Published: 10/26/2020 9:28:39 AM
CHESTERFIELD — Students at New Hingham Regional Elementary School in Chesterfield returned to in-person learning for the first time since the spring last Monday.
So far, Principal Jesse McMillan said that the shift has been “a smooth transition.”
A little over 90 Chesterfield and Goshen students returned for in-person learning and about 30 staff members also work in the building. Another 20 students opted to remain remote. The school’s enrollment is slightly lower this year because some families decided to homeschool their students, according to McMillan.
McMillan said that students and the majority of staff seem to be “in a really good place,” though there are some reservations that the school is trying to mitigate through protocols such as increased sanitation measures, improvements to the building’s ventilation system, and 6-feet distancing in all parts of the building, including classrooms, the cafeteria and hallways. In the halls, floor markings signify where students and staff must walk to maintain distancing.
Students are also required to bring three masks to school each day to provide a back-up option if they have an issue with a mask. Families must provide masks for students, McMillan said, though the school has masks in stock in the event that a student needs one.
McMillan said he has been “really impressed” with student adherence to guidelines so far.
“We’ve had extremely minimal issues,” he said. “It’s an adjustment for sure, but for the most part these kiddos are familiar with this. They’ve been dealing with this since March.”
He added, “We’ve had some very minor things come up where we’ve had to provide some reminders, but overall I feel they’ve been very respectful to these protocols.”
Classes throughout the first week were held on a half-day basis, but beginning Monday, students will attend school full-day.
While mild weather continues in the region, students are typically engaging in outdoor learning at least once per day, which McMillan hopes can continue for a few more weeks, weather permitting.
The remote learning cohort has all been assigned to the same teacher, who manages the students and curriculum at all grade levels with help from two paraprofessionals. Every Friday morning, remote students will call into a classroom meeting with their peers who are learning in-person to help all students feel connected.
The school’s plans previously experienced some disruptions and changes. After initially preparing to start the year fully in-person, the School Committee voted to begin all-remote through at least Oct. 1 due to COVID-19 outbreaks in schools elsewhere in the U.S. Additionally, three staff members had tested positive for the virus, one of whom was placed on a ventilator.
As school districts around the state wrestle with transitioning from all-remote to hybrid or fully in-person learning, McMillan said that New Hingham felt well-prepared to return partially due to low COVID-19 rates in surrounding communities.
While COVID-19 transmission has been rising overall in the state, all of the hilltowns are currently designated at the lowest risk level for COVID-19 transmission. Chesterfield has recorded a total of eight confirmed positive COVID-19 cases throughout the pandemic, while Goshen has recorded five.
Adequate preparation time and access to the space and resources needed to provide the needed sanitation protocols and physical distancing also aided in the decision to resume in-person learning, McMillan said, and the “relatively smaller” student population also made it easier to keep classrooms at 11-15 students each while maintaining six feet distancing.
An in-person return to school is particularly important in the hilltowns, McMillan said, where many do not have access to reliable internet service.
“That’s a major barrier for us, so there were a lot of inequities — and there are a lot of inequities in itself in western Massachusetts as it relates to technology and broadband.”
The opportunity to provide in-person support also benefits the students in their academic, social and emotional growth, McMillan said.
“The ability to interact with their peers here and in-person is significantly different than with a computer screen,” he added.
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