As virtual learning takes its hold, student-teacher relationships have never been more important. At Frank P. Long Intermediate School, fourth grade teacher Vanessa Gordon has devised a way to bridge the separation gap between her class and herself.

The students are participating in a project called Flat Ms. Gordon, based on the original Flat Stanley Project in which a cardboard cutout of a man, Flat Stanley, accompanies students on various adventures. Instead of writing letters about their adventures with Ms. Gordan, as in the original project, the South Country students are taking photos of their adventures with the Flat Ms. Gordon cutout and posting them virtually with a description.

Ms. Gordon said, “I wanted to be with my students for the rest of their fourth grade year and sent a Flat Ms. Gordon letter to the class, hoping to be a part of their everyday activities.”

Some adventures Flat Ms. Gordan has been attending are a Mother’s Day plant sale, eating tacos on Cinco de Mayo, building a catapult, creating a living room fort and accompanying students with their lessons.