2020-2021 Learning Plans at HNA
Online-Only Model
During periods of online-only instruction, Holy Names Academy uses a synchronized learning model for remote instruction. Students are expected to attend class online Monday through Friday via Microsoft Teams videoconferencing tools; teachers will take attendance. This model provides an engaging and structured experience for students, and afforded teachers more teaching tools and strategies than an asynchronous model of prerecorded lessons. Classes can have real-time discussion and participate in small group work as appropriate.
While no remote-learning model can fully replace in-person instruction, large-group discussions as well as the ability to join a small-group “channel” for more one-on-one interaction help bring students “into the classroom” for demonstrations and collective lab experiences.

SPRING 2020: AP Environmental Science STUDENTS AND TEACHER MICHAEL BACHUBER Connect virtually via Microsoft Teams.
Committed to Safety, Education, and Support
Holy Names Academy is committed foremost to the safety of our students, faculty, and staff. Throughout the spring and summer of 2020, our COVID-19 Response Task Force worked to develop a safe and effective hybrid model of in-person and online instruction. When the school is able to transition to the hybrid model, administrators will continue to closely monitor health and safety recommendations.
We also developed parallel plans for the various student activities and the social interactions that are so essential to the full development of our students.
At the heart of our hybrid plan is the educational philosophy that students learn best when there is real-time engagement—between student and teacher, and between student and student. The Microsoft Teams platform provides us with this capability, while the in-person instruction adds the benefits of increased personalization and such experiences as demonstrations in science, art, mathematics, and international languages.
When it is safe to do so, we would then transition the school back to full in-person instruction. We are always prepared to revert to our excellent and engaging online-only program if the need arises.
Hybrid Model
To provide the appropriate physical distancing, half of the school’s students will attend classes in-person on any given day while the other half will simultaneously attend the same classes at home via a MS Teams Conference Call. We have tested a variety of classroom cameras and sound systems to provide a quality experience for students in class and at home alike. This summer, our teachers were trained in utilizing the new equipment, and much of our August faculty-inservice days are devoted to teaching strategies and good practices in this hybrid model.
In addition to reducing the number of students on campus at any given time, the Academy is implementing various strategies to keep students and staff safe at school, such as requiring face masks, reconfiguring classrooms and offices for increased physical distancing, health screening, and increasing the sanitizing of spaces – to name a few.

the hybrid model: fewer Classroom desks allow for 6 ft. of distance; new Cameras and Speakers at the front of the classroom allow at-home students to attend class more actively and participate in real-time.
RESOURCES FOR HNA STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
Public Health - Seattle & King County COVID-19 Resources
Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Official Site
Washington State Department of Health: Updated December 16, 2020:
Tools to Prepare for Provision of In-Person Learning among K-12 Students at Public and Private Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Thank you for adhering to the following health and safety expectations for HNA students and families:
- Follow federal, state, local orders and recommendations
- Contact HNA if you or a family member contracts COVID-19.
- Stay home if sick and/or exposed.