School is Back in Session

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District works out kinks as students begin online classes

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  • Zaria Long, a senior at Palatka High School, completes coursework Monday using a Chromebook provided to her by the Putnam County School District.
    Zaria Long, a senior at Palatka High School, completes coursework Monday using a Chromebook provided to her by the Putnam County School District.
  • Alex Renta, a Palatka High School junior, participates in the Putnam County School District’s online and home learning program, which began Monday.
    Alex Renta, a Palatka High School junior, participates in the Putnam County School District’s online and home learning program, which began Monday.
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Spring break has ended, but local students won’t be returning to their classrooms for at least a month due to coronavirus concerns.

The Putnam County School District began its online and home learning program Monday, which students are using to complete their coursework until at least May 1.

“We’re going to do what we have to do to make sure they get whatever type of education we can provide for them,” Superintendent Rick Surrency said. “I’m very proud of our district for coming together and making this happen.”

Surrency said he was on a conference call with superintendents from around the state Monday when they learned Florida campuses, which were tentatively scheduled to reopen April 15, will not be allowed to reopen until May 1 at the earliest. 

According to Surrency, the school district will use this extension as an opportunity to invest in virtual learning.

“I think there’s kind of a silver lining to this cloud,” Surrency said. “We’re learning a lot of alternative ways of instruction that we can use once we go back to the traditional way.”

Some students in the district agree with Surrency’s positive sentiment, citing an increased feeling of independence.

“Instead of having 45 minutes to do an entire thing of work, I can space it out and figure it out more,” said Lily Gasser, a senior at Palatka High School. “It’s makes learning easier for me.”

Since the pandemic began, the school district has created an instructional continuity plan that allows students to use online programs to continue grade-level learning from the safety of their homes. 

The school district also established a tech support hotline to help students transition into virtual learning. Surrency said the hotline received 329 calls Monday, most of which were about problems with connectivity and using the technology. That phone number is 385-4865.

According to Surrency, the school district is attempting to address connectivity issues by loaning laptops to students until the end of the academic year. He said the district gave out more than 4,000 Chromebooks last week.

However, some students said their Chromebooks were consistently crashing during their first day of online learning.

“My Chromebook that the school gave me kept shutting down after 10 minutes of use,” PHS senior Zaria Long said. “I had to let it cool down after that, but it was still so slow.”

Surrency said the school district has partnered with local businesses so that students can use their internet connections for free. He said these partnerships will address connectivity issues around the county, especially in the Interlachen and Crescent City areas.

“There’s a list of (the businesses) published on our website,” Surrency said. “There are about 20 businesses across the district where students who don’t have Wi-Fi can go to these places and get free Wi-Fi.”

The school district’s website has been updated to include information about online and home learning programs as well. Putnam County residents can find lesson plans by grade level and additional instructional materials on its homepage.

Parents in the county have expressed gratitude for the district’s ability to distribute information and keep them updated.

“I truly believe the school district has gone above and beyond with keeping us up to date on everything going on with the constant emails and releases,” said Alyssa Levenworth, mother of a Browning-Pearce Elementary School first-grader.

For more information, visit putnamschools.org or the district’s Facebook page.