Educators work to ensure special services aren’t forgotten now

The Neelyville R-IV school district is encouraging students to do learning-at-home lessons during the extended school closure due to COVID-19.

Teachers and students are utilizing Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) packets, which consist of teacher-prepared lessons. These packets were distributed April 6 and Monday, according to school board documents. They can also be found online.

The lessons are designed to be review. Grades only will be recorded if a student is in danger of failing the course, according to documents.

Along with AMI packets, Hillview Elementary School Principal Patrick Morton is working with staff, teachers, high school students and athletes to do regular children’s books readings virtually, which go out on the district’s Facebook page.

The district is doing the best it can while maintaining social distancing, Sabrina Morehead, director of special services and 504 coordinator, reported to the board during last week’s meeting.

One of the challenges her department has faced with COVID-19 is the need to still provide services to students, including speech and physical therapy.

“We contemplated having students come in, one at a time, with precautions — i.e. masks and gloves — for therapists,” Morehead reported. “The therapists weren’t totally comfortable with this idea, so they call once a week, send videos of demonstrations to the parents and the speech therapist is FaceTiming with several of our speech students.

“The approach is individualized for each student/parent.”

The department, she said, was also in the middle of several re-evaluations for special-services students, which includes testing that needs to be done in person.

These parents, Morehead reported, have signed triennials for their students “with the understanding we will initiate a new re-evaluation when school starts.”

Other parts of the re-evaluation process are being conducted over the phone.

These meetings could have been documented and postponed until fall, but, Morehead said, in the interest of a smoother return to school, she didn’t want to have them all pushed back to summer.

“Parents have been receptive to our efforts, and they know I am in my office every morning … should they need to speak to a person,” she said.

Teachers also are working to make themselves available for students, Morehead said, through email or apps, such as Remind for parents or students to reach out. Some have given parents their cellphone numbers, although the district doesn’t require that.

All high school students are given the opportunity to bring up a failing grade in order to receive the credits they need, she said.

Elementary school teachers are using videos of activities to reach students.

For instance, Morehead said, one teacher took a video of herself forming numbers with bottle caps and sent it out.

Parents are encouraged to share photos of their students engaging in academic and recreational activities during this time.

“While educators are not considered ‘essential’ per se, we are important to the children in our district,” she said. “Our students realize by our efforts they are important and education is important. AMI is not a requirement, but we are doing it, in addition to enrichment.”