Today's DAR
For more than a year, the pandemic has altered the lives of children and our DAR Schools. Are you wondering how our DAR Schools have fared during this challenging time? Please take a moment to read the following updates from representatives of our DAR Schools and share the news with your chapter members.
A Year into the Pandemic, An Update from the DAR Schools
Kate Duncan Smith DAR School
The pandemic and subsequent stay-at-home orders have not only changed the way we all live our daily lives, but they have also had a tremendous impact on the way we are educating children.
At KDS, instruction shifted to distance learning from home in April and remained that way through the end of May, when school recessed for the summer. School opened in August following a comprehensive plan with learning options based on current Alabama Department of Public Health guidelines. The plan includes a choice between traditional face-to-face instruction and virtual instruction. For the current school year, 75% of KDS students elected to attend school in person.
Even with all the changes we have experienced, KDS DAR School remains committed to providing opportunities for educational and personal growth for students, while emphasizing patriotism, responsible citizenship and the historical legacy of the school. Whether in the classroom or at home, we will continue to offer access to quality education for all students.
Berry College
Berry has succeeded in preserving the health of our students and the integrity of our on-campus learning experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key to these efforts is the strong commitment by students to practice coronavirus safety and a partnership with the CDC in Atlanta for surveillance testing. As a result, we have avoided widespread outbreaks while moving ahead with in-person classes, on-campus work opportunities, intercollegiate athletic competition and other activities. While many colleges are struggling to attract students, Berry’s enrollment outlook for fall is excellent. Applications are up by more than 1,000, and deposits are running 25% ahead of this time last year. New admissions include C.A.R. member Ashley Moreno, from Escondido, Calif. Ashley’s mom, Roslyn, recalls hearing a presentation about Berry at her first DAR chapter meeting (Rincon Del Diablo): “I went straight home and told Ashley she needed to take a look at this amazing school! The rest is history.”
Crossnore School & Children’s Home
Despite numerous new rules, regulations, quarantines and closures in 2020, Crossnore experienced an extremely successful year. Thirty-one adoptions were finalized in 2020, and 356 children were served in Crossnore's foster care program - either on one of our organization's two campuses or in private licensed foster homes. Last year, the Clinical Services team had to pivot to tele-health services. These services allowed youth to remain connected to their therapists and continue to receive vital services. Youth received 2,224 hours of individualized tele-health therapy services, and 21,001 hours were spent with children in Crossnore's virtual Day Treatment Program. While Cottage parents, foster families and therapists were working to create unique opportunities to keep kids healthy and happy, the fundraising team was working diligently to keep Crossnore donors engaged during an unprecedented time. The organization raised nearly $11 million and finalized a three-year Strategic Plan focused on strengthening and expanding services for vulnerable children.
Hindman Settlement School
In the Settlement's dyslexia intervention program, more than 325 elementary students receive targeted support to overcome reading barriers through in-school, after-school and residential summer tutoring. Additionally, more than 1,100 children participate in traditional arts outreach programming, which includes school-based residencies from master artisans and after-school programs in music, writing, and fiber arts.
While this past year has presented a share of challenges in how the school serves students, the team at Hindman quickly adapted its programming to a virtual model of delivery. The Settlement ensured that children who needed support as they strived to read on grade-level continued to master new words and concepts. When students were unable to meet for in-person instruction, our staff connected virtually using a video conferencing platform and technology, which was generously provided by the National Society and Daughters from across the country.
Hillside School
This year presented challenges for Hillside, but we have adopted the philosophy of being flexible, and by doing so, we have been successful. We have a total enrollment of 140 students in grades 4 through 9.
Teachers and students have adapted well to the protocols for keeping everyone safe, including biweekly COVID testing, and we have done our best to make things feel as normal as possible for the boys. Classes meet daily, with some kids in the classroom and others attend virtually. Sports take place after school each day, but the students practice and play games against each other rather than against other schools.
The new Hillside Hallmarks program allowed the boys to engage in independent study on a topic of their choosing. These hands-on activities required students to keep a journal and produce a video presentation of their completed project. Projects included podcasting, building a go-kart, recycling, photojournalism and digital media marketing.
Thank you, Daughters, for your continued support of the DAR Schools and for helping the children to thrive in challenging times.
