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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2020)
EDUCATION MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, April 15, 2020 A3 Prairie City gets an early start on distance learning By Rudy Diaz Blue Mountain Eagle While many schools in Grant County began distance learning on April 13, Prairie City decided to implement the new program on April 8 to give time to find bugs and provide students with the supplies needed. On April 8, staff and faculty from Prairie City hand-delivered a packet to every student that had directions on how to get into Google Classroom and how to use the application, according to Casey Hallgarth, the superinten- dent for Prairie City. The packets also included contact information for the teachers and their availability times. “We decided to send our stuff out on Wednesday (April 8), and we did that so we can work out some kinks, and we knew we were going to have some difficulties with laptops to mit- igate the work on (April 13),” Hall- garth said. “For the most part, it went well, and we handed out around 80 laptops to kids.” Some of the packets were not as full as others because the school was aware of students who had internet access and didn’t need the additional paperwork for school work. Students who do not have internet access will continue to receive pack- ets every Wednesday. These pack- ets will include the information and assignments that can be found on Google Classrooms. Hallgarth had the opportunity The Eagle/Rudy Diaz On April 8, Prairie City School started distance learning and hand delivered packets to students. to see the reaction of several kids in pre-school who were on their device with their parents, learning from the teacher online. The kids were fasci- nated by the technology and being able to see and learn from teachers on a screen. Some of the problems Hallgarth noticed was in getting people started with technology and signing into classes. “Our hiccups have been trying to have students and parents under- stand the teachers’ directions on get- ting access to the online applications and getting the equipment set up for the parents to go out,” Hallgarth said. “If you hand someone a piece of paper that I am not used to seeing these directions and messing with a device you have never been on before — its all foreign for some of these parents.” It’s been a shift for teachers as well. Billy Colson, a middle and high school math teacher at Prairie City, hadn’t facilitated an online class prior to the pandemic. “I work with an amazing group of small school math teachers through- out Eastern Oregon, and I’m amazed by what they are able to do with tech- nology, and there is a lot of online things you can do,” Colson said. “I’m making links to tutorial videos, and I’m also trying to give them things they’re familiar with and refer to our curriculum when I teach.” Colson said challenges have been getting students used to a new com- puter program and motivating them to do work after an extended spring break. “About 10% of kids will excel at it, but most kids need more inter- action from people,” Colson said. “Hopefully, kids will be more famil- iar with video conferencing or call- ing us with questions as time goes on.” One goal for the school is to not overwhelm students with school work and make sure to have a bal- ance between work and a student’s well-being. “We are not here to overwhelm parents and students with a ton of work,” Hallgarth said. “We are here to give them our support and teach them a little bit, but we also want to make sure everybody is doing well socially and emotionally.” Hallgarth said a majority of staff is available from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays by phone for students to call if they have any questions. School leaders react to school buildings being closed for year By Rudy Diaz Blue Mountain Eagle Gov. Kate Brown announced school build- ings will remain closed for the 2019-2020 school year in Oregon, and even though school leaders anticipated the change, it wasn’t easy to accept. “The school closure for in-person instruction for the remainder of the year was a hard reality despite many of us anticipating it,” said Mon- ument Superintendent Laura Thomas. “While it is most important that everyone, stu- dents, families, and staff remain healthy, the feel of the school is not the same with- out the students. We miss the students!” Long Creek Superinten- dent Karl Coghill said he misses the interactions with the students. “The building is so quiet,” he said. “It is very strange.” Lots of questions have come up since the announce- ment, but the heartbreak for seniors and their parents are certain, according to Prairie City Superintendent Casey Hallgarth. “We knew this was com- ing,” Hallgarth said. “It’s just once someone gives you the final verdict, it’s like some- one gut punched you. It’s official for our seniors that they are not coming back to our schools, and that’s the gut punch.” Other school leaders also shared their sentiment of how tough this change is because of the importance of senior Eagle file photo Eagle file photo Grant School District 3 Superintendent Bret Uptmor. Prairie City School District Superintendent/Principal Casey Hallgarth. activities. “All of us are miserable — those events are rites of pas- sage to adulthood,” said Kath- ryn Hedrick, the Dayville superintendent. “Our seniors deserve public affirmations of their achievements, and they deserve the celebrations like proms, sports competitions and senior banquets.” Oregon Department of Education encouraged schools to plan for alternative graduation ceremonies with the possibility of not allowing in-person gatherings. “This group of seniors will miss that (graduation) in the traditional sense, and we as a high school in the district area are looking for ways that we can continue that cele- bration, which might be vir- tual or off-schedule,” said Grant School District Super- intendent Bret Uptmor. “We are going to try to make sure we try and recognize our seniors.” While plans for graduation provide for their families and assist with education at home. “While staff is meeting ceremonies are uncertain as schools look for ways to com- memorate the occasion, Hed- rick said it is important for every senior being recognized for their accomplishment. “We will do something: Dayville will have two grad- uates, and their graduation is as important as a class of a 1,000,” Hedrick said. To honor seniors, schools around the nation are partici- pating in turning on their foot- ball field lights at 8:20 p.m. — which corresponds with 2020 in military time — for a minute for each senior gradu- ating this year. On April 9, Grant Union Junior-Senior High School turned their lights on for 43 minutes to honor their seniors. Prairie City will turn on their stadium lights every Wednes- day at 8:20 p.m. With distance learning now being the focus for the rest of the year, school leaders are aware and are grateful for par- ents putting in hard work to The Seneca PTA would like to say THANK YOU!! with students over the phone multiple times per week, pro- viding instructional videos and assignments, parents are having to take a more lead- ing role in the daily educa- tion,” said Thomas. “While this has been an adjustment, all the amazing students, fam- ilies and staff have come together to support and help one another to make this less than ideal situation the best we can for the students.” School buildings may be closed, but school leaders and teachers are still assisting students. “I want parents and stu- dents to know that we are there with them,” Coghill said. “We are willing to do everything we can to help them and the students to get through these tough times.” NAPA Filters’ Spring Sale! 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Chiropractic Subway of John Day Pioneer Feed and Farm Supply Jack and Teresa Southworth Gardners John Day NAPA The Cut Above Bill Gander The Wilson Family JD Parks and Rec Michael Desjardin Blue Mountain Eagle H&R Block Ericksons Thriftway Solutions CPA’s John Day Vet Center Gander Ranch KJDY Backwoods Soap Subway of John Day Gardner Enterprise Happy 100th Birthday! Evelyn Ogilvie of John Day turned 100 on April 13th! And everyone who showed up to play and support the Seneca School! S183405-1 S183610-1
