July 29, 2020 Issue, Page 9 of 16

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yi ] Area school supply lis ts, calendars and new procedures Elk City superintendent: Educators ready to have their ‘great moment’ By Don Munsch, Editor cial and emotional aspects of students’ lives, because they Garrison said. Educators know they head into the 2020-21 school year in have not been in a school setting since March. Developing good health habits uncharted waters, like explorers in a canoe floating down a “There’s just going to be a lot of getting to know one an- The district has a health and wellness calendar that always river in an unfamiliar land. other again and we’ll start that,” he said. promotes good habits for students, Garrison said, and school Elk City Public Schools Superintendent Rick Garrison The district has had some recent resignations because nurses have developed that calendar to put into effect what sees a “great opportunity” ahead for educators. He borrowed teachers’ spouses’ jobs took them elsewhere, but the dis- they want to teach students, especially at the beginning of a quote from Herb Brooks to describe the coming school trict also had a couple of teachers who left because of their the school and as the year progresses. Nurses usually have year. Brooks was the coach of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” anxiety of returning to school, Garrison said. Managing the classroom sessions with students, and extracurricular pro- U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team, and he told his players student side of education will not be the first challenge of fessionals also will participate in teaching good habits and just before they played and eventually beat the Soviet Union maintaining a consistent school year, he said, as the district ensuring students understand what's on the line: If they get that “great moments are born from great opportunity.” Gar- will face the bigger challenge of filling teacher positions if sick, they can’t participate. ison used those same words to describe the situation now, teachers have to be quarantined because they were exposed As this story went to press, the Oklahoma Secondary as he thinks educators have a great opportunity to prove to someone who has the coronavirus or the teachers have to School Activities Association said extracurricular activities their worth to society and to be difference-makers in the stay away from school because they have the virus. were still scheduled to be held this fall. But educators just world under “some very unusual circumstances,” with those “It’s going to be very difficult to fill those classrooms with have to be prepared for what comes their way, including the circumstances being the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. substitutes,” he said. “The teacher side is definitely a big cancellation of extracurricular activities, Garrison said. “T think if we rise to the occasion then we can make our concern,” “All we can do is try, and that’s kind of the motto of my mark on these students’ lives and on our communities and Garrison’s views on other topics: life,” he said, “You’ve got to give it your best shot and we'll on our nation,” he said. “And so it’s a great opportunity for Social distancing in schools and classrooms adjust and monitor as we go and I feel our folks are trying us to step up, and I pray that that’s what happens and I pray Educators will do what they can with the space available to do the best we can.” that’s what we do. Something I’ve known along is we're in classrooms. Virtual learning very important to our nation and to our society, and hope- “Tt would be a misnomer to think that you have six feetThis style of learning would allow students to do instruc- fully, we'll get to prove that through this year.” tion by computer at home because, for instance, they and or between every student in a classroom,” he said. “The space So, what has it been like preparing for this upcoming is not there. We’re going to try our best, and definitely have others at home have an underlying health issue. school year? protocols in place when we can and where it’s reasonable to “We've had about 100 [parents] contact us, and we're kind “It’s just been very challenging would be the word I would do social distancing.” of really going through the process,” Garrison said. That sum it up with,” Garrison said. “Since the spring break of Assemblies and gatherings number could go up, he said, and so that leaves about 2,100 last year, it’s just been very challenging. That’s the only way Educators are thinking through the processes of holding students who will be coming to the campus for instruction. to put it.” events and doing other normal activities, including student Forty parents have done paperwork to do it, Garrison said. He said he feels fortunate to have the staff he has around pickup at the elementary school. Masks him to navigate the waters. They each have the skill sets to Students will have to eat in cafeterias, as opposed to class- The state board of education last week discussed the issue get ready for the new school year, as classes begin on Aug. rooms, because of practicality purposes and building main- of mandating masks, and the board decided to allow districts 13. tenance at the four campuses. Teachers can make sure stu- to make that decision. Elk City Schools’ safe schools com- The business of teaching and learning remains the same dents wash or sanitize their hands prior to eating or getting mittee will make a recommendation on masks to the board for the most part, Garrison said. in line at the cafeteria. and district. Garrison said any decision on masks would be “We're really embedding our distance learning platform,” “Where it’s practical, we're definitely going to try to keep made by Aug. 10 at the latest, when the school board meets he said. “I think a lot people think it’s going to be like when them separated as best we can, limit their exposure as far for its regular monthly meeting. we ended school. It’s just going to be nothing like that. The as the amount of time that they have to eat,” Garrison said. Garrison said Elk City Schools would comply with the accountability and demands on our teachers and students Each building presents both its own challenges and bright board’s guidance or directives. Garrison said he wouldn’t are going to be greater.” spots, he said, and besides teachers always making students debate the merits of whether masks help, but he would de- The district will have to educate parents on what's going aware of social distancing recommendations, school lead- bate whether adolescents will wear them all day. If students to be expected if the district has to go to distance learning, ers have had discussions in which directional arrows can be are required to wear masks, then they would become part and that could affect one student, 10 students, a class or the placed on floors in hallways. of the students’ supply list when they return to school, Gar- whole district, he said. “When you get to the high school, those halls get pretty rison said. “Out of the gate, that’s probably going to be very differ- congested and there’s just really no way to social distance The district would be able to supply masks for those ent,” he said, adding that the district has to manage the so- that to that extent, but we're going to try to do our best,” See Moment page 2.