Wawasee School Board Hears Report On Virtual Learning Week
Posted
Alaister McFarren-
SYRACUSE – At their monthly meeting on Tuesday, less than a week after deciding to move Wawasee High School to virtual learning temporarily due to staff shortages, the school board heard from Assistant Superintendent Dr. Stephen Troyer on how students and faculty adjusted to the sudden change in learning.
Troyer stated that although only six positive cases had emerged since the beginning of the school year, rules regarding symptomatic or exposed individuals being quarantined had caused the school corporation to struggle with maintaining adequate teaching capacity. By switching to virtual learning at the high school level, staff were able to be distributed to the elementary and middle schools so that they could continue to function as normal.
Troyer noted that they felt it would be easier for high school students to make the adjustment to virtual learning than it would be for younger students, which heavily factored into their decision.
“(WHS Principal Geoff) Walmer and his team made a quick transition, which we commend them for,” said Troyer. “So far, so good; Friday went really well. It all feels very different from how virtual learning went in the spring. We feel much better about our approach.”
Troyer also pointed out that virtual learning is not the same as eLearning. While eLearning has activities posted that must be completed by specific times, virtual learning is a live day of instruction where a student works their way through a schedule.
For students who struggle with virtual learning or have low-quality home internet, WHS arranged for them to be given access to the school cafeteria so that they can use the school’s internet.
“It was a good move for us to make,” Troyer said. “Our buildings were stretched really thin. We’ll continue to evaluate our situation as these kinds of decisions need to be made.”
He added that WHS intends to resume in-person learning Monday.
The meeting concluded with a pre-bargaining hearing – now annually required by the state – between the school board and the teachers association prior to the beginning of negotiations. No public comments were made.
In other board news:
• One-year coaching contract extensions were approved for WHS coaches Jon Everingham (boys basketball), Matt Carpenter (girls basketball) and Jon Reutebuch (football).
• A $1,500 donation was received by Milford School from Fernando and Ulonda Sainz, which will go toward virtual learning equipment.
• A $2,000 donation from the Wawasee Property Owners Association was given to the sailing club to cover costs for the fall.
• Mindy Brooks was appointed for a third term on the Milford Public Library board.
• The Indiana High School Athletic Association wrote an exemplary behavior report on the most recent Wawasee/West Noble soccer match. In the first match since the death of West Noble student Anthony Reyes – who also took part in culinary classes at Wawasee – West Noble’s team opted to play the match down one player to honor Reyes, and Wawasee’s squad opted to do the same as a sign of respect.
