Lone Tree schools prep for hybrid instruction

By James Jennings
Posted 8/26/20

Just days before the first day of school, Lone Tree administrators gave the school board an update on where things stand for the opening of school.

Board President Christina Magruder asked how …

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Lone Tree schools prep for hybrid instruction

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Just days before the first day of school, Lone Tree administrators gave the school board an update on where things stand for the opening of school.

Board President Christina Magruder asked how many students opted for online learning.

Elementary Principal Amber Jacque said she has 10 students in kindergarten through fifth grade and an additional four preschoolers who will be doing online learning.

“We encouraged preschool parents who were a little apprehensive about sending their kids and maybe wanting to pull them out,” Jacque said. “I had conversations with them about enrolling them and doing the online. I felt like it was better to have them and give them something rather than unenroll them and not have them have anything.”

High School Principal Regan Stone said he has five middle school online learners and eight high school online learners.

Both principals gave updates on how their teachers are preparing for online learning.

Jacque said that preschool teachers are creating lesson videos on various subjects – creating letters was one example.

She said that there would be no overlap of videos – different teachers covering the same topic – in an effort to be as efficient as possible.

Stone said some middle and high school teachers will be recording their classes.

“I get a sense from them that a few more than I anticipated will be recording their classes and offering that to students in either a live version or a recorded version to our online learners,” he said.

Regarding the district’s inventory of Chromebooks for students, Superintendent Ken Crawford said that the additional new Chromebooks ordered in June are not expected to arrive until October.

Jacque said that delay leaves the elementary school short on Chromebooks.

“We have the same ones we had last year,” Jacque said. “We’ll have, basically, two classrooms that don’t have them. Kindergarten and first grade each share a cart, so we wouldn’t have any for preschool.”

Magruder asked how that shortage will be addressed until the new ones arrive.

“I would give them to first through fifth probably,” Jacque responded. “For kindergarten, we would do more paper and pencil sort of thing.”

The district is starting the school year with a hybrid learning model where students go to school on alternating days.

The board plans to re-evaluate the situation on Sept. 3, with possible changes beginning on Sept. 8.

“Even if the board votes to stay in hybrid, my intention probably is not to start sending Chromebooks home with kids,” Jacque said.

There was also a question regarding Internet access for students who are doing online learning.

Crawford said that the district is getting hot spots for families who do not have “We’re not going to go to Mediacom and say, ‘Hey, set this house up with Internet,’” Crawford said. “We have hot spots that they can use, and they can connect that way.”

The district is purchasing hot spots that work with cell phones from different cell service providers.

“If they’re a Verizon customer, we’ll give them a Verizon hot spot,” Crawford said. “If they’re a U.S. Cellular customer, we’ll give them a U.S. Cellular one.”

Both principals estimated that they each have five students who do not have Internet service at home.