The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

Since the COVID-19 situation took up residence in our lives, it has required us all to adjust and adapt. As the circumstances demanded, we have taken on new roles that are testing our patience, flexibility, and resilience. Many parents had to add school teacher to their duties, teachers had to learn online curriculum delivery methods, and students had to learn a new routine for home schooling without the added social component. Despite this “new normal,” area school administrators report that positive progress is occurring on the education front.

According to Darin Hannum, Superintendent of Chinook Public Schools (CPS), the online delivery method of curriculum has been going well. Although school district officials anticipated that issues with internet and online learning might hamper their progress, they have been pleasantly surprised. 

“The staff has been making contact with our parents regarding the packet portion, and the online learning segment has been busy for the last couple of days. We are glad we waited until March 30 to start providing instruction so that we could work out some kinks in the system.  Because of that wait, we have experienced very few issues at this point. I believe both students and staff are excited to get back to communicating and learning,” Hannum reported.

Shane Bartschi, Meadowlark Elementary School Principal, agreed that their first week of delivering distance learning to students has been favorable. “We have had great participation and completion of lessons online.  Teachers have been in contact with families and students to offer support on homework and with a general check-in to see how our students are doing.  It is definitely a stressful time for everyone, but considering the circumstances, everyone seems to be doing quite well.”  

The next big step for CPS will be their Monday pick-up and delivery of new lessons.  On April 1, Chinook began running district buses to provide meals. The drivers have contacted the people on their regular routes, and deliveries will occur between 10:45 a.m. and noon. 

After adding these bus routes, CPS is serving over 160 meals a day.  The meals are available to any family in the district with children from birth to age 18.  Bartschi encourages anyone who qualifies to sign up on the Chinook Meadowlark School Facebook page or to call the school at 357-2033.  

Beginning April 6, along with meal delivery, the new week’s lessons will go out and the previous week’s work will be due for pickup. By this method, school buses will be collecting homework rather than students.

A visit to the Meadowlark Elementary School’s Facebook page will prove that even in this time of physical distancing, the teachers are working toward building community, humor, and good cheer. Their creativity and posts of pictures and messages suggest not only that they miss their students but that changing the narrative from fear to security is vital; “You are not stuck at home; you are safe at home,” reads one post.

Bartschi added, “Meadowlark would like to thank the community for their patience, understanding, and support during this time. We would also like to remind everyone that our teachers are here for all of our students.  Please reach out to your child’s teacher or the school by calling 357-2033 with any questions.”

“The staff has been phenomenal in this process.  They are showing everyone their leadership and emerging as the heroes that they are,” Hannum concluded.

A similarly positive progress report came from Tony Warren, Superintendent of Turner School District, who expressed pride in the efforts of everyone in the Turner community.

“The community has come together in an exceptionally student-focused way to achieve our educational mission during this difficult time as all of us face a significant public health crisis. What our staff has accomplished in transitioning to virtual classrooms during the course of just two weeks is nothing short of remarkable.  Our teachers have not let the challenges get in the way of their commitment to our students, and it shows.  While our technology has occasionally hit a few bumps, our staff have worked hard to implement fixes and make changes, and our students have been patient,” Warren stated.

  Warren also wished to give a huge shout-out to students.  “They have been flexible and engaged as they learn to navigate this temporary reality.  They are doing great work and finding ways to keep everything in balance.  We share their sense of loss of being together and will be the first to celebrate when we can return to school.  We miss our students!

  Finally, please do not hesitate to reach out to teachers if you have questions or need assistance during this time.  Thank you for all of your continued efforts in working remotely with our students,” Warren exclaimed.

In Harlem, Superintendent Doreen Warren reports that this new way of doing business is still a work in progress. She expressed pride in every administrator, teacher, para, cook, bus driver, and custodian.  

Warren reported that the school district transitioned from feeding only Harlem students to the Summer Food Service Program, which feeds everyone 18 and under.

“Along with two meals per day, we are distributing and collecting homework along our bus routes and in town.  We are looking forward to the return and pick-up of this homework on Mondays,” Warren said.

Since it appears that schools will not reopen before the close of the school year, Harlem School District families are asked to make arrangements to pick up student belongings during the week between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Administrator at Zurich School, Colleen Overcast, stated that Zurich has the advantage of smaller groups, making these new challenges somewhat more surmountable when compared to those of a larger school district. Their students have been working since March 16, with parents dropping off student work every Friday and picking up the following week’s lessons.

Each of the teachers at Zurich has a Zoom Conference every morning with her student group to give structure and routine to their day. Between Zoom video conferencing, phone, and email, Zurich teachers are staying connected with their students.

“While that process has shown itself to be beneficial, maintaining that structure as the day progresses is only as good as the people at home can make it,” Overcast said.

Overcast described several other positives as well as a few trials. “The biggest surprise has come in the positive response from companies who are reaching out with support and a number of resources. In fact, we’ve been somewhat overwhelmed since sorting through them all consumes time. We’ve also located some really exceptional programs, like Seesaw for the younger students. With Seesaw, our primary grades teacher is building her students’ individual skills while keeping their learning differentiated. But we’ve had to remain flexible with students who have a pencil and paper preference.”

She wondered, however, about gaps that can occur when a student chooses not to complete a packet of work. “What do we do if students fall short? We want to remain connected to student outcomes, but there is so much here that we just can’t control.”

Zurich teachers have seen some happy accidents as well. For example, Overcast was pleased that the Public Broadcasting System aired their Nova series just in time to align with the grades 6-8 unit on planets.

According to Overcast, the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) has issued a waiver for the standardized testing that typically occurs in the spring. The United States Department of Education approved the OPI’s request to waive requirements for the 2019-2020 school year assessment, accountability, and reporting for states and local education agencies under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  

During this “remote learning” realm, waiving these testing requirements provides relief to school districts but may also carry unintended implications about which school officials will just have to “wait and see.”