Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes News The Mount Pleasant Community School District has begun reviewing their Return-To-Learn plan for implementation in the fall 2020 school year. The RTL plan includes metrics and requirements for returning to school in a safe environment for staff and students. There are three different models for the district depending on what coronavirus cases and spread totals are reported when school starts. These three models are required by the state, although the state has given no guidance beyond that requirement. This leaves districts with gaps to fill on their own. Most school districts, including our own, are turning to the Federal Centers for Disease Control for recommendations, but that only fills in part of the equation. It leaves the district to figure out how they will provide instruction within these new guidelines. The first model in the district’s plan is the face-to-face or “Brick and Mortar” plan. This plan is where all students will attend school, excluding special cases. The goal is to make it the most normal that school can be with the control guidelines. This plan will include social distancing, disinfection, and other mitigation strategies to make it safe for students to return to the school building. At this point, the plan only encourages students to wear a mask in high traffic areas and sanitize their hands often. The only place masks are required are on school buses, and along with masks students are only allowed on their assigned bus and will be given an assigned seat. The district’s “Hybrid Plan” of half-online, half face-to-face time, has the same mitigation techniques or other procedures, but there is one big difference. The district will be dividing Pre K-5 grade into different school buildings. This plan reduces class sizes to 15 students to ensure social distancing. Preschool will take place every day at Van Allen elementary school for both AM and PM classes for a total of three classrooms. Kindergarten classes will also be held at Van Allen in ten classrooms. First Grade will be in class at Harlan everyday occupying ten classrooms. Second Grade will be held at Lincoln. Third Grade will be at Salem and Lincoln Elementary. Fourth Grade will be at Van Allen or Harlan elementary. Fifth Grade will be held at Mount Pleasant Community High School. Sixth graders will be at the middle school full time with reduced class sizes. 7th - 12th grader will go to school on a rotational basis with 50% of students going one day and 50% the next. Those not in the school building will attend school via online learning. The district “Remote Learning” plan requires all students to attend school through a learning management system, such as Canvas. They will also be aided by other remote learning tools. Some students might have to come to the school building every day for a short period of time because of internet access issues. Adapting To Helping Those In Need At Monday night’s regular school board meeting Superintendent of School John Henriksen presented the current draft of the MPCSD Return-to-Learn plan for the 2020-21 school year. He also discussed the challenges facing the school district and the gaps that must be addressed before implementing any of the plans.
The largest issue was trying to compensate for kids with fragile health that wouldn’t be able to return to normal school if the novel coronavirus was still a threat. They also struggle to try to overcome obstacles to 100% online learning with a substantial portion of the student population without a reliable internet connection. Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Katie Gavin spoke at the school board meeting this Monday where they revealed the plan and said, “No matter what we do we are going to have to have this underlying online experience for students K-12.” According to Ms. Gavin, this is due to several students in the district having to take online schooling for health and other non-specified reasons. To address students with fragile health and those in need of remote instructional support the district has a plan set in place. The district has assigned one teacher per grade level K-5 to create and manage online learning. These teachers are responsible for creating and loading content into the course so that any student that is not able to come to school doesn’t miss out on their instruction time. For 6-12 grades there is an easily incorporated online model for students to follow if the district were to go to remote learning. Although to make this approach more effective the district is implementing advisers to check in with online learning students daily to see how they’re doing and making sure they’re doing their work. Essentially they will be building relationships with the students, as it has been shown to increase the student’s likelihood of completing their work. “One thing our data showed is that if a student had an adult that cared about and was checking in with them on a regular basis, they were more likely to turn in their homework, they were more likely to do their best work, they felt more comfortable asking for help,” said Ms. Gavin. The district is following CDC guidelines on the exclusion of sick students and for the restriction of community spread. The severity of community spread will determine what model will be put in place. The district is working hard to make these plans work, but it is still a work in progress. If you have any questions or concerns on the plans please feel free to contact the district office.
3 Comments
Angi Butcher
7/16/2020 09:41:37 am
When will we be notified as to which level we are using for school? And if we don't want to send our child, but the school has deemed it safe, can we CHOOSE to do online?
Reply
Liam Halawith
7/18/2020 03:28:03 pm
Hi Angi,
Reply
Michele Bensch
7/16/2020 01:25:13 pm
Brick and Mortar is what the students need.
Reply
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