SAD 4 students learning at home

GUILFORD — SAD 4 and other districts across the state are now educating students remotely through the end of the academic year. School board members learned more about the current methods of instruction during an April 14 meeting held via video conference and conference call.

“We started out with packets the first two weeks,” Piscataquis Community Elementary School Principal Anita Wright said when school was closed initially last month. She said more than 100 of the assignment packets were returned and another round of schoolwork was distributed to take students through April vacation.

Wright said when teachers learned that the building would be closed indefinitely they started to look into individual digital teaching methods, which should be more effective than packets that need to be decontaminated, sorted and distributed over the course of several days. 

“It’s a pretty lengthy process and not very informative for teachers, just logistically it’s hard to do the packets” she said.

When asked Wright said about 50 percent of packets had been returned so far.

Piscataquis Community High School Principal John Keane spoke next and said packets were also given to the grade 9-12 students with about two weeks worth of work to be completed and returned. “Basically those are still coming back to school, we have a dropbox outside,” he said.

“I am seeing a better response now, especially because there has been some emails from me and staff,” Keane said. He said the paperwork is being graded normally — this is subject to change — and will be part of the fourth and final ranking period.

The principal said the response rate for packets has been around 70 percent, dropping a little when news came out that students would be learning remotely for the remainder of 2019-20. He said teachers are available daily with days of the week designated for specific subjects such as English/language arts Mondays and math Tuesdays.

“We definitely want to find out from parents, after break, how it’s going for them,” Keane said.

SAD 4 Technology Director/PCES Assistant Principal Jessica Dunton said the week before the Maine Department of Education delivered Wi-Fi-enabled Samsung Tab A’s with 12-month Verizon service to both the district and neighboring RSU 68 in Dover-Foxcroft to help provide internet access for students. She said these will help set up 95 hot spots across the six SAD 4 district communities.

Dunton has spoken with the two principals and reached out to families — with 32 or about a third responding — to determine the best placement of the hotspots. She said she will also be devising a map to send to ConnectMe to help with long-term planning for broadband connection to areas where service is not available.

“We believe in this and we believe in giving our kids every opportunity and that’s what we have worked on,” Dunton said.

Keane was asked about PCHS graduation and he said at the moment district officials are not sure if this will be “virtual, drive-in or delayed in person, those are our three options.” He said he would be talking with other administrators in the region on commencement exercise methods “so we’re trying as principals to be consistent as a county.”

“It doesn’t matter which situation they are in, they are going to get their caps and gowns,” Keane said in response to a question on the graduation attire.

“The plans for a virtual graduation are starting,” he said with this event taking place on Sunday, June 7 if the option happens and mentioning the drive-in method would need law enforcement approval.

Keane said Friday, July 24 would be the date for the delayed graduation if public gatherings are permitted by mid-summer. He said a prom could be the week before the July commencement.

The principal was asked what members of the Class of 2020 thought about the three graduation options. He said meetings have not been held because school officials would not want to get the students’ hopes up and for them to then be disappointed should some of the options fall through.

Keane said after break there would be a Zoom meeting with seniors to discuss graduation plans.

The school also took action by authorizing Superintendent Kelly MacFadyen to waive the 2019-20 snow days of June 10-15 due to the COVID-19 closure. This week will instead be used for teacher workshops to allow faculty to plan for the fall when classes resume.