Summit Academy Lorain hosts virtual spirit week

LORAIN — With schools shuttered through at least April, Summit Academy - Lorain is taking school spirit online. Secondary Principal Michael Williston organized the daily challenges — from the subject of St. Patrick's Day to "reading in your pajamas" to exercise day — and asked students and families to post their photos to the school's Facebook page. Summit Academy serves students with autism, ADHD and other learning disabilities. For some students, the ongoing news cycle of closures brought on a heightened anxiety for kids, he said. "We barely had time to say goodbye to our kids before everything was shut down," he said. "There's some schools that didn't even have that opportunity — there was an email or phone call late at night that shut schools down. Kids are worried, families are worried and everyone's trying to figure this out. I just wanted to bring a little bit of fun." That fun included Williston posting a photo dressed as a giant green Care Bear on Tuesday. It isn't the first time he's made a fool of himself to support his students. One of his students painted Williston's hair blue at commencement last year, he said. The stunt was part of a long-running joke between the two: the boy had "super crazy long hair," and was on the verge of not graduating. Williston told him if he didn't graduate, he would cut his hair. The boy said if he did graduate, he got to paint the principal's hair blue. Participating in the spirit week ties into the school's positive behavior program, and those participating can earn points towards activities like pizza parties, according to a news release from the charter school. Students Jade and Dylan Rudder, and their mother, Yolanda Hernandez, were supportive of the at-home activity. "To see the school change it up and also break from something other than related to the coronavirus, is a breath of fresh air," Hernandez said in the news release. Williston said the school's staff looks online for activities and programs, then twists and turns them to fit the school. In the midst of the shut down, it must navigate not only quelling students' anxieties as best it can, but accommodating IEPS or other individualized needs and providing meals Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Next up, Williston is hoping to put together an indoor-scavenger hunt. "Everybody is rallying to make sure needs can be met," Williston said. "We're making sure that they have food, and we're making sure that we provide educational materials and it's sort of face-to-face. It's virtual face-to-face, it's as close as we are allowed to get according to the government." Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com. ***READ Ohio's stay-at-home order