Area school districts unveil distance-learning policies for shutdown

GRUNDY COUNTY- As the governor’s school closure recommendation has been extended to the end of April in light of the coronavirus pandemic, area districts recently unveiled their distance learning plans for the foreseeable future through statements, press releases and letters to parents, and a summary of the initiatives at AGWSR, BCLUW, Dike-New Hartford, Gladbrook-Reinbeck and Grundy Center can be found below.

AGWSR

The district is moving forward with a voluntary option for distance education. According to Superintendent Erik Smith, teachers were asked to reach out to parents and students to provide an overview of how they will communicate and share activities during the closure.

They were then asked to focus on three previously taught standards per class/course for the remainder of the closure and design their activities around those standards.

“All teachers will continue to engage with students in a variety of ways,” Smith said.

BCLUW

At a special meeting on April 7, the BCLUW school board voted unanimously to continue with its optional online learning program, and according to the minutes, the principals reported that they have received a lot of positive feedback about the initiatives so far.

Superintendent Ben Petty also commented that “kids, parents and families are dealing with a lot of fear and anxiety during this time, and we want to do as little harm as possible to our students.”

“Teachers are doing a great job at BCLUW trying to engage students in educational enrichment activities by using academic "SCORE Cards" that were sent home at the elementary level, and also many teachers across all buildings are using interactive technologies such as video-conferencing, Google classroom, recorded "story times" and a program called SeeSaw.  Teachers and counselors are also touching base with students through email and phone calls,” Petty wrote in an e-mail to The Grundy Register.

Dike-New Hartford

D-NH is also taking the voluntary route, but a press release issued on April 9 “strongly encourages” parents, families and other caregivers to support student participation while they are at home.

High school students are recommended to take 30 minutes per day for each subject, while students in grade 6-8 are recommended to spend 20 minutes per day. Students in grades 3-5 should spend an hour a day, while those in PK-2 are suggested to work on each subject for 45 minutes per day.

“We can all agree that the last several weeks have been some of the most difficult we have ever experienced as a school community,” Superintendent Justin Stockdale said. “Despite our circumstances, I am heartened by all our efforts to make the best out of the situation. One thing is certain—we are all in this together and we will seek solutions that make sense given these unprecedented times.”

The release cited the lack of reliable Internet access for all students as a deciding factor in opting to go with voluntary learning.

Gladbrook-Reinbeck

G-R is the only district in the county moving forward with a required online learning plan for students in grades 7-12, according to a letter posted on the website.

Teachers were expected to begin contacting students on Monday, and junior high/high school principal Andy McQuillen said the district would do whatever it could to provide a “flexible, positive experience for all students.”

“This is new territory and will certainly present some new challenges. Please, understand that levels of difficulty will be determined by the content and classes students have signed up for,” McQuillen wrote. “I will be monitoring classes closely and want to make this the best experience possible for all students.”

Grundy Center

Like AGWSR, BCLUW and D-NH, Grundy Center is proceeding with a voluntary learning program for students during the shutdown. Superintendent Robert Hughes also noted that the district is working to make accommodations for students who do not have Internet access at home, and teachers have been very active in communicating with their students.

“The planning and preparation has been tremendous. The teachers have done a fabulous job on what activities and enrichment opportunities they can send out to students,” Hughes said. “It’s been a new learning experience for all of us, and we greatly appreciate all of the support from the community.”