Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By CHARITY SMITH
Bessemer — A Return-to-Learn plan was approved by the Bessemer Area School Board during a special meeting held over Zoom on Tuesday. The plan offers parents the option of enrolling their students in one of two ways — virtual or in-person, this fall as long as Gogebic County remains in Phase 5 of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Safe Start plan.
If the county’s status should drop back to Phase 4, the in-person students will be put into a blended learning plan.
“We want to keep it flexible, it’s a fluid-type of plan,” said Dan Niemi, superintendent.
Art and other special classes will be brought to the individual classrooms for the elementary students, said Niemi. He said that as far as music and choir at the high school level, they are looking at more of a music history class and “possibly” talking to the students about playing on their own. Niemi said they have precautions in place for the spit valves and other potential issues with musical instruments relating to COVID-19 safety.
“I’ve talked to (band director Josh) Kepich about even getting a shower cap over the bell of the brass instruments. That would keep them from going out into the air, and with the spit valve, I know we have possibly talked about having a towel going across their legs when they’re playing or possibly something on the floor,” Niemi told the board on Tuesday.
Board member Tara Graham said she had heard of two other things being used for the instrument situation, puppy pillow pads and kitty litter in a container to help absorb the spit from playing the instruments.
“No. 1 is the protection and safety of our students, our teachers and the parents. The one thing that is always on my mind is the grandparents,” Niemi said. “The grandparents that these kids maybe go home to at 3 o’clock, 3:30 and they’re dirty, they’ve been in school all day. I don’t want that grandparent to have an issue. So, safety is huge. We want that to be No. 1 on our docket and that is what we are really striving for, but we also want to educate our students and we know that them being in school is No. 1 to that and our No. 1 priority, so that is kinda what we have married together, those two aspects. It’s going to be fluid. It’s going to change.”
If the school should have to go into the blended learning plan. Elementary students will be in the building Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, with Wednesday being the virtual day, to give the staff at the school time to clean and disinfect the building. At the junior and senior high school, students would be going Monday, Tuesday and Friday for in-person learning, with Wednesday and Thursday being held virtually.
“The reason we didn’t go with the Wednesday is because we know that a lot of older students have siblings that we would be able to use them for, or that they would be able to watch their younger siblings at home as they are getting onto the virtual learning,” Niemi said.
He said that the virtual learning program will follow a very similar schedule to that of the students enrolled in the in-person learning program — “8 to 9 o’clock they’re going to have social, 9 to 10 it will be English, and we’ll go around that way.” There is an a.m. and p.m. attendance for virtual learners, as well.
Niemi said that they are “prepped” as they have ordered new computers and charging stations for each student to have a computer, although the Chromebooks are on backorder and they are still waiting for them to come in. He said that they will have the internet open at the elementary school and the Gogebic-Ontonogon Intermediate School District has a van with a hot spot that drives around in rural areas to help with internet access for those who don’t have it.
“We are encouraging however to stay with your cohort and be in school since we are in Phase 5. That’s our No. 1,” Niemi said. “I’m praying that the parents (show) great understanding (so) we can get this organized for our kids and that they get the best education that they can which is always received here in Bessemer.”
According to Niemi, the virtual learning option will be tough for kindergarten through second grade students, because, “they need that teacher, the understanding, the social and emotional, and to see the teacher read and all the stuff that you just can’t get virtual.”
The board also:
—Approved contracts for the elementary assistant and for the new business/ transportation supervisor.
—Approved contracts with the GOISD for special education services and a lease agreement.
—Held a first reading of the NEOLA policy.
—Closed second and third grade for school of choice students.
