Schools adjusting to 'all the new'

A few weeks into a new and much different school year, superintendents say things are going well overall.

Both the Holly Springs School District and Marshall County School District, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are offering a hybrid schedule for in-classroom instruction and also online learning.

Approximately 30 percent of students in the Holly Springs School District are attending in the hybrid model, according to superintendent of education Irene Turnage. Sixty-five percent are participating virtually and less than 5 percent have not engaged.

“But the numbers for disengaged students are getting smaller every week,” she said.

Under the hybrid schedule, students come to school two days a week (Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday) and work independently from home two days a week. Additionally, most of them log on for a period of time on Fridays for instruction or intervention. Attendance is taken when students come to school or log in, and on independent work days, attendance is taken by the work students submit.

“We know the hybrid schedule will continue until the end of the first nine weeks, which is the first of October,” Turnage said. “The school board and school and district staff, with input from parents, will make a decision on what will happen during the second nine weeks.”

She said the distance learning has gone well overall.

“We had a couple of hiccups the first couple of days, but it has been pretty smooth since that time,” Turnage said. `We are enhancing our virtual learning systems with a lot of training for teachers. We have also had and will continue to have training for parents.”

She thanked staff, parents and students who have worked hard to make the process work.

“We are experiencing historical times, doing things that have never been done and changing the face of education forever,” Turnage said.

“We are also thankful for our community partners like The South Reporter for helping us to keep our community updated and informed. It has not been easy, but we are proud of how we have all handled it. We will get through this, and most importantly, we will get through it together.”

In the Marshall County School District, the numbers as far as online and hybrid are opposite. Just a little more than 30 percent are still participating in the online learning, which means more than 65 percent are attending classes on the hybrid schedule.

“We are very proud of the way that our teachers and administrators have adapted to all the new that has been thrown their way,” said superintendent of education Roy Lawson. “We are always looking to improve but our teachers are doing a very good job.”

In the hybrid method, students are going to school two days a week (Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday), while Wednesday is set aside for teacher preparation and extra cleaning, while students have assignments to take home.

“We are still on the hybrid schedule,” Lawson said. “We are bringing some students back four days a week when social distancing can be achieved and with parental permission. Not all classes, but we are slowly making the transition to that model.”

“We are hoping that we may go to a four-day-a-week schedule for students beginning the second nine weeks, but we are going to evaluate the next few weeks and give the board a recommendation at the October 13 board meeting.”

He anticipates continuing the distance learning option for the entire year and possibly beyond.

“I would like to thank The South Reporter for doing articles like this to help keep the public informed,” Lawson said.

Both superintendents said everyone involved at all schools is putting forth their best efforts to take necessary precautions during the COVID-19 situation.

“We check (the temperature) of some students when they load the bus and some when they enter the building,” Turnage said about the city school district’s procedures. “All staff and students are checked upon entering, as well as visitors. Also, students and staff have been given masks.

“Desks in the classrooms have also been rearranged to allow for social distancing. Breakfasts and lunches are either “grab and go” or delivered to classrooms.

“We are also running a full bus route daily for school and delivering lunches to students who attend school virtually.

Buses are sanitized between routes.”

Lawson said the county school district, thanks to precautions being taken by staff members, has been “fortunate to not have a major outbreak at the schools at this point, but we cannot let our guard down.”

On another note, the State Department of Education has announced state testing will take place this year.

“We are not sure how, but that is what we have been told,” Turnage said. “Testing is already stressful. In this situation, multiply that times one hundred.”

Also, Lawson said, “We have not been told how the accountability ranking will be calculated without testing last year.”