Sonya Colvin had three simple messages for students picking up distance learning packets Tuesday.
“Stay positive. Learning is still going on. We’re all in this together.”
Colvin, principal of Cyril B. Busbee Elementary School in Wagener, spent Tuesday morning with staff members distributing the packets to students and parents.
“It’s going really smoothly,” she said. The school district has begun phase two of distance learning, since schools have been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Each of the packets include daily coursework and worksheets through May 1. Aiken County public schools – and public schools statewide – have been closed since March 16, and are closed through at least the end of April.
Staff members at Busbee Elementary were keeping up with social distancing guidelines during the distribution. Phase two packets were passed to parents and guardians through car windows. Further up the driveway, phase one packets were dropped into buckets based on grade level.
Colvin said the work in the packets is a review of work students have done before.
“It’s aligned to the standards and everyone in the whole district, say for first grade, is working on the same thing, so there’s consistency throughout the district,” she said.
Even though students and teachers are doing their work from home, they are staying in contact. Colvin listed a variety of ways teachers are keeping up with families online: Zoom, Facebook, Google Classroom and Class Dojo. Teachers hold virtual office hours, and must contact each student once per week during the closure.
As well as in-person pickup, learning packets are available for download, and instructions for download are available on the district website.
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