Sherman school district unveils plan for new year

SHERMAN — Expanded communication and improved technology make up some of the changes in the Sherman School district this fall.

The district, which enrolls students from Pre-K through eighth grade, was open last year full-time for all but 14 days. It still invested heavily in technology to accommodate the 10 percent of students who opted for remote learning due to COVID-19, said Jeff Melendez, the superintendent and principal.

“The 75-inch touch screen TVs allowed kids on their Chrome books at home to actually see in real time,” Melendez said. “They can write on the touch screen in their Chrome book and it would show up in the classroom. It was really a great tool to keep kids engaged. This year, we are continuing and building off of that with having inperson learning.”

There will be no remote learning option this year.

Additionally, there has been an increase in staffing from last year.

“We’ve staffed to provide extra support and enrichment for our students,” Melendez said.

He said a benefit to this is that class ratios are small. For example, there are two teachers for the 21 students in fourth grade. The average class size is typically around 15 students.

Programs

After being canceled last year due to the pandemic, the school is once again continuing its XP and Enrichment program, which was developed several years ago.

“We have a catalog of electives, in which children in grades four through eight can take on a trimester basis throughout the year,” Melendez said. “We have them scheduled for the last period in the day.”

New courses offered through the program include grandmaster chess, busta’ move, laser academy, photography and fantasy football.

“This is very exciting for us because the kids really enjoy this,” Melendez said.

Additionally, the district is in the process of developing a new after-school program.

In regard to the physical look of the school, walls are being opened up to allow for more space. There will also be changes to the organization of the building.

Communication

The district will be increasing its communication efforts with families, Melendez said.

“We are going much heavier on social media, so we have a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn,” Melendez said.

The district is also reinstating its newsletter.

“Every Wednesday afternoon, parents will receive a digital newsletter,” he said.

There will also be a Sherman app that parents can download to get updates.

Additionally, there will be a live chat feature, which will give direct access to the main office for quick questions and responses. Parents will also receive an official emailed letter whenever there is an important notification.

The district has added a second monthly Board of Education meeting, which can be viewed live on Zoom.

“Our goal coming out of the pandemic crisis has been to use this opportunity to reinvigorate us, to challenge us, to grow, to push us forward in the way we teach and learn, to capitalize on some of the technology that is now available to us,” Melendez said.