Riverbend Elementary School, Juneau School District

DEED Spotlight:

DEED Spotlight on Riverbend Elementary School, Juneau School District.

Riverbend Elementary School always celebrates the end of the school year by hosting a student talent show. This year, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, students were no longer physically in school for the scheduled talent show. But, the creative teachers of Riverbend have been working tirelessly to maintain a sense of consistency and predictability for their students throughout this crisis. Their priority has been to stay connected and create opportunities for students to continue being active members of their school family, even if they can’t be physically together. “Different but the same” has been their mantra through this unusual time!

Teachers decided to host the talent show virtually. They met weekly on Zoom to plan, spreading the word to students and families through Zoom, ClassDojo, and Google Classroom. Students submitted raw footage of themselves performing their talents, which was edited by a local production team. To create more of a feeling of a live show, Riverbend staff arranged a Zoom assembly to celebrate the inaugural release of the virtual talent show video. Students, staff, and families were all invited to attend the special live event on Zoom!

The virtual talent show was unique, and not just because of the new format! Students were able to showcase talents that didn’t fit the traditional talent show format. This year’s video featured skills including dirt bike tricks, cooking camp breakfast, and craft projects. The talent show team was so impressed with the diversity of skills that they are considering adding a digital element to next year’s live talent show!

Thank you, Riverbend Elementary, for finding fun and creative ways to maintain your ‘school family’ throughout this period of social distancing!