Glacier, Flathead principals report on remote learning

Along with other schools throughout the Flathead Valley, Glacier and Flathead high schools also are adapting to student instruction amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Last week, our first week of remote learning, felt like the first week of the school year,” Flathead High School Principal Michele Paine said. “Teachers were exhausted and frazzled, but we all felt it was a productive week. The response from students and families has been overwhelmingly supportive.”

Although she recognizes “our best instruction comes when kids are in classrooms with a teacher guiding them,” she said staff are looking at other ways to compensate, such as using video greetings, virtual office hours and one-on-one tutoring primarily through Google’s G Suite.

Glacier High School is also relying on G Suite, according to Principal Micah Hill, in addition to other programs such as Zoom or Skype to video conference with students or apps such as Remind. Teachers are keeping in communication through emails, phone calls and texts.

“We have emphasized with our staff that the human connection is still one of the most valuable aspects during this time of remote learning. Simply seeing your students and students being able to see their teachers and classmates is very important. The challenges to remote learning are huge. With over 100 staff and 1,200 students, it is a very demanding process given that we were suddenly thrust into this situation,” Hill said.

FIGURING OUT how to best support students is a huge learning curve for students, teachers and families.

Instruction is being refined as the closures continue, Paine said.

“The 50-minute, five days a week instructional model for a class now is condensed into a 90-minute weekly unit that is rolled out every Monday. Teachers have had to consider the learning targets, standards, and benchmarks for each class and then design instruction to fit the new format,” Paine said about Flathead.

About 200 Chromebooks have been checked out to Flathead students. About 25 Flathead students who don’t have reliable internet are picking up printed packets each week.

“West of town, the Smith Valley/Kila/Marion areas are most impacted by this, and the free Charter/Spectrum internet offered at the start of school closures is not an option for some of our families in those areas,” she said.

Hill said approximately 300 Chromebooks have been checked out to Glacier students, with more available if needed.

Flathead hasn’t forgotten about important student milestones coming up such as prom, senior awards night and graduation.

“Last summer, when I chose our school theme for the year, ‘A Brave New Day,’ I had no idea what that would come to mean for our school,” Paine said. “Our ‘Brave New Day’ has become a complete flipping of instructional delivery mid-semester.”

Hill added, “we recognize that there will be gaps in services, but we will endeavor to support them in any way possible.

“I would encourage any family or student to reach out to their teacher, counselor or administrator if they are in need,” Hill said.