The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
IS IT SAFE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL?
Gilbert School community forum responds to parent, student concerns
WINSTED — Families around Connecticut are preparing to return to school, and whether they’re using distance learning, returning to a building or a combination of the two, they likely have concerns.
The Gilbert School, reopening Sept. 8 with block scheduling and longer class periods, while providing distance learning for those who choose to use it, held an online forum Tuesday giving the public a chance to ask whatever they wanted.
Administrators led the discussion, starting with a complete review of Gilbert’s reopening plan. The audience on Zoom included parents, teachers and students, according to Superintendent Anthony Serio.
“I think the forum went very well,” he said. “I appreciated the fact that we had a sizable group. At the height of the forum, we had about 75 people.”
A chat allowed people to ask questions, which were answered by the administration including Principal Sue Sojka, Serio and Director of Health Services Kellie Gilbert.
“There were a lot of questions in the chat, and we answered all of them,” Serio said. “Some people asked about the hybrid schedule, where we’re using block scheduling (instead of a seven-period day). They wanted to know what kinds of activities the kids were going to participate in; we’re not having any clubs this year. There were questions about what would happen in the wintertime; about how many kids would be
allowed on a bus. It was a variety, depending on the person who was asking.”
Serio said people’s comments indicated to him that parents were satisfied with Gilbert’s safety precautions and plans to reopen “in person.”
During her presentation, Sojka spoke at length about “face time” between students and teachers and said the longer classroom times would allow for that. Gilbert’s plan is to have a four-period day with 85 minutes per class on each day.
Block scheduling divides students into groups A and B, and courses of study will be presented on different days. This was developed to avoid having no more than 300 people in the school at the same time, Serio said.
“Some students will leave early, and others will arrive later in the day,” Sojka said, adding that faculty members and staff will have office hours and screen time for remote learning and meetings with students. If a family has chosen to use the distance learning option, that time will also be provided.
She also stressed that social distancing, health and safety were paramount. “Social distancing is a commitment, and we are taking it very seriously,” the principal said. “Desks are 6 feet apart, all facing in the same direction. Masks must be worn at all times. There will be group work using project-based learning and collaborating, and we’re doing that in a safe way. Some students will be working at home, while others will be in the building, using Google Meets. It’s creative and flexible.”
“Sue made the point of teachers spending a much time as they can with students in person; that’s why we chose the block scheduling,” Serio said. “That’s part of being a small school, and we want to make that happen.”
Students also won’t have lockers this year – instead, they must use a backpack they can take with them from class to class.
Even bathroom time will be monitored, she said.
“There will be no more than three students in a bathroom at one time,” she said. “We’ll have staggered dismissal time between classes, to allow students to get to class on time and prevent overcrowding in the hallways.”
Inevitably, Serio said, there is “some trepidation” among faculty members.
“They’re concerned about coming back; they want to know that the building is going to be ready, have we kept up with sanitizing and disinfection. We’ve spent the whole summer doing that, cleaning the buildings,” he said. “I think everyone’s a bit nervous and concerned. We see what’s going on in places around the state and the country.
“So far, Connecticut has been able to keep it (COVID-19) under control, and it depends on how well we follow the science,” Serio said. “We have younger students, and older teenagers, and they’re used to being with their friends, being social. It’s about changing human behavior. It’s a big change for the kids.”
A team of 45 people served on Gilbert’s reopening committee, using guidance from the state’s “Adapt, Achieve, Advance” model. “Using the advice of that document from the state, we began to plan our reopening,” Serio said.
The biggest challenge, the superintendent said, was reducing class sizes.
“We went from 20 to 24 kids down to 14 kids in a room. Obviously, if you have classes with 20 or more, it’s not going to work,” he said. “Our model (with the scheduling) gave us the opportunity to have 225 to 240 students in the building at any given time, plus teachers and administration staff.”
Serio has attended numerous meetings led by the state Department of Education, along with other school leaders around the state. “The addendums to reopening are constant,” he said. “We are up to addendum number seven, which has to do with teaching music, choral or instrumental.”
The superintendent said the state also is addressing scenarios for schools to consider if COVID-19 cases were to increase. “It really gives us an indication of when we can consider a different model of learning,” Serio said. “That includes distance learning; if cases go up, we’ll use distance learning. There are a lot of considerations, and everyone is doing a brilliant job, in the most difficult of circumstances.”
Stability and returning to a “normal” school year is not clear yet, he said. “I’d like to have some sense of stability, but there is none, to be honest. It’s like quicksand. The land is constantly shifting under us.
“I’ve been in this business for 50 years, and quite frankly … nothing would have prepared me for this particular exercise,” Serio said. “We need to be flexible and patient. That’s the reality.”
Residents can visit www.gilbertschool.org for details on the reopening, or call 860-379-8521.