Learning and teaching have looked a lot different at Riverside Schools this week, and at each of the school districts across Ohio, following the state-mandated closures of all schools in the state as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
Riverside Superintendent Scott Mann applauded the work of his staff during the Tuesday evening board of education meeting, noting their diligent work and ability to pull together remote learning materials while navigating this difficulty on such short notice.
“The district went into planning mode right away,” he said, referring to when the closures were ordered by the governor Thursday. “We had prepared work for the kids to take home with them over their break. So far, they have 10 days worth of assignments with them, since they will not have assignments that will be required during their previously scheduled spring break next week.”
Board President Dr. Bradley Adams also thanked the superintendent and staff for their recent efforts.
“I think you’re doing a great job, and I hope that the community also can come together during this difficult time,” he said.
While navigating through the unchartered waters of COVID-19, the board also gathered in a different space for their meeting — in the school’s cafeteria instead of in the library — to provide extra space between members and also to allow extra room for members of the public in attendance, in accordance with social distancing measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During his report, Mann related that staff members have been in the building this week to set up online learning platforms. Just outside of the school building, they also have set up bins marked with teachers’ names, where pupils can drop off assignments as needed.
After today, the building will be closed to staff so that a deep cleaning of the facility can be completed, Mann reported.
Additionally, the superintendent said he was pleased with the efforts of kitchen staff and others to collaborate to make available a lunch program to district students from Monday through Friday this week and the week of March 30 through April 3, as previously detailed in the Examiner.
At 11 a.m. each day, buses park at five locations with meals: American Legion in DeGraff, Cornish Drive and Miller Street in DeGraff, Mead and Humble drives in DeGraff, the Quincy United Methodist Church, Quincy Ball Park. If needed, delivery of lunches will be made available via school vans and a bus, call the school office to set up a provided lunch at (937) 585-5981 ext. 4310 or 4300.
Area churches are also coordinating meals for pupils next week during the district’s spring break.
Also during the meeting, members approved a motion to move marching band from an extracurricular activity to an intra-curricular course to take place during the school day, beginning next school year, as proposed by band director Kasandera Knief. Some marching band practices will would take place during after school hours.
Knief said at last month’s meeting when the course was first proposed that she contacted several other area school districts to find out how they might boost their marching band numbers. She learned that some of the other school districts offer marching band course work during the school day.
“This would give us an opportunity to do more on the field,” she said of the marching band program. The marching band course would accompany the current concert band class that takes place during the school day.
A parent of an eighth-grade student addressed the board with her concerns regarding this change, noting that her daughter participates in concert band at school and plays several different instruments, but does not want to be required to participate in marching band because of the conflict with her other extracurricular activities.
Members also approved the 2020-21 school calendar, with Aug. 26 slated as the first day of school, and May 26, 2021, as the final day of school. The superintendent stated the district was able to shorten next school year by six days through an agreement approved last month with the Riverside Education Association, which extends the teacher’s work days by 15 minutes per day beginning in 2020-21.
In other action, the board:
• extended supplemental contracts to: Kasandera Knief, elementary musical; Maelinn DeLong, junior high girls track, co-junior high boys track; Tim McGill, co-junior high boys track; Josh Ritzma, junior varsity baseball; and Kayden Smith, assistant varsity football;
• approved an out-of-state field trip May 6 through 10 to the National Business Professional of America Conference in National Harbour, Md., with two chaperones; and
• approved summer school sessions and teachers for 2020 at an hourly rate of $20 per hour.
The next meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 21.