Climbers are adaptable! A first for Jacob’s Ladder was the Devotional Zoom call on Saturday morning, September 12th. Using the virtual medium, Climbers had a dedicated space and time to meet and share stories about how they are dealing with school, be it remote school, on-line school, or home school.
From the beginning, a pillar of the Jacob’s Ladder Summer Enrichment program has been the devotional time at the end of the day. With the boys gathered on one dorm hallway and the girls on their hallway, this quiet time gives Climbers a chance to unwind from the activities of the day. They are encouraged to learn to listen to others and to give time for each Climber to share an important moment of their day, express a thoughtful reflection, or raise a question or observation to the group.
The Saturday mid-morning zoom call was a good first attempt to create a time of purposeful reflection while being distant from each other. Some Climbers were a bit nervous to be on the call while trying to share their thoughts from their home device, but each soon warmed up when they saw the faces and heard the voices of their friends.
One challenge almost all the Climbers felt during this time was trying to monitor themselves while not having a lot of structure and having to focus on many other things.
Another area needing special effort is trying to stay organized. Some Climbers are finding it difficult to complete work in the order assigned and also find it difficult to create a specific place at home or in their room to complete the work.
Overall and to no surprise, no one was really excited about virtual learning.
A point to consider these days is that households are extra busy dealing with the COVID-19 virus and the immediate outcomes. This reality makes it hard for our fifth- through eighth-grade student Climbers to gather support from older siblings and parents to complete assigned work or to find a quiet study area.
Kelly Wilson, Jacob’s Ladder Education Coordinator, was excited to be part of this first group Zoom event, stating, “I think this was a great opportunity for us to check in with Climbers! They really enjoyed it!”
The Zoom call had good participation for a new gathering opportunity, of fourteen Climbers and four Zoom Room leaders. The next call will be coming up soon! Climbers be on the lookout for an email from Dr. D and mark your calendars and set your alarms!