Board Hears Re-Opening Plans
by Michelle Van Horn
Superintendent Leslie Whitcomb and Walter B Howard’s Principal Andrew Kourt spoke to the tremendous transformation and reimagining that is currently taking place in order for students to return to school in a few weeks, with the top priority being safety first. In revisioning in-person learning with very different rules than last Fall, or ever in America, Kourt asserts that “we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty,” asking questions like, “what do classrooms, bathrooms, the cafeteria, gym, recess look like?” With mask-wearing, hand sanitizers, and six feet of social distancing necessary and today’s new normal, principal Kourt stated that “everything has needed to be changed, and the rulers have come out!” which means lots and lots of measuring!
Kourt also told the board at its Wednesday, August 12 meeting, that in addition to creating lots of space (at least six feet), the elementary and junior high (grades 7 and 8) school schedules are shifting to in-person learning on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, with Wednesday held for distance learning for all students. Students who usually switch classes, like the 5th and 6th-grade classes, will remain with their homeroom cohorts.
The senior high level (grades 9-12) will also follow in-person instruction on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Students will be separated into two groups, with one group attending Monday/Thursday classes while the other group attends Tuesday/Friday classes, with distant learning on Wednesdays for all students.
Daytime cleaning crews are stepping up their game, with strategic checklists pinpointing the date, time, and extent of cleaning and disinfecting each room on a log, which will be checked routinely. The crew will be disinfecting all areas of student, faculty, and staff usage several times throughout the day. Proper training of cleaning and disinfecting will ensue prior to school’s opening, and be strictly followed. Moreover, the night shift cleaning crew will increase, mimicking the day crew’s high standards of disinfecting and cleanliness.
None of this would be possible without the teachers to run their classes. And so, Superintendent Whitcomb has connected with each teacher in a one-on-one capacity, asking them what they needed to feel safe and comfortable instructing students. In one such conversation, a teacher spoke in concern of needing new air filters within classrooms and throughout the building. To this end, the district will be adding air exchanges in each room.
As a part of the health program, older students will be part of the solution for maintaining a clean, safe environment for themselves and their classmates, by cleaning desks and chairs with sanitary wipes after use. This is also intended to iterate to students their innate responsibility for their own health and the health of others. “Now to be a healthy member of society, it really is important to clean an area that you have used,” stated Superintendent Whitcomb in relaying the importance of including students in the process of our society’s new norm. Fourth grade and up will be included in the task of sustaining a safe environment.
The three required meetings for parents about reopening information happened in the past two weeks. Since the district was not set up for Google Meetings, Questar provided three free licenses for each meeting. Different time slots were chosen with the intention to provide as many options for as many people as possible. There was a slideshow with basic information, and a question and answer session after. If you have further questions about reopening, you have two more options: Watch any of the three parent information meeting videos posted on New Lebanon School District’s website. Scroll down to the second post called “Videos of Parent Information Meetings Available.” You may also email your questions to schoolopeningquestions@newlebanoncsd.org
Bringing it full circle, Kourt declared his assurance and appreciation of each faculty and staff member’s efforts toward the New Lebanon school district’s extraordinary undertaking of providing a safe, healthy atmosphere for student learning during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Kourt affirmed, “we have an amazing team here and we’re going to do amazing things. I am just so proud of everyone. I wouldn’t want to be with any other team of people.”
A New Face For The Music Program
A new music teacher will be joining Walter B Howard elementary beginning in September. Principal Kourt welcomed Kelly Daniels, who comes from a strong background of working with K-12 in an even smaller school district than New Lebanon. Daniels comes with virtual learning experience too! In fact, Ms. Daniels was her previous school’s technology specialist, which is a big plus for the school, especially during the ever-prevalent transition to online learning. A big welcome Ms. Daniels!
Keeping It Local
New Lebanon is surrounded by many amazing local farms that provide fresh, healthy produce each year. Since this produce is mostly harvested during the Summer months, it has not been available to the district’s cafeterias for student lunches until now. A U.S. Department of Agriculture grant called Farm-To-You has awarded $75,611 to the district. The grant will provide the equipment needed to process and freeze local farmer’s produce and goodies, as well as to pay salaries for staff for such an operation. Not only does this seriously raise the bar for healthy student food options for New Lebanon children and teens, it also informs and demonstrates to students a proactive choice to support their overall well-being, and the well-being of their community. As part of the health curriculum, students will be educated along the way about their school district’s push toward freezing food vs buying frozen food. It answers the questions of who, what, where, when, why and how choosing local produce is important for their health, and the health and strength of their community. In addition, as stated above, freezing local food supports New Lebanon’s local farmers and creates processing jobs for area residents, a win-win for all. While the district hoped to start this Summer, it just wasn’t happening with COVID-19 and with construction happening, too. The school district is slated to begin the task of fresh food-saving starting Summer 2021.