Page 8 - The Wayne Dispatch

Setting students up for success on first day of school

By Carolyn Marnon cient.” We had to buy a web camera to hook
As the first day of school loomed There have been some issues up to it for class sessions, an addi-
large, parents were busy establishing with getting Chromebooks to stu- tional monitor so that he can use one
“classrooms” in their homes for their dents who need them. With the high monitor for the class and the other
children. No one could have imag- demand for mobile technology to type or look up assignments on,
ined at the start of 2020 that after across the nation, the supply chain and a recording microphone. He is
taking memorable pictures of their is strained. The school district has going to be doing a class second se-
children posing with signs, bought not received their latest shipment mester that he will need this so that
and handmade, declaring age and which has delayed some students he can talk in class sessions.”
grade of each child, that the child from getting started. The school dis- Wayne-Westland teacher and par-
would then step back inside the trict has assured parents in a letter ent Michelle Tackett-Braden says,
house and start school. No walking that went out that assignment due “My daughter gets to spend her time
to school. No running up to friends dates will be extended. out of her room at a desk in the
unseen all summer (or shall we say Shery McIntyre commented, “I main hall while her mom (Michelle)
since schools shut down in March?) am looking forward to at least some has taken over the dining room/of-
No hugging their new teachers. form of school to begin. We pur- fice/classroom. It’s going to take a lot
Wayne resident Alexandria Offer chased a cheap desk and chair so of patience in the beginning from
set up desks in her dining room, one she (her daughter) could at least everyone while the kinks get worked
for each of her four children. Her Sophia Wittenmyer (3rd grade) and have a place to study, and she is so out.” She went on, “I think once
youngest school-aged child, Steven, excited to be doing some form of things get rolling and routines are es-
who started Kindergarten, had some Steven Offer (Kindergarten) work in their school. Her teacher, the school prin- tablished, we’ll be fine. I know stu-
problems staying interested after a dining room classroom. Photo by Alexandria cipal, and the school district have dents and parents will feel inundated
bit each day on the first few days of Offer kept us informed during this difficult with tons of emails and posts in
school, but Alexandria says that’s “but overall they are enjoying their time. This is a new norm for all of us Google Classroom. We all need to be
due to his intellectual disabilities. set-ups. I feel like Wayne-Westland re- and hopefully we can return to learn- as positive in our attitudes as we ap-
Otherwise, everyone did really well. ally put some time into figuring out ing the way we are used to.” proach this school year. The kids em-
The kids love their specials. “They’re these classes. They have all been “For my high school senior,” said ulate what we do first.”
a little bummed about not having very easy to navigate and my older Jason Powers, “he got a gaming com- Distance Learning throughout the
face to face interactions with their ones remember using all of this from puter last Christmas, so he will be district will last at least through the
classmates and teachers,” she said, last year, so they’re pretty self-suffi- using that for his schooling this year. end of the first quarter October 23.

8 · September 2020 · The Wayne Dispatch