Life at school was “normal,” until Coronavirus affected the safety and health of all.
In March of 2020 school online, for young FDK children to adults, would begin! History would be made, never before had students, from FDK to beyond, learned and listened to their teachers from home and in front of their computer screens. In fact who would have ever thought that was possible? A whole world of learning was about to take place. Teachers had to “learn” how to “teach” online, using computer programs and students would have to “learn” how to log in, talk and listen to each other one at a time!
A whole new world was about to begin for children, and adults, of all ages!
In September of 2020, school online continued and Mrs. Mercanti’s FDK class would become an online reality.
Together this group would encounter so many online “glitches” in the virtual school world. Our home site would be “down.” We could not hear or see each other. In the middle of a lesson, out went the internet. What was happening?
Welcome Glitchen, Santa’s behind the scenes mischievous computer elf! It was at that very moment that “Glitchen” was born in our full day kindergarten (FDK) classroom.
Glitchen would become a regular member of our classroom and all virtual classrooms around the world, whether people realized it or not. He would even make his appearance in higher places too!
Instead of feeling frustrated with all of the “glitches” in our virtual classroom, our character “Glitchen” was created to help lighten our spirits and what fun it has been !
Instead of feeling frustrated with all of the “glitches” in our virtual classroom, our character “Glitchen” was created to help lighten our spirits and what fun it has been !
And so our story of the adventures of Glitchen and his antics begins……….. we hope you enjoy and can relate to so many of our scenarios!
Savannah: I can’t join the meeting, class today Mrs. Mercanti ? We’ve logged out and back in and still no luck! It must be “Glitchen!Glitchen is here at my house. Savannah draws a picture of Glitchen and heads outside for some fun on her trampoline.……be on the lookout everyone!
IT departments of all school boards are overwhelmed trying to teach teachers how to navigate and to solve student issues and getting into their virtual classrooms. Mrs. Mercanti’s class creates a Wanted Poster.
Glitchen, this mischievous character, needs to be caught and dealt with.
WANTED
2020-2021
At the HWCDSB Virtual school you may have experienced Santa’s newest and most mischievous elf, Glitchen. Glitchen loves to mess up our computer and our computer systems.
Reward: You get to meet Santa’s newest elf, Glitch-en!
Bishop: Glitchen makes my screen very big. The background was big and now the students in class and Mrs. Mercanti are mini. Glitchen made my friends appear at the top of the page and not at the bottom. It must be Glitchen!
Bishop: This morning we have a power outage. I can’t get into class. Now there’s a lighting storm. It must be “Glitchen!
Savo: Glitchen struck at my house by not letting the camera go on. I can’t see anyone on this Tuesday morning! Enough of this Glitchen, he’s bothering our learning. I am going to make a trap to catch him! Savo designs a trap to catch Glitchen. We all hope it works!
Mrs. Paladino our Designated Early Childhood Educator (DECE): My screen is flickering! Can you see what I see Mrs. Mercanti? It must be Glitchen!
Giulia: Everyone is “frozen” on my screen even our teacher Mrs. Mercanti and Mrs. Paladino our DECE. I can’t hear anyone or anything. It must be Glitchen!
Violet: My screen is blurry, I can’t see anyone clearly! It must be Glitchen!
Riley: At the end of the day, after we’ve been dismissed from class, Mrs. Mercanti can’t let me out of class. It must be Glitchen!
Gabe: Glitchen makes my computer freeze and does strange things to the computer. I think sometimes Glitchen messing up the computer helps get us some more free time, more play time and time away from school too! Thank you Glitchen!
Chelsea: Glitchen keeps logging me off the computer and so Mrs. Mercanti has to keep asking if I am in class over and over again! It must be Glitchen!
Olivia: When Glitchen comes to our class, Glitchen won’t let Mrs. Mercanti put me in the spotlight so all of my friends in class can see me. It must be Glitchen!
Jack: Sometimes I can’t hear the teacher Mrs. Mercanti or Mrs. Paladino our DECE, something keeps messing around with my computer! It must be Glitchen!
Twins Liliana and Ariana: “Something” magically turned off our tablets and we couldn’t get the tablet to work again to get us back into class so we took time to play together.
It must be Glitchen!
Kodi: This is what I think Glitchen looks like. Be on the lookout everyone for this Glitchen! Maybe we were looking for the wrong Glitchen?
Savo: I wonder Mrs. Mercanti we keep talking about bad Glitchen that takes our internet connection out, but I think there is a good Glitchen too. Good Glitchen takes me right into Epic books, when I want to read! It’s like “Poof, poof” and into Epic books I go!
Faith: I am frozen and can’t hear the lesson. It must be Glitchen!
Selena: Sometimes I can’t see our teacher Mrs. Mercanti on my computer screen. It must be Glitchen!
Robbie: Sometimes my screen on my computer goes all squiggly and I can’t read my screen and that makes me sad. It must be Glitchen!
Savo: I think there are good Glitchens and bad Glitchens and they fight against each other and the stronger one wins. If Good Glitchen wins we get more school time, if Bad Glitchen wins then we can’t get into our class, reading programs or anything on the computer. Oh Glitchen!
Theo: Glitchen made me sign out early from class! Oh Glitchen!
Mr. Vigna our Virtual School Vice Principal had his own thoughts about Glitchen too! Mr. Vigna thought Glitchen was the best. He never knew which class Glitchen would be in, would it be in the FDK class, grade 3, grade 6 or grade 8? Hmmm maybe Glitchen would affect lots of teachers with a Java Script Error 1 and IT had to figure that out as well! Oh Glitchen!
Mrs. Mercanti: Every morning as I prepare for school I don’t know if Glitchen will let me into class or not. Oh Glitchen you keep me on my toes!
In fact on Thursday May 6th, 2021 Glitchen messes around with Mrs. Mercanti’s computer, she can’t get in and she can’t even let Mrs. Paladino into class either. IT is on the case but everyone is wondering what happened? Gabe’s wishes come true, Glitchen has “glitched” our class for the morning and well the children have time to explore outdoors or have some free time!
As you have read “Glitchen” our very own made up character has done a lot of crazy things in our virtual classroom this year. “Glitchen” has saved the day, as “Glitchen” makes us smile, because when things go wrong, who do we blame? “Glitchen!”
We hope you have enjoyed our book about the adventures of Glitchen, Santa’s Mischievous computer elf!
Created by Mrs. Mercanti FDK and Mrs. Paladino’s Virtual FDK class of 2020–2021.
Enjoy the memories boys and girls and keep reading!
