The past ten months have been filled with uncertainty. COVID-19 has changed the lives we once led and has redefined our actions and routines. As we continue to navigate our new normal, one thing is for sure; The EdD Series team is still dedicated to increasing the graduation rate among students at Northside High School. You may recall during our last update, that we had cancelled our planned Saturday School program in March 2020 and rescheduled for September 2020. Unfortunately, these plans did not work out due further Covid-19 restrictions.
The EdD Series team is currently working to fulfill the GOT IT program’s mission as we work to find safe, educational options that will promote academic growth and excellence. We are currently working on the relaunch of GOT IT as we create alternate plans that will decrease class sizes for social distancing and provide virtual options for students, parents, and teachers. Our timelines are currently unknown, but we’re hopeful we can complete our project in 2021. We are dedicated to diversity and inclusion as we engage students using hands-on manipulatives.
Since we are a team driven by social, emotional, and academic growth for all students, we want to reassure our community that our planning has students in mind as we work to give students a voice and an educational platform where they feel safe to learn. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 data as we will use this data to make wise, informed decisions on how to proceed with GOT IT planning. We ask that we have your continued support and understanding as we make adjustments to a program that will make a positive impact on our community.
As you all know, Festival International looked a lot different last year, altering the plans for our original project. The same will be true for Festival International 2021. The Festival released their plans for this year’s event in January. The Covid-friendly plans “take the 2020 Virtual Fest structure to the next level by combining live/immersive experiences in Downtown Lafayette, plus community-centered components to create an unforgettable event”. You can read more details about the 2021 plans here: https://festivalinternational.org/festival-international-announces-plans-for-2021/
We’ve been in communication with Festival International throughout the last year and are all committed to incorporating sustainability into this year’s hybrid live/immersive event. Fourteen of the food vendors from last year’s lineup had pledged to participate as “green” festival vendors and use only plant-based service ware. This year, we will work with the Festival and their restaurant partners to incorporate plant-based packaging into the “FEASTival International” activities set to take place throughout the month of April.
While we are not yet able to confirm exactly how this will look, we hope you will be able to pick up some traditional Festival menu-items boxed in plant-based to-go containers. It is worth noting that to-go boxes are the more expensive of the plant-based packaging items, so the funding won’t go as far as it would have at a live event where many of the food items are served in paper boats, plates, and bowls. However, our mission to introduce and encourage the use of plant-based packaging options (particularly the bagasse containers!) will continue and Festival fans can expect to see the *Geaux Green* logo used in some capacity to designate restaurants with more sustainable takeout operations.
Let’s start with the good stuff! We were able to begin Lighting and Camera classes before quarantine. This was by far the student’s favorite class! I think it is because they created amazing selfies. In this class, students learned how to use lighting to reflect different moods and impact their storyline. Each student was responsible for using lightning provided to create a different mood/effect as their homework.
During the next class, Kids N Media students practiced teaching other Clearport students lighting techniques. It was interesting to see which student took the lead in teaching. It was also surprising to see who the students chose to teach. The teaching aspect was a great way for students to connect with one another.
Now for the not so great news. The quarantine has completely changed our timeline. The Clearport Learning Center closed along with all schools and after-school programing. We decided that teaching the classes online would take away significantly from the program and thought it best to adjust the timeline. We will not be able to finalize the new schedule until August 1, 2020. Our current plan is to pick up where we let off in July. If possible, we will try to make up a couple of classes in August.
We are looking forward to getting back together in July!
As a team member of The EdD Series and program leader of G.O.T. I.T., it has been my pleasure to plan and prepare for several juniors and seniors at Northside High School. Our goal is to ensure we increase the number of students who graduate from Northside High School. We will achieve this goal by providing students with additional support through individualized teaching. Before school closure due to COVID-19, we were ready to serve over thirty students by recruiting teachers, contacting parents via email, phone, and mail, and having one-on-one meetings with students who were invited to Saturday Enrichment. We also planned with our local financial partners to receive additional funds and volunteers.
Although we were prepared to begin on Saturday, March 14, 2020, the programs scheduled dates were canceled due to COVID-19. While we were disappointed with school closure and the life-altering effects the coronavirus has had on our community, we are excited about re-launching G.O.T. I.T. in September. Our plan for G.O.T. I.T. includes student and school data review, restructuring of classroom sizes, purchasing P.P.E. supplies, and redesigning food distribution. More than ever, we feel G.O.T. I.T. is needed to reassure our community that we are unified in providing the educational resources necessary for our students to be successful within the K-12 classroom. As we continue to plan for the re-launch of G.O.T. I.T. we will strive to ensure the teaching is diverse to promote equity and equality while fostering empathy and emotion. As team members, we will eliminate bias that is found in lesson planning as we focus on giving students a voice.
Again, we are excited about the progress G.O.T. I.T. has made, and we look forward to serving our community and students to improve the high school graduation rate.
WE DID IT!!!! We had the first ever ZERO-WASTE FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL!
(Too soon?)
Like all of you, we were disappointed when we couldn’t celebrate our favorite festival in person. We would like to give a huge shout-out to Scott Feehan and his team for providing a world-class virtual experience that has now become the model for other festivals. (The Virtual 5k was especially genius!) Their work allows us to keep dreaming and planning ways to make our biggest party a green one.
This means that we can now look to next year for implementing our 24HCP plan, with more time to get vendors on board, educate the community, and support city infrastructure policies that will make it easier for all of Lafayette to Geaux Green.
Here are things you can do to help!
Ask about eco-friendly to-go containers at your favorite restaurants. Frequent restaurants that use them. Many of our vendors were surprised to learn the variety that is now available on sites like Ecoproducts. In many cases, the markup for these containers is just a few cents.
Say no to plastic straws, lids, and other single-use products. We know that isn’t always easy, but each one you refuse is one less that ends up in our waterways and landfills.
Show your love for a greener festival with “Geaux Green” Merchandise! So far, we’ve sold about 100 pins and 25 stickers. Want your own?
