The beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 was very shocking for everyone. “Like most everyone around the world, we could never have imagined that the pandemic would still be happening, nearly two years later,” Superintendent Mary Gorr reflected in January 2022.
“We had not participated in virtual learning prior to this pandemic, so preparing for the initial school closures was especially challenging,” she said. “In addition to needing to get every District 57 student a technology device, we needed to consider which learning resources were best to use for teaching students remotely. Many of us didn’t even know what Zoom meetings were at that time.”
“In 2020 we did not hold an in-person graduation ceremony due to pandemic closures. Instead, we honored students by hosting a special drive-by event where our graduating 8th graders were driven past Lincoln Junior High School by their families and District 57 staff members were lining the streets to cheer for them. We also had a special feature section in the Mount Prospect Journal newspaper where our graduates were honored,” Dr. Gorr continued.
When the 2020-21 school year began, most students and teachers were once again faced with remote learning. By late fall/early winter, students were able to return to in-person learning in a hybrid model, which is a combination of in-person instruction and remote instruction. While most District 57 students participated in the hybrid learning model, some D57 families chose to keep their students in the full remote learning program for the remainder of the school year.
Whether provided virtually or in-person, all classes were offered throughout the pandemic – even fine arts classes.
“We were thrilled to be able to return to full in-person learning in the spring of 2021, which enabled students to have access to their full learning experiences. And while District 57 staff members longed to safely return to in-person instruction, at different times throughout the pandemic, there were significant concerns about the ability to do this in a manner that was safe for students and staff, alike,” Dr. Gorr stated.
By spring of 2021 District 57 was thrilled to be able to offer an in-person graduation ceremony again. In order to offer appropriate social distancing, they held two ceremonies with half of the graduating 8th graders in each ceremony.
“It was a special night and there was extra appreciation for the chance to be together,” Dr. Gorr recalled.
“I think there’s no debate that, unfortunately, the pandemic has negatively impacted most learners in some way,” she continued. “From the frequent disruptions to instruction, to the constant changes and transitions in learning modality, necessary adjustments and the overall stress and anxiety that has occurred for both students and families, this pandemic has presented major obstacles. But we are optimistic that our students will recoup their learning over time.”
“The pandemic has also had a negative impact on many students’ and others’ mental health,” Dr. Gorr added. “We have invested time and resources in training our staff to be better equipped to support students’ mental health needs, and District 57 has also offered a variety of resources to support staff members’ mental health.”
Over the course of the pandemic many District 57 students, families and staff had COVID and, tragically, many students and staff lost loved ones to the virus.
When COVID-19 has abated, Dr. Gorr feels that everyone who lived through it will feel a deeper appreciation for things they previously took for granted, “such as being in the same room as our students!”