FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARСH 26, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 25
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As families across the
city embrace a new normal
with their children at home
for the foreseeable future,
in Far Rockaway, Challenge
Charter School is standing
strong in the midst of the
Covid-19 crisis. Early in its
response to the threat of the
virus, Challenge was one
of the first schools in the
Rockaways to proactively
close its doors for comprehensive
cleaning on March
11th before the NYC Department
of Education declared
all schools would be closed
beginning Monday, March
16.
This week as remote
learning officially launched
state-wide on Monday the
23rd, Challenge Charter’s
leaders, administrators, and
teachers got to see the first
fruits of their hard-work as
they moved all learning online
for their eight hundred
scholars in Kindergarten
through 8th Grade.
Eighth grader Delisa
weighed in on the new learning
format saying, “I’m excited
to see our teachers! It
wasn’t so difficult to log on.
I would have never thought
that we would be learning
online. As time progresses,
it will become much easier
for us.”
To prepare for this week,
Challenge Charter School
teachers and staff tested online
systems and addressed
technical issues. Third
grade teachers Deborah
Lang and Zachary Droblas
sent out a digital class message
encouraging scholars
to work ahead even before
all their lessons came online
adding, “We are thinking
about each and every
one of you as we work hard
preparing your remote
learning.”
Parents have responded
positively to the school’s
efforts as they adjust in essence
to homeschooling
schedules. As one 7th grade
parent named Margaret
said, “I’m thankful that the
school is trying to figure
this out and that the kids
are still going to get some
type of learning. I’m not
here to complain; I know
that this is a crisis. Monday
was interesting keeping my
3 year-old quiet and starting
remote learning with
my daughter. Logging on
went smoothly.”
Lisa is an 8th grade parent
and Parent Association
President for Challenge
Charter Middle.
I am satisfied that the
kids are on task! With the
amount of work they get,
the kids are
challenged even more.
The three days that my
scholar was home she was
more focused and completed
all of her assignments on
time,” she said.
While no one can predict
the long-term effectiveness
of remote learning for
traditional public charter
schools, the fact that Challenge
Charter uses the latest
technology and blended
learning practices in classrooms
has helped set up
scholars for successful
learning at home. Their 6ththrough
8th graders are using
over 150 computers that
families picked up last week,
and the school’s regular use
of Google’s G Suite for Education
has made the transition
easier for all grade levels.
A new Family Resource
page on the school’s website
also provides educational
links and learning packets
for K-4 families, regular
school and government updates,
and student service
information.
Crisis response is part of
the very fabric of Challenge
Charter School. Just a few
months after opening the
doors of its new location at
710 Hartman Lane in 2012,
the school was flooded by
SuperStorm Sandy. Springing
into action, the school
cleaned the building and
then quickly became a major
host for recovery efforts
distributing supplies,
meals, and other services to
families in the area.
The school turns 10
years old later this year,
and as Founder and CEO
Rev. Dr. Les Mullings observed,
“This is what we do.
We have always been about
meeting the needs of our
scholars and their families.
This crisis has its unique
challenges, and we are dynamically
responding to
each and every issue. We
are committed to keeping
the education of our scholars
moving forward and to
provide other life services
that our families need.”
In the midst of school closure,
remote work continues
in preparation for Challenge
Charter High School
opening this fall. With
economic fallout due to the
coronavirus, the future job
outlook in Far Rockaway
may be more precarious
than ever. The new high
school offers an early college
and career and technical
(CTE) program with either
industry certification
or an Associate’s degree in
four pathways addressing
local hiring needs. Applications
are currently being
accepted for the 2020-21
school year for new freshmen
and transferring sophomores.
“We place high value in
the investment in our children.
They are our future.
We cannot lose sight of that
even in these unfamiliar
times,” Mullings observed.
“Before we know it, they
will be navigating the crises
ahead. We must equip
them with a top-notch education,
so they can do a better
job than even we have.”
As the first day of remote
learning ended, more feedback
was pouring in from
families. Esther, who has
three children grades 4, 7
and 8 at Challenge Charter
summed up the day saying,
“Really, really, like it!
School and learning should
continue like this.”
For more information
about Challenge Charter
School and to apply to the
new high school, visit www.
challengecharterschools.org
EDUCAT I O N PROFI LE
Challenge Charter School: Standing Strong Again
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