[Special Feature: The Corona Crisis and the University] The Corona Crisis and the Response of Keio Yochisha Elementary School / Shigenari Sugiura

2020/08/06

At Keio Yochisha Elementary School, our primary focus regarding measures and responses to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is "protecting the 'safety' and 'health' of our students." We are implementing measures and responses by comprehensively judging views from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, notices from the Keio University COVID-19 Response Headquarters, and guidelines and recommendations from the Keio University Health Center. In implementing long-term temporary school closures to prevent the spread of infection, the postponement and cancellation of various events and activities, and the reopening of school with "staggered/split attendance" and "remote learning," we owe a great deal to the instruction and advice of Professor Mitsuaki Tokumura of the Health Center, who serves as our school physician.

In practicing crisis management as Keio Yochisha Elementary School, we collect information to understand the current situation and make revisions or adjustments as necessary through repeated deliberation. As of mid-July, we believe that all faculty and staff should respond based on a common understanding to "protect the 'safety' and 'health' of our students." Therefore, we hold a daily web meeting titled "Today's Reflection" after the students have left school. Through this, the current situation is understood and shared by faculty and staff simultaneously, which we believe allows us to revise measures and responses quickly and effectively.

From late January, we began encouraging thorough hand washing upon arrival at school and before school lunches, as well as the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. During the temporary closure period from March 2 to June 14, we carefully informed parents of various information and future outlooks through school newsletters, emails, and videos distributed by the school physician.

After deciding to extend the first semester until July 31, we distributed materials prepared separately for students, parents, and faculty/staff upon the reopening of school with "staggered/split attendance" from June 15. We are striving to ensure thorough awareness and implementation of preventing droplet and contact infection, avoiding the "Three Cs" (closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings), and the "Three New Lifestyle Habits": (1) thorough hand washing, (2) wearing masks, and (3) maintaining physical distance from others.

When students arrive at school, their body temperature is measured with two thermal cameras. Students suspected of having a high temperature are checked with a non-contact thermometer. For students who remain a concern, a triple-check system is in place, involving a temperature check in the health room followed by an interview with the school physician.

We conducted "staggered/split attendance" with the first period from June 15 to 30 and the second period from July 1 to 14. Since many students at Keio Yochisha Elementary School use public transportation such as trains and buses to commute, we implemented "staggered attendance" with a 10:00 a.m. gathering for the morning and a 1:00 p.m. gathering for the afternoon. Additionally, each class of 36 students was divided into two groups for "split attendance," where 1st, 3rd, and 5th graders attended two periods of classes in the morning, and 2nd, 4th, and 6th graders attended two periods in the afternoon. We aimed to avoid crowding within the school by having each student attend school once every two days. During the third period from July 15 to 31, as a response to gradually restore school life, half of the students in each class attended in the morning and half in the afternoon, each receiving two periods of classes. Although the number of class hours was small, students attended school every weekday. This was based on the consideration of regulating students' daily rhythms and balance, and accounting for developmental delays and mental health, despite the risk of infection.

Keio Yochisha Elementary School currently has two channels for communicating with parents. The first was prompted by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, when large-scale communication failures occurred in telephone and email services, making it impossible to track the location of lower-grade students on their way home and preventing contact with parents until late at night. To resolve this deficiency and anxiety, we introduced a mail system called "CONPAS-S" by Tokyu Renewal Co., Ltd., which can send emails simultaneously, by group, or individually. Since its introduction, it has replaced the previous telephone contact network and is used for simultaneous contact during emergencies such as natural disasters and for reporting absences. Additionally, IC tags carried by each student now send a notification to the registered parent's email address when the student passes through the school gate.

The second is KYPS (Keio Yochisha Portal Site), which started in September 2018 and was fully introduced in April of the following year. Materials previously distributed on paper and student surveys that parents were asked to submit can now be handled digitally. KYPS also has a communication function, making it possible to communicate with parents via email.

The current COVID-19 crisis has made us realize the utility of having multiple communication systems. In the future, we plan to integrate the mail systems centered on KYPS, but we will strive to ensure the safety and peace of mind of our students and, by extension, their parents.

After the temporary closure began on March 2, major issues for consideration included "preparations for when school reopens," "how to conduct classes, events, and activities in the new semester," and "how to hold the graduation ceremony."

Therefore, we newly established the "COVID-19 Response Meeting (hereinafter, Response Meeting)" and the "Remote Learning Homeroom and Subject Teacher Meeting (hereinafter, Teacher Meeting)" within the school.

The "Response Meeting" consists of former principals, coordinators of various school administrative divisions, the information technology coordinator, the Administrative Director, the school physician, the school nurse, the Vice Principal, and the Principal. A total of 13 meetings were held by the end of the first semester, mainly via web conference. Originally, Keio Yochisha Elementary School used the "Liaison Meeting" attended by all teachers as the final decision-making body, but during the temporary closure period, we decided to make the agreements from this "Response Meeting" the overall decisions. This meeting allowed for efficient decision-making and rapid response. The opinions and advice of the school physician and school nurse contributed greatly to the planning of measures and responses. Based on an approach from a medical sciences perspective, various deliberations and decisions to protect the "safety" and "health" of students are made through this meeting.

The "Teacher Meeting" was organized to conduct "remote learning" using iPads, as described later. Members include representatives of homeroom teachers for each grade, representatives of each subject, the Administrative Director, the Vice Principal, and the Principal. This meeting was also held nine times by the end of the first semester, primarily via web conference. The purpose of this meeting is strictly coordination. It was anticipated that if individual teachers distributed assignments to students on their own, it would place a significant burden on students in terms of both quality and quantity. With the grade homeroom teacher representatives acting as "hubs," all assignments to be distributed are collected by the homeroom representative, and after the quality and quantity are adjusted, they are sent to the students. We also conducted surveys to understand the reactions of students and parents, striving to grasp how students were engaging and the burden on parents, and ensuring this information was shared among the teachers. Remote learning began in April, but based on the situation of students and parents, we reduced the volume in early May and continue to do so while considering the burden.

Keio Yochisha Elementary School implemented on-demand remote learning starting April 9. Assignments distributed to students were divided into compulsory "A Assignments" centered on Japanese, Mathematics, and Social Studies, and "B Assignments" centered on specialized subjects. Grade homeroom representatives adjusted both quality and quantity before presenting assignments on a weekly basis. Initially, we thought that students who finished "A Assignments" could work on "B Assignments" on their own, but after observing the students, we gradually began distributing "B Assignments" that included fun elements. It was gratifying to see many students take an interest in assignments related to painting and modeling and engage in them voluntarily.

At Keio Yochisha Elementary School, we have had each student own an iPad since September 2018, positioning it as "one of their stationery items." It has been used not only for Japanese, Social Studies, and Information Technology but also for Science, English, Library, and more. The fact that students already had their own iPads led to the smooth implementation of remote learning. It also proved very useful for submitting assignments through the learning support cloud "LoiLoNote School."

At the beginning of April, we did not implement it due to considerations of the burden on students and parents and time constraints. However, from the end of April, some classes began interactions between homeroom teachers and students using the video conferencing system "Zoom." From mid-May, to facilitate interaction within the class in an online format, each class began holding optional "Morning Meetings" and other sessions. This became a means for students and Keio Yochisha Elementary School to stay connected even when apart, leading to interaction with classmates and teachers. Furthermore, some classes are now conducting online-style lessons using "Zoom." This was implemented after considering family circumstances and potential lack of IT skills, ensuring that students can operate the devices and participate themselves without troubling their parents. It is being carried out after ensuring that students and teachers have thoroughly acquired the necessary skills and proceeding in stages.

While "staggered/split attendance" will be implemented until July 31, remote learning is also being continued alongside it after adjusting the volume of assignments.

For the 6th graders, whose school trip was canceled and whose final days at Keio Yochisha Elementary School were lost due to the sudden temporary closure, I strongly wished to at least hold the graduation ceremony at the Jisonkan (Auditorium of Keio Yochisha Elementary School).

After carefully considering infection control measures, we decided to hold a total of four graduation ceremonies on March 20, one for each of the four classes in the grade. I believe there were differing opinions about holding it, but I feel we were able to send them off as "Keio Yochisha 6th graders," even if it was a modest ceremony. Additionally, this year's entrance ceremony was held on July 4. Although 1st graders had already been attending school since June 15, we felt it was a major milestone for students and parents. Therefore, like the graduation ceremony, we implemented infection control measures and held the ceremony separately for each class.

As the saying goes, "preparedness ensures no worries." It was fortunate that the "CONPAS-S" mail system, KYPS, and the fact that each student had an iPad served as means for students and parents to stay connected with the school and faculty even amidst the current confusion. In considering the future form of classes at Keio Yochisha Elementary School, the realization that face-to-face classes requiring student attendance can be used in conjunction with remote classes using information devices should be studied extensively from now on.

Thoroughly examining the methods and content practiced may lead to seeking and establishing a new form of classes for Keio Yochisha Elementary School. I intend to continue further deliberations alongside the expansion of ICT education.

Understanding that the novel coronavirus infection will persist for a long time, I want to continue responding with the primary goal of "protecting the 'safety' and 'health' of our students" so that school life can be restored in stages.