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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (June 24, 2020)
8A | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020 | SIUSLAW NEWS The biggest challenge to the model is that teachers will have to double up on their work, prepping for both distance learning and face-to-face instruction. “They would have kids on campus twice a week, and the other three days would be some sort of dis- tance learning, be it packet or online,” Harklerode said. A second reopening op- tion would have fourth and to be homeroom teachers, which would cut class sizes down to eight. “This is far and away the most manageable sched- ule,” Harklerode said. “This would be a whole lot sim- pler. There would still be 300 students a day, but they’d be spaced out consid- erably.” However, this model would stretch resources thin, creating more work it was not an effective way to educate. Instead, the dis- trict is looking at the hybrid model. “We have some students in A and B groups attending every other day with some students in distance learn- ing only,” Grzeskowiak said. “The As and the Bs will be separated by neighborhood and bus route, giving us more space and in es- sence splitting the dis- trict in half, with north “Even since the writing of my report, there’s and south.” been a couple of things that have changed.” But even within the — Siuslaw District Superintendent hybrid model, there are Andrew Grzeskowiak multiple possibilities on how schools could open. During last week’s meeting, the board heard fifth graders staying in the for teachers as well as hav- possible strategies from all A/B model but having first- ing additional costs. Beside the three mod- three Siuslaw principals. through third-graders com- At the beginning of the ing in four days a week — els, Harklerode also listed a number of other consid- meeting, Grzeskowiak with the fifth day off. stressed that all plans are “I do have enough class- erations the elementary subject to change. rooms to divide the first school will be dealing with. “Some of our students “Even since the writing grades into smaller groups, of my report, there’s been and I have the staff to do with allergy concerns, we’re a couple of things that have that. I don’t have the staff going to have to be con- changed,” he said. for fifth and sixth grade,” scious about where they are placed, since lunches The district’s finalized Harklerode said. plans will not be due until To get the staff for first, will be in the classroom,” he August. In the meantime, second and third grades, said. “We are worried about the district is looking for Harklerode would train facility overuse, especially input from families and specialist teachers who usu- with the bathrooms when the community on what ally don’t have homerooms worrying about transitions reopening should look like, — such as music teachers throughout the school.” Recess will be difficult, and ideas on how to achieve — to take on the duties of a but the school is looking at it. To participate in Siuslaw homeroom teacher. “I think this works better ways to bring music and art School District’s reopening survey, follow the link at for working families,” Har- to students, no matter what www.siuslaw.k12.or.us/arti- klerode said. “The biggest model is chosen. “I’ve been reading arti- con is that there is virtually cle/260914. no PE, music or library in cles on mental health issues this model. It’s going to be related to this whole thing, Siuslaw Elementary difficult for families with and stress,” said school School Elementary Principal Mi- kids split between high board member Suzanne “Musical chael Harklerode began his school and the elementary. Mann-Heintz. presentation by showing It’s going to be expensive and physical activity are so how many students would to set up new teachers for important to reduce stress be in a class under normal classrooms. That’s a new and have an emotional out- circumstances. On average, computer, a new curricu- let for kids. I hope it can be class sizes range anywhere lum. It’s going to be quite a worked out, though I know cost. This is also a very long it will be very difficult.” from 23 to 26 students. Whatever model they “These numbers are day for kids and teachers do end up choosing, Har- based on enrollment be- without any break.” Recess will also be a chal- klerode stated that the fore we went into closure,” he said. “We do anticipate lenge, as the district will still school will work diligently some students will not be have up to 450 students on to inform parents and set returning. And we antici- the elementary campus at expectations, with the first pate that some staff will not any given time. Between few days of school being de- separating the student co- voted to orientation. be returning.” “We can have parents and However, keeping social horts and the required distancing requirements clearing, organizing around students come to the school would be nearly impossi- physical distancing regula- in small scheduled groups, so we can walk through ble with those numbers. tions will be difficult. “It won’t be a problem log-in identities, passwords, Instead, he presented three options for a hybrid open- once the kids get to the how to navigate the systems classrooms,” Harklerode we’re using and what they ing. First, Harklerode talked said. “It’s going to be a prob- can expect from us,” he said. about an A/B/A/B align- lem serving lunch, transi- “We did not have that lux- ment Monday through tioning and entering. The ury when we went into dis- Thursday, with a full prep flow of the day is going to tance learning the first time. day on Friday. This would be tricky. But it is an option We really want to make sure that has more kids coming we’re setting our students cut class size in half. up for success, whether it “That’s pretty manage- more frequently.” The final hybrid mod- be in a distance model or a able, but we did space out some classrooms today, and el Harklerode presented hybrid model.” it’s pretty tight,” Harklerode would be an A/B model for Siuslaw Middle School said. “There’s not much all students — all grades Middle School Princi- room for anything else in would come in two days a the classroom aside from week. But the model would pal Andy Marohl began by also train specialist teachers saying although he would students and their desks.” Normal classroom equip- ment such as reading nooks and art areas would have to be removed. “In this model, kids are coming two days a week for sure. It’s predictable and regular,” Harklerode said. “I do have some pretty small class sizes and we might be able to get some classes into the cafeteria for lunches, but that’s looking more and more doubtful as we hear more restrictions.” like to see every student on campus, it most likely won’t occur. Instead, he stated that a hybrid model was more likely. The schedule he is cur- rently looking at will split the school into A and B groups. Students with last names starting with A-J would be in the A catego- ry, and they would attend school Monday and Thurs- day. B students would be last names of K-Z, and would go to school on Tuesday and Friday. Wednesday would be dedicated to staff meetings, some grade level meetings, and instructional assistant hours for students. Teach- ers would also be able to prepare distance learning lessons and upload portable drives. “You get contact with students at least a couple of days,” Marohl said. “You can give core instruction on Monday, they have in- dependent practice on Tuesday, they have distance learning on Wednesday, and then they’re back in for new instruction on Thursday. I feel that is appealing and lends itself to less stress.” One of the biggest chal- lenges for Marohl is not mixing cohorts of students. “Middle school educa- tion has some unique chal- lenges,” he said. “In a typical year, every kid is assigned a schedule and almost every kid’s schedule is different. There are very few kids that would go from class peri- od to class period exactly the same throughout the day. There are 380 unique schedules, which isn’t going to be conducive to keeping a cohort together.” Instead, electives will be on a wheel rotation, which will force some students to take electives that they nor- mally wouldn’t take. “It does expose kids to a lot more. Maybe they’ll take some courses they might not take. A kid who goes into band as a sixth grader, if they’re really into their instrument, they would have gone through mid- dle school without taking woodshop, drama or com- puter science. This definite- ly exposes students to a lot of different areas.” There are multiple other challenges with the regu- lations, particularly transi- tions between classes. After the bell rings and a class period is over, students usually have a few minutes to visit their locker, talk to friends, etc. After five min- utes, the students are ready to take their next class. But with the new regula- tions, cohorts of kids can’t mix in the halls. 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