The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
City’s summer education will target young at-risk students
MIDDLETOWN — Elementary-age students who require additional learning time ahead of entering the next grade will be part of a pilot summer school program, some elements of which will guide the district’s post-pandemic education plan.
Middletown Public Schools will hold a socially distanced learning program through August, dubbed the Summer Literacy Academy, for children in grades one through four. The program will be held Monday through Thursday at Lawrence and Wesley elementary schools beginning July 6 and ending Aug. 6.
The sites were chosen because both facilities have air conditioning, part of working to maximize health and safety during the COVID-19 outbreak, officials said.
The first week will be a getting-to-know-you time. There will be col
orful signs throughout each building to keep students at a safe distance while moving about, according to Chief of School Operations and Communication Marco Gaylord.
He is ensuring the HVAC system will maintain maximum airflow, and there will be no sharing of materials. For instance, each student have their own Chromebook to take back and forth.
“We’ve been planning this since the end of March, talking about the possibility of not returning until the end of the year, but also what the summer looks like. Dr. (Michael) Conner is a future-focused leader,” Gaylord said of the superintendent of schools.
Summer school was offered last year in Middletown for the first time in a decade or more, said Conner, who sits on the state Department of Education’s Governor’s COVID-19 Learn from Home Task Force.
The panel consists of several district leaders from across the state. “That gives us a sneak peek at what might come down the road,” Gaylord said.
All COVID guidelines, including face coverings for staff and students, as well as constant sanitizing of surfaces and cleaning throughout the day, will be observed. Children will be allowed to remove their masks only during outside activities.
A biweekly schedule is set up to maximize the number of students — about 200 are expected — who can take advantage of summer learning, alternating week by week between virtual and in-person classes.
Parents can also opt for a full virtual experience for those who may not yet feel comfortable having their children return to the physical facility, Conner said.
Temperatures will be taken by bus monitors as well as once students arrive at their school, according to Gaylord. Cleaning protocol will be similar to mass transit guidelines in Connecticut.
Parents who drop off their children will be asked to remain in their cars until their child’s temperature is taken in case they have to return home. A nurse will be on site at both locations, and there are procedures in place should a student become ill during the day or test positive for the coronavirus.
“Safety is our primary concern for this instruction, but also to put parents’ minds at ease that it’s going to be a safe environment,” Gaylord said.
Classes will begin at 8:30 a.m. for a half-hour breakfast time, with lessons taking place until noon, when they will break for lunch, both of which will be provided by the Middlesex YMCA through the state’s summer meals program.
The district also will continue its lunch pickup program at three locations throughout the city. Distribution has already surpassed 10,000 families, Gaylord said.
There will be an option for students to take a bus home after classes or stay for afternoon activities until the day concludes at 4:30 p.m. to allow working parents extra time, Gaylord added. Each classroom will contain 10 students who will remain together throughout the afternoon.
Transportation will be provided to and from the facilities as well as during the mid-day.
Schooling will be available to children identified as at-risk, based on multiple internal metrics, Conner said. “Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to make some really radical shifts with how we’re going to be able to ensure and provide continuous service to these students that are aligned with their needs, but, moreover, to adhere with state guidelines.”
District officials are piloting the program with an eye toward what learning will look like in the 2020-21 academic year and beyond. “We’re very excited, because that’s what we’ve been preparing for, for the last eight weeks,” Conner said.
Serving students with the program a such a young age is new for the district. “The preparation gap essentially starts from birth all the way up to four. The achievement gap is a symptom of the preparation gap,” he added.
Middletown 2021: Keys to Innovation & Equity, the school district’s strategic operating plan for the 201821 academic years, is poised to erase that disparity in learning, Conner said.
Parent and student feedback will be essential to forming a future plan.
Its 2018-19 graduation figures surpassed the state average by 11 points — at 97 percent, according to figures released by the state Board of Education May 27. Connecticut’s median figure during that same period was 86 percent.
“We still have immense gaps, in particular the K-12 sector, so this program is trying to spot the achievement gap at early onset. We know if the achievement gap continues, students become disengaged,” the superintendent said.
“We want to be able to catch it early,” preferably by first grade, Conner said.
For information, visit middletownschools.org.