Gorham students in the three elementary schools and at Gorham Middle School (GMS) will return to classrooms four days a week beginning April 29. Gorham High School (GHS) will continue in the hybrid plan for the rest of the school year. At a Zoom meeting attended by more than 300 people, the School Committee discussed the benefits and challenges of making a mid-year change before voting (4-3, Brockman, Schools, Hudson) to increase in-person learning for students in grades K-8.
During nearly an hour of public comment, parents expressed many of the same concerns as those of the School Committee (SC). But like SC members, many also believed the benefits of more days in the classroom outweighed the inherent challenges. Questions about health safety and increased quarantining due to moving from six to three-foot distance between desks and the disruption caused by changes in routines were balanced against the potential academic benefit, stress of home learning, costs of childcare, and the loss to students of social interaction. Nearly 2,400 responses to a survey of parents and 6-12 grade students revealed a nearly 50/50 split between those who wanted change and those who did not. Exceptions were GHS students, 80% of whom wanted to remain in the hybrid system. Teachers and administrators had also expressed a preference for continuing the current plan.
Students also understand that there will be pluses and trade-offs to the mid-year change. Brady Carlson, a 2nd grade student at Great Falls said, “I am happy about seeing more of my classmates and not having to do home school any more. But I don’t feel super-duper safe staying only three feet apart and having so many people in my classroom.”
Other students’ comments reflected benefits of the four-day school week that had informed the SC decision. Two Great Falls 4th graders currently in the B attendance group said, “Y’know, I’m excited to go back, but also to get used to it again,” and “I’m nervous, but excited because I have a lot of friends in the A group.”
Superintendent Heather Perry used her blog to give students and parents assurance that, although transitions are always difficult, “we have plans in place that will allow us to safely make these transitions and will remain 100% focused on ensuring the safety of our staff and students.”
“However,” Perry said, “things are likely not going off without a hitch. Transportation will probably involve waiting longer in line when dropping off and picking up students.” Parents will be asked to take students to and from school whenever possible. The Gorham Police Department and their VIPS volunteers have agreed to help safely implement pick-up and drop-off procedures for parents transporting their children this spring.
The biggest difference in the K-8 schools will be moving from six-foot physical distance requirements to three feet with other safety measures in place. But Cooper Whitehead, a 6th grade GMS student, may have expressed a typical teenager response to adult decisions when he said, “I am happy we are going to school four days a week, even though school is not my favorite thing to do. It will make things feel a little better, more normal, which will be a nice change.”
Gorham School Schedule
April 19-23: April Vacation
April 26, 27, 28: NO SCHOOL for K-8 students as teachers prep classrooms. Grades 9-12 students have “normal” remote schedule week of April 26
April 29: K-8 students attend schools for first day back
April 30: K-12 remote learning day
May 3: K-8 students begin typical 4 day per week schedule attending M, T, W, TH. Grades 9-12 hybrid A/B schedule
June 4: K-12 face to face learning day to make up for Memorial Day
June 8: K-12 remote learning day Town of Gorham to utilize schools for polling places (GF, GMS, GHS).
June 10: Last Student Day