BOOK HELPS KIDS UNDERSTAND SCHOOL DURING COVID-19

Vanessa Williams Johnson has been an educator for more than 20 years. She wrote the book, “No Hugs, No Bugs,” as a way to help young children understand what school looks like during COVID-19. Photo courtesy of Vanessa Williams Johnson
Vanessa Williams Johnson has been an educator for more than 20 years. She wrote the book, “No Hugs, No Bugs,” as a way to help young children understand what school looks like during COVID-19. Photo courtesy of Vanessa Williams Johnson

Book helps kids understand school during COVID-19

BY TIA CAROL JONES

Vanessa Williams Johnson has written a book to help young children and parents get an understanding of what education looks like during COVID-19. “No Hugs, No Bugs,” is an early childhood book that follows Max, the pup, as they go back to school in the fall after schools have been closed in the spring due to COVID-19.

Williams Johnson has been an educator for more than 20 years. She is the mentoring and coach principal at W.E.B. DuBois Elementary School, which was a food distribution site for Chicago Public Schools. She said when the students would come to pick up food, they would see her and run to hug her.

“The worst thing in the world was to shun a kindergartner to practice social distancing,” she said. “It was really disappointing that some of my students could not hug me.”

Williams Johnson said she started to think about what it would be like for the youngest students to return to school in the fall after the COVID-19 school closures in the spring. It began with a manuscript and Johnson enlisted her niece, Aliyah S.E. Johnson, to do illustrations.

“I did not start off 2020 thinking I was going to become a published author this year,” she said. “It actually was not my intent, but the students really need something.”

Williams Johnson said at first, she was going to create a brochure. She said she realized children would connect more with a story, and her niece came up with the characters.

Williams Johnson said DuBois received a grant for one-to-one technology a couple of weeks before COVID-19 happened. Students were given computers, but she said they didn’t consider some families did not have internet access, or even that students would know how to sign-in for remote learning. She said she realized there was a digital divide. She described the experience as quite a whirlwind.

“We’re in a much better position now that we’re into the fall with remote learning because we know ahead of time that’s what we’re going to have,” she said. “Our teachers are much better prepared than in the spring. We are creating lots of ways to connect with parents, to connect with the community.”

Williams Johnson said the teachers at the school are connecting with each student and their families. She said grading is going to be different. She said there will be more focus on being intentional about what the students are learning and how they expect the students to learn from home.

Williams Johnson said the target audience for the book is pre-K through second grade.

“I really don’t want them to come to school afraid. I really want the questions answered before they come to school,” she said. “My goal really was to have that age group to have a better understanding of what it means to be safe in the school.”

Williams Johnson said her goal is to have a book that represents the school as a safe space and keeping them healthy. She said the school was attending to the students’ socioemotional needs and being affirming by giving hugs, prior to COVID-19. Now, with remote learning, the students have sessions with the Youth Intervention Specialist and use PowerPoint which allow them to be in touch with their feelings. She said the teachers also do daily activities that capture how the students are feeling.

“I’m really looking forward to parents being able to walk their children through what this whole pandemic means for them at home in keeping safe and keeping healthy and what that looks like in a school setting,” she said. “This should help parents with explaining and giving a visual aid of what school will look like.”

The book costs $13.95 and is available on amazon.

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