Public charter school overcomes remote learning hurdles
BY JASON COHEN
A school located in one of
the poorest Congressional
districts in the nation has
made a smooth transition to
virtual learning.
Mott Haven Academy
Charter School at 170 Brown
Pl., a K-8 public charter
school, serves students experiencing
homelessness,
poverty and food insecurity.
Two-thirds of its students
are in foster care or receive
services through the city’s
child welfare system.
Since shuttering its doors
on March 13, it has managed
to successfully provide quality
remote learning education
to its students amidst the
COVID-19 crisis. The staff
gave Chromebooks to 402
students and also purchased
Wi-Fi hotspots for those that
needed it.
“I’ve been so impressed
with the creativity for our
students and the creativity of
Haven’s teaching team,” said
Mott Haven’s Head of School
and Founder Jessica Nauiokas.
“I think the families
have genuinely appreciated
our desire and willingness
to be as consistent with what
we’re doing.”
Every child has a designated
staff member they
can call, text or email, while
teachers use platforms like
Facebook and Google Classroom
to hold daily morning
check-ins with students. Additionally,
hundreds of hot
meals have been distributed
to students, while families
are being checked upon daily
to ensure long-term food and
childcare needs are met.
Nauiokas explained while
technology is important,
they want kids do activities
besides being on the Chromebook
all day. They may have
them read a book or work on
a project with a sibling.
“We’re really trying to
make the assignments meaningful,”
she said.
The school has also supported
the mental health of
the kids. Mott Haven developed
a family support system
for its social workers
and counselors, who continue
to respond to individual
crisis needs by offering
teletherapy.
According to Nauiokas,
the staff holds weekly
Zoom meetings and speaks
Mott Haven’s Head of School and founder, Jessica Nauiokas
Photo courtesy Mott Haven Academy Charter School
with each other every day.
She noted they were looking
BRONX TIMES R 6 EPORTER, APR. 17-23, 2020 BTR
forward to the planned
spring break but kept a positive
attitude when the state
canceled it.
One person that has noticed
the effort put forth by
the teachers is Rocio Galvan,
who has four kids at the
school. Galvan commended
Haven for everything it has
done in the past month.
“If it wasn’t for Haven I
couldn’t do it,” Galvan said.
“This is what Haven is about.
You’re going to get all the
help you need.”
Fortunately, her kids
know how to use the laptops,
which makes things a bit easier
for her. She noted how one
of her children has a learning
issue, yet the school has
been very accommodating
and has still provided his
speech therapy.
At fi rst she was a bit nervous
about the whole process
but now is comfortable.
“I just think Haven is
amazing,” she stressed.
“We’ve made it through.”
RIDE FOR HALF PRICE
Starting in late January, low-income New York City residents
who are at or below the federal poverty level may qualify for
a half-priced transit fare using a Fair Fares MetroCard.
Check your eligibility at nyc.gov/fairfares
or call 311 for more information.
/fairfares
