SINCE LAST MARCH AT THE START OF THE PANDEMIC, THE VAST MAJORITY
OF HOLYOKE STUDENTS LIKE MANY OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN
LEARNING REMOTELY.
NOW NEARLY ONE YEAR LATER, THE HOLYOKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
HAS FINALLY BEEN ABLE TO BEGIN WELCOMING STUDENTS BACK FOR
IN-PERSON LEARNING THROUGH A HYBRID MODEL.
WHAT THE YOUNGEST LEARNERS IN PRE-K AND KINDERGARTEN RETURNING
HOME I SPOKE WITH THE PRINCIPAL AT THE E.N. WHITE SCHOOL AND HOW
THINGS ARE GOING WITH THE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS BACK IN
THE CLASSROOM. >> OUR SCHEDULE VARIES.
SO FOR OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS, PRE-K AND K THEY ARE AFFORDED
THE OPPORTUNITY OF FOUR DAYS A WEEK.
MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY.
AND THEN WE CLOSE AND DEEP CLEAN
ON WE UNDERSTAND. O-WEDNESDAY.
IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO COME IN FOR HYBRID LEARNING WE STILL HAVE
THE REMOTE OPTION. SO WHEN YOU GO INTO MY PRE-K, K
CLASSES YOU WILL ANYWHERE FROM EIGHT TO 10 STUDENTS, SIX FEET
APART IN THE CLASSROOM. AND THEN A LARGE 60-" KISS PLAY
WITH 10 OTHER ZOOMING IN FROM HOME.
IN FIRST AND SECOND GRADE, THE COHORTS ARE BROKEN UP INTO TWO
COHORTS. SO EITHER A, YOU COME ON MONDAY
AND TUESDAY, OR B, YOU COME ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.
SO THE COHORTS ARE A LITTLE SMALLER.
AGAIN, THE REMOTE OPTION IS STILL THERE.
SO WHEN I WENT TO VISIT THIS MORNING, I COULD SEE FRIENDS IN
THE CLASSROOM AND THEN I COULD ALSO SEE FRIENDS ON THE DISPLAY.
SO IT WAS GREAT TO SEE ALL OF THAT HAPPENING.
>> SO WITH THE YOUNGEST LEARNERS BEING BACK IN SCHOOL FOR A FEW
WEEKS NOW, AND THE NEXT COHORT JUST BEGINNING THIS WEEK, HOW
HAS IT BEEN GOING? HOW HAVE THE STUDENTS AND
TEACHERS BEEN? HOW DID IT TOO HE WILL TO
WELCOME EVERYBODY BACK? >> IT WAS AMAZING.
IT WAS AMAZING. BROUGHT TEAR TO MY EYES.
BROUGHT TEARS TO SOME KIDS' EYES.
THEY WERE SO EXCITED TO SEE THEIR TEACHERS.
IT WAS UNLIKE ANY OTHER FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
GENERALLY ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR PRE-K, K KIDS THERE'S
A LOT OF TEARS, SEPARATION ANXIETY THEY DON'T WANT TO GO.
WE DIDN'T SEE ANY OF THAT. OR VERY FEW OF THAT ON OUR FIRST
DAY FOR THEM ON FEBRUARY 22nd. KIDS WERE RUNNING IN.
PARENTS WERE LIKE, SEE YA, HAVE A GREAT DAY!
TEACHERS WERE SO GLAD TO SEE THE KIDS.
IT WAS AN AMAZING FEELING. IT WAS A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT.
AND KIDS WERE READY TO LEARN. IT WAS GREAT.
>> SO GOVERNOR BAKER RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO
SEE ALL STUDENTS FULL TIME BACK IN SCHOOL BY APRIL.
AND JUST LAST WEEK, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED A PLAN THAT
WOULD ALLOW EDUCATION COMMISSIONER JEFF RILEY TO FORCE
DISTRICTS TO GO BACK TO IN-PERSON LEARNING.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? WOULD THAT JUST BE ONLY A MONTH
AWAY, HOW REALISTIC IS IT AND WHAT SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE WOULD
YOU NEED? I AM IN FAVOR OF STUDENTS
RETURNING BACK TO THE CLASSROOM. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
OUR STUDENTS HAVE LOST SO MUCH MORE THAN ACADEMICS IN THIS
YEAR. THEY HAVE LOST THEIR FRIENDSHIPS
WITH THEIR PEERS. AND SOCIALIZATION, AND SO I'M A
BIG FAN AND WANT KIDS BACK. I DO THINK WE WOULD NEED SOME
SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM -- AROUND WHAT PROTOCOLS WOULD BE
APPROPRIATE. AND ENSURE THAT WE'RE SHARING
THAT WITH FAMILIES. BECAUSE FAMILIES REALLY WANT
THEIR KIDS TO COME BACK TO SCHOOL BUT THEY REALLY WANT TO
MAKE SURE THEY'RE GOING TO BE SAFE.
>> YOU TOUCHED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL TOLL THAT
THIS REMOTE LEARNING HAS TAKEN OUT ON THE STUDENTS.
IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IT'S REALLY ALMOST BEEN A YEAR SINCE
WE HAVE BEEN REMOTE LEARNING. WHAT TYPE OF SUPPORT ARE YOU
OFFERING THE STUDENTS? AND IS IT POSSIBLE TO CREATE AS
NORMAL OF AN ENVIRONMENT AS POSSIBLE OCCURRING THIS TIME
BACK TO SCHOOL FOR THEM? >> ONE SPECIFIC THING IS, WE
HAVE A SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING CRICK CRUMB LULLED THE GREAT
BODYSHOP THAT WE USE. AND I ADJUSTED IT THIS YEAR
WHERE IT WAS TAUGHT BY OUR SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT COUNSELOR,
MR. GONZALEZ. PURPOSELY SO THAT HE WOULD HAVE
A TOUCH POINT WITH EVERY SINGLE STUDENT, EVERY SINGLE WEEK AT
E.N. WHITE. SO HE COULD SEE THE KIDS ZOOMING
AND BE ABLE TO TOUCH BASE SO THAT THEY HAD A RELATIONSHIP
WITH HIM. THAT HAS BEEN SUPER HELPFUL.
IT'S AMAZING TO ME HOW SOME OF OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS, SECOND,
FIRST GRADE, WERE REALLY HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY WITH DEPRESSION,
ANXIETY, ANXIETY TO COME BACK TO SCHOOL.
AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR TEACHERS AND
OUR PARENTS AND OUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR.
AND OUTSIDE AGENCIES THAT SUPPORT OUR KIDS THROUGH
THERAPY. TO ENSURE THEY'RE GETTING WHAT
THEY NEED. SO I FEEL LIKE WE ARE IN A
REALLY GOOD PLACE TO COME BACK TO SCHOOL.
WE HAVE A GOOD GRIP ON WHAT THE KIDS NEED.
BUT I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME FALLOUT FROM THIS COVID
LOCK DOWN FOR A YEAR THAT WE WON'T SEE FOR SIX TO 12 MONTHS.
>> GOVERNOR BAKER ALSO RECENTLY ANNOUNCEDED ON MARCH 11th
TEACHERS WILL BE ABLE TO BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE.
SO AS AN ADMINISTRATOR, HOW IMPORTANT WAS THIS FOR YOU?
>> I AM DANCING. I ALREADY HAVE MY FIRST SHOT
APPOINTMENT. IT'S THURSDAY.
TEACHERS WHO WERE INNER WANTED -- NERVOUS WANTED TO MAYBE WAIT
FOR A VACCINE BEFORE RETURNING
DECIDED TO RETURN IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR KIDS.
SO I APPLAUD THEM FOR THAT. BUT GETTING THIS NEWS THIS WEEK
REALLY WAS A GAME CHANGER. PEOPLE FEEL A LITTLE BIT SAFER,
YOU KNOW, THEY FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE PROTECTED.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
>> AS AN ADMINISTRATOR WHO HAS HAD TO LEAD YOUR STAFF AND INTO
THIS NEW ADAPTATION OF LIFE AND LEARNING DURING A PANDEMIC, WHAT
HAVE YOU LEARNED? AND WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE
REST OF THE SCHOOL YEAR? >> ONE THING I'VE LEARNED IS
THAT PEOPLE COME FIRST BEFORE PAPER, RIGHT?
SO MY KIDS, MY FAMILIES, MY STAFF, THEY COME FIRST.
THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS, THE CORRECT LUMBER, THE ASSESSMENTS
-- CURRICULUM, THE ASSESSMENTS, THE EVALUATIONS,
I CAN GET THOSE DONE.
BUT I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT I SUPPORT EVERY DAY
ARE WHERE THEY NEED TO BE TO BE EFFECTIVE IN THEIR ROLE, WHETHER
IT BE PARENT OR TEACHER OR STUDENT.
IT'S BEEN A VERY TRYING YEAR FOR MANY, MANY PEOPLE.
AND I LEARNED TO TAKE A STEP BACK FROM COMPLIANCE AND TAKE A
STEP FORWARD TO BUILDING STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS WITH
FAMILIES. THAT REALLY WAS AT THE FOREFRONT
OF MOST OF THE WORK I DID THIS YEAR.