Schools adapt to home learning

As concepts like “social distancing” and “shelter in place” are being implemented across the country, local schools in Sanders County are reacting in various ways to face these challenges. “Twenty-two years into teaching and never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined having to do something like this,” said Len Dorscher, Thompson Falls K-8 principal. The teachers of Thompson Falls schools met two weeks ago to work out how they would teach remotely, in the inevitability that schools were going to be closed for an extended period of time.

Last Monday, Thompson Falls had their students come in to submit the prior weeks’ worth of classwork and pick up another two weeks-worth of classroom assignments and several days’ worth of lunches. Teachers spent their second week reaching out to students and their families. The faculty are using a combination of paper assignments that get turned in and replaced with new assignments, email messages, phone conferencing, the school website and virtual classrooms to disseminate assignments and teach.

Plains School staff met on March 16 and began implementing their plans the following day. They are mailing out weekly packets to all of their students. Each packet contains assignments for all of their classes, even those that are considered extracurricular such as music and art. The staff also communicate with their students via email, phone and through the school website and virtual classrooms. The teachers are also using a slew of other teaching methods such as Hippo Video, Google Hangout and YouTube, with each teacher taking a unique approach to reach their students. “We are just trying to do our part,” said Plains Schools Superintendent Thom Chisholm. Plains is also providing curbside grab-and-go meals every day, Monday through Friday, as well as delivering meals to those who cannot pick them up. Plains urges communication through their weekly newsletter through the school website.

Noxon has implemented what they call their “Remote Learning and Meal Program.” They are also using Google Classroom and other virtual learning programs to help continue education. “Noxon busses rolled out carrying meals for 128 students, along with homework, computer and camera accessories, and smiles,” Superintendent Jon Martin said, adding that Harlow’s Bus Service is helping deliver meals and schoolwork to students

For all schools counseling and special education are being done on a case-by-case basis, allowing avenues for students and parents to reach out for any help that they may need. Schools are working proactively to provide for students in special learning situations.

One thing the schools agree on is the fact that they believe with all of the strain in having to teach in new ways the whole experience could benefit many of the teachers in the future. As Chisholm and Dorscher both agree, these teaching techniques are ones that they could surely implement in the future when ordinary classroom learning returns.

Another aspect of this “offsite learning,” as Chisholm calls it, as with all the schools in the county, is constant communication. All staff of all schools encourage students and parents to reach out and to stay in contact in any way possible so that the youth of Sanders County can be kept on track. “I just feel bad for the kids,” said Dorscher.