a virtual performance, and is exploring opportunities for virtual competitions, as well as ways to collaborate with choir alumni for additional performances. The Speech & Debate team has participated in several online competitions, and has an entire season of virtual tournaments scheduled.
The SADD Club (Students Against Destructive Decisions) is meeting weekly to continue to promote leadership and community involvement. This is a student lead group and offers opportunities for community service hours. Student leaders in ASB have planned a Fall Spirit Week where students will show their participation using online platforms, using themes like “Mask Monday” and “Flannel Friday.”
Helix’s ASPIRE program has been providing after-school activities for more than 10 years, and they won’t be stopped by a worldwide pandemic! Several activities have been able to adapt to the distance-learning environment and meet at least weekly so students can continue to participate.
Students are participating in a creative writing group twice a week, with the hopes of creating a mini-magazine of student work. The Tap Club meets via Zoom, as does the Anime Club.
The ACE (Architecture, Construction, and Engineering) program members meet weekly, and every other week, the Helix ACE Mentors meet with the students virtually from 3–4 p.m. Then from 4–5 p.m. they attend a virtual presentation from an ACE Industry Professional. On the alternate weeks, students learn basic Computer Assisted Design (CAD) skills via an online platform. The group will work on the project virtually through Zoom using all the same computer tools they used in the past.
In addition, some activities were built for this environment. The ESports program is offering opportunities for students to participate in online gaming, having partnered with Laveen Elementary School District in Phoenix. Students sign up to participate in custom Fortnight games, and games are played in duos (teams of two) and squads (teams of four). The last event had more than 100 participants. The ESports advisor is looking to host Fortnight and Minecraft tournaments through the San Diego County Department of Education.
Helix administration and staff are looking forward to the time when students can safely return to campus. Currently, Helix administration is developing protocols for small groups of students in “cohorts” (defined groups where the members remain consistent) will be allowed on campus to receive in-person academic support. The goal is to gradually increase the number of students served on campus over time, keeping the health and safety of students and staff as the primary focus, using guidance from public health and county officials. We hope to see conditions improve so we are able to add more opportunities for more students to be on campus as time goes on.
— Jennifer Osborn writes on behalf of Helix Charter High School.
