Gardiner Area High School on Monday.
Gardiner-area school district teachers and administrators have crafted remote learning plans for students to use for the rest of April — and beyond, if the order closing Maine schools through May 1 is extended.
Students in Gardiner, Pittston, Randolph and West Gardiner have been home from school for the past three weeks due to directives from public health officials seeking to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
On Thursday, the Gardiner-area school board approved a remote learning plan — tailored for high school, middle school, elementary and special education students — at its meeting, and it is being sent to state education officials for their endorsement.
It is not clear when students will return to school.
Last week, district Superintendent Patricia Hopkins sent a letter to the district updating the status.
Under the executive order issued by Gov. Janet Mills on March 31, all schools are to remain closed until May 1. If no additional extensions to the school closure order are made, Hopkins wrote that district schools are expected to reopen May 4.
“But,” Hopkins told board members, “I am hearing more and more there’s a high likelihood that may not happen. We may need to carry the remote learning plan forward.”
Among the questions that district officials are considering now is what graduation may look like, and what will happen if a second wave of novel coronavirus infections happens in the fall.
“If that happens, what does school look like at the start of the year? There are no answers at this time,” Hopkins said. “It’s an evolving situation. We will do the best we can to provide information.”
In the meantime, the district, which has been providing meals to students since the initial closure was announced, has put together plans for education for the balance of April, but not during the scheduled April vacation week.
Hopkins said that break will be observed because it is a contractual obligation with the district’s staff.
Principal Chad Kempton of Gardiner Area High School said he and his staff have worked out a system that ensures students are provided the materials and educational support they need.
“The learning curve has been tremendous,” he said. “We have some very advanced teachers with technology, and some on the rookie side.”
Technology will help with student meetings and schoolwork, but in instances where students have no access to internet, work packets will be provided on paper. Teachers will have the work for the next week completed by Friday to be distributed Monday.
Kempton said there are safety nets in place to make sure the district is not violating the requirement to deliver a free and appropriate public education.
At the Gardiner Regional Middle School, Principal John LaPerriere said in addition to educational resources, his staff is making regular contact with parents and students, some via telephone and some via email to talk about wellness and connectedness.
“The plan is not to overwhelm students with too much,” he said, “but at the same time help parents balance a schedule between time for family and academics.”
Because a number of families have children of different ages, the middle school has opted not to do live teaching. Instead, teachers are expected to post instructional videos on particular days so students can access them at any time.
Teachers will be available two hours a day through Google Classroom to answer questions.
At the elementary level, the work will be enrichment and practice for what has already been taught, distributed in packets with about two weeks’ worth of work, according to Principal Victoria Duguay of Riverview Community School.
“These are extraordinary times we’ve been thrust into without a blueprint to follow,” she said. “We made the blueprint.”
Teachers are checking in with students, answering questions and sending emails to families from whom they have not heard, she said, and the resource officers are also checking in.
Elisha Morris, director of special services for the district, said members of her staff have been making sure they are providing free and appropriate public education. While they are continuing with meetings on individual education plans and referrals, no more testing will be done until students return to school.
“Staff is reaching out to parents at least three times a week,” Morris said, and there is opportunity for conversations during the week.
“I am proud of the mental health piece,” she added. “In the end, it’s the mental health that’s important.”
All students are likely to lose some ground at this point, Morris said, and that is true for students across the United States.
Hopkins said 680 students have signed up for meals, and the district staff is preparing 6,800 meals a week.
“The last time we met, I shared we would receive reimbursement only for meals actually delivered in Gardiner and Randolph,” Hopkins said. “We chose to deliver meals in West Gardiner and Pittston, but there was a risk we would not get reimbursed. There has been a waiver, so we will receive full reimbursement for all meals, regardless where they are delivered.”
District officials have not yet heard whether they will be reimbursed for providing meals during April vacation.
“Because we’re not in session,” Hopkins said, “the feds have not currently agreed to reimburse us because there’s no instruction taking place.”
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