Distance learning can create challenges in education not only academically, but socially. However, St. Cloud Area School District‘s middle schools, North Junior High School, South Junior High School and Kennedy Community School along with the Distance Learning Academy (DLA), have figured out a creative way for students to connect. It’s called Social Meets, a slotted time on a Google Meet where students can chat with other students. The idea is to “hang out” with other students virtually with no expectation other than to connect with one another.
The idea started at South earlier in the fall when Principal Joel Heitkamp and his administrative team began creating ideas for engaging students socially because the move to distance learning was looming on the horizon. Lindsey Nagorski, academic coach at South, was part of the team that scheduled social meets during South’s lunch hours.
“We decided that the students could use a space outside of their class to socialize or get help if needed,” shares Nagorski. “We created daily lunch and support Google Meets that are staffed by our deans and other student support personnel.”
Heitkamp then shared South’s ideas with DLA principal Heather Ebnet.
Ebnet loved the idea especially for her students who were from all three middle schools. The partnership between the schools grew from there. South began a “lunch bunch” social meet during their hybrid learning model for students who were in school at home. Students logged on to the Google Meet and chatted with other students while they ate. South Student Support also launched at this time. It is open all day for both students and parents/guardians to log in to ask questions or get the homework help they need.
“I think that it helps that all of us [on the Social Meets team] are parents of kids in this age group,” says Nagorski. “So, we know how important that social piece is to this age group aside from the academics. School is such a huge social outlet for these kiddos. Hearing and living through how it went last spring, so many of the kids were missing that piece with friends.”
All three schools began lunch meets for their students, and the students loved it!
“It’s been hugely popular,” says Nagorski. “It’s been great to see how that has evolved.”
Heather Ebnet prompted, “Let’s really take this to the next level.”
Ebnet’s idea was to have something for all the kids. Her DLA students are another step removed from their peers. It’s difficult to connect with the students from their home school sites.
“It’s really important for me to see it cross [all three schools],” explains Ebnet, “because I have students who are from across [all schools]. So, selfishly on my part, I asked, ‘How can we make this districtwide so that every kid can participate and we’re utilizing staff?'”
The team decided to have an additional social meet on Fridays for students from all three schools to attend. Each Friday, the Social Meets are centered around a certain topic. So far, they’ve had music, videos and online games, sports, current events and Cocoa with a Cop. The sessions are a half-hour long, but many go much longer because the students don’t want the session to end. Staff stay on the Google Meet to allow students the time to connect with each other.
“I do the Cocoa with a Cop,” says Ebnet. “We’ve had some really cool interaction with kids around policing and race. They’ve been able to ask her [Security Resource Officer Sara Gangle at North] questions that I don’t think without this [virtual meet], they would have been comfortable asking. They put it in the chat and she responds. She does an amazing job. It’s just been real fun. I’d say we’ve had around 20 kids per group, some with a lot more. They are utilizing them and having a great time.”
Ebnet notices her DLA kids bounce from one session to the next Friday afternoons. Some students don’t care what the topic is. They just enjoy hanging with other kids and staff.
One of the popular lunch meets is at South with Aksel Krafnick, who is a musician as well as a behavioral support specialist. He often plays his guitar and sings. A well-attended Friday Social Meet is Music. Students post song links in the chat while one student is the DJ and plays through the generated playlist.
“They are so respectful,” smiles Ebnet. “They post the clean versions of every song, and just sit, listen and chat.”
Social Meets serve the purpose of connecting students with each other, but they also teach social-emotional skills as well.
“As we’ve been meeting and talking about students who are maybe withdrawn or who we know are having some trouble making connections,” says Nagorski, “this has been another outlet for us to help them. This past week, we talked about a student who was really big into gaming. Typically, those students would be characterized as closed off when they are in the building. Now, there’s a way we can say, ‘Hey, let’s bring a student to the gaming social meet and make some connections.’ And, hopefully, that will carry forward into other areas.”
Middle school can be a tough age socially, and through Social Meets, students from North, South and Kennedy are finding a way to connect in a new, fun way, not only with the kids at their own school, but at other schools in the district. It’s just a different way of “hanging out” and making friends and connecting with district staff, too.
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