Teaching Through Treatment: How MMSD Educators Keep Students Learning in the Hospital

Most people don’t realize that inside the UW Health American Family Children's Hospital, school is still in session. 

Three MMSD teachers at the hospital school make sure learning continues — no matter the diagnosis or length of stay.

“It’s just a dream to be able to work with the students who are here,” hospital school teacher Sarah Halasz Lawrence said. “Even when a kid might be resistant to learning while they’re in the hospital, school ends up being a bright point in their day.”

When students are in the hospital, school looks a little different than traditional education you would get in a classroom. MMSD hospital school teachers work with students one-on-one for about an hour a day — teaching everything from basic elementary reading skills to high school advanced mathematics.

Every day is different for the teachers, as students of all ages, grades and locations make their way in and out of care. 

“The start of our day is really detective work on behalf of our students,” hospital school teacher Emmanuel Stern said. “We have to figure out what students are with us, where they are in school, what their teachers want us to help teach them or if they’re even in a place health-wise where they can handle school.”

As part of that work, they reach out to their students' regular educators to learn where they are in school. That could mean talking to someone within MMSD, but could also mean outreach to different parts of the state, country or even world to get specific textbooks, worksheets or anything else students might need.

They also regularly collaborate with the students' medical team to gauge how much school they can handle on any given day. Even if a child isn’t feeling up to learning, the hospital school teachers will still sit with those students and play games or just chit-chat to take their minds off everything else.

“Being hospitalized is one of the most profoundly difficult situations a child can find themselves in,” hospital school teacher Andy Tonies said. “So we try to emphasize social-emotional learning to help them process their emotions while they’re here.”

Going above and beyond to educate all students that walk into the hospital is a moral obligation for MMSD, according to Nancy Molfenter, associate superintendent of student services at MMSD.

“It’s an ethical responsibility for us to ensure each and every child who might find themselves in the hospital still has access to a high-quality education,” Molfenter said. “We approach students and families with compassion and understanding to help them through one of the most difficult times of their life.”

That support can be life-changing for parents. Molly Hartman MacVenn had her first experience with hospital school in 2023 when her daughter was admitted.

MacVenn had no idea that hospital school existed before the team at UW Health and MMSD took her into their care.

“They swooped her up, and I was blown away by the amount of dedication and commitment from the team at the hospital,” she said. “The doctors, nurses and teachers all came together to take care of my daughter — it was just amazing.”

It didn’t matter if MacVenn had brought daily homework or not, the teachers were able to tailor lessons specifically for her daughter. That helped ease worries about missed learning while she was away from class, but also helped give MacVenn an hour of rest where she didn’t have to worry about taking care of her daughter.

“Hospital school meant so much to me,” she said. “The days get very long in the hospital, so to know that we had an hour every day to read a silly book and laugh with my daughter and her teacher was so important.”

No matter what the lesson involves, the MMSD hospital school team proves that a child’s potential isn't limited by their diagnosis. By meeting students exactly where they are they transform an intimidating clinical environment into a space of growth and laughter.