Claremont School Continues Annual Tradition with Virtual Event

Claremont School's annual Enrichment Day, which takes place the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, has always been a joyful event for children. Every adult at the school offers a class and students choose which two they want to take.

In a typical year, students eagerly anticipate the event, and their excitement is on display in the hallways and on the playground for days prior to Enrichment Day. On the day of the experience, the third- and fourth-graders rotate to different classrooms to participate in activities.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, sharing classrooms and rotating around the building was not possible. Principal Ferzeen Shamsi collaborated with Allison Bacon, the district’s technology specialist, to plan a virtual event that preserved student choice.

“This year, I knew children would need Enrichment Day more than ever,” Ms. Shamsi said. “The happiness and joy this day brings children makes the months of planning for it well worth the effort.”

On. Nov. 25, children attended one session with their teacher and one session outside of their classroom. They had a choice of self-directed activities or live sessions run by teachers. Some of their choices were a Virtual Tour of the National Parks; Mandala Art; Kahoot!, an online quiz program; Balloons over Broadway (Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade); Drawing without Looking; Stretching Your Imagination with Rubber Bands; Minecraft Coding; and a Retro Dance Party.

“Teachers thought out of the box and developed experiences that could be enjoyed in a virtual manner,” Ms. Shamsi said, who popped into almost every classroom and saw the event’s success in the children’s faces.

“Students smiled and laughed and just had plain fun,” she said. “Teachers did too.”