Harmony places in top 12 of STEM Challenge
Board of Education, News September 11, 2020
Students at Harmony Elementary School competed in a social media STEM Challenge and created projects showing basic architectural principles. They finished in the top 12 of the state and the school received a $500 check.
Social media STEM Challenge
Harmony Elementary School placed in the top 12 in the Georgia STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Challenge presented by Breaux and Associates Architecture Firm and received a check from the Atlanta-based firm.
Doug Breaux said the firm initially started the challenge and shortly after, schools closed due to the pandemic, forcing them to make some changes.
“We moved it to social media,” he said.
By the end of the competition, more than 1,200 posts from 50 schools were on social media. The goal of the challenge was to introduce elementary school students to architecture through simple do-at-home.
Prizes included a new 3-D printer for the school with the most posts and the top 12 Georgia schools and the top out-of-state school received prizes. Harmony students had 27 completed challenges posted.
Activities included building a structure of triangular blocks made from paper and tape, making a building out of a paper bag, drawing a floor plan, making 3-dimensional shapes from toothpicks and common household snacks, creating 3-D tube towers from construction tape and testing the strength, and making milk carton buildings.
The program was such a success that Breaux plans to hold a similar challenge for middle schools..
Chrome book concerns
The board heard from parent, Hannah Cox, about concerns with the contract parents have to sign in order to use the Chrome books.
Hannah Cox tells the board that she, and other parents, are concerned the system has a “blank check” signed by parents over damages to the Chromebooks.
“It basically gives the school system a blank check for damages,” she said. “I didn’t and a lot of parents don’t feel comfortable signing it.”
Public speakers are given five-minutes to present their concerns.
“I understand the board has to protect their assets, but when my child received his Chromebook, the back was already missing and it didn’t have a protective case,” she said.
She suggested several changes to the process, including ensuring all Chromebooks have a protective case, the contract includes the item number as well as the condition of the the device when it’s issued. Depreciation should be taken into account on the damage cost on used devices and if the device is damaged by someone other than the signee, then that person should held liable, not the signee.
Tucker Greene, chairman of the BOE, said they would look further into the issue.
Meal flexibility
The school system recently announced enrolled students in both traditional and virtual schools would receive free meals under the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service flexibility plan. Schools can choose closed site service or open service.
Pickens County schools are going with both options, allowing parents of virtual to place the orders weekly and picking up at the beginning of the week. The open site option will also allow parents to pick up meals for any child under the age of 18.
Congress allotted funds to allow the program to go until Dec. 31 or until the funds are depleted. Families are encouraged to have their applications for Free and Reduced meals in by Oct. 5.
Enrollment
Enrollment is down slightly from the end of the 2019-2020 school year, according to Patrick Shea, chief technology officer. The school system has 4,246 students enrolled, down about 61 students from the previous year. Shea said it’s concerning but expected as parents of kindergartners expressed concern about starting school.
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Virtual academy
Rick Townsend said the staff at the virtual academy were doing a fantastic job, but parents are beginning to see the benefit of having their students in an actual classroom with a teacher.
“They are seeing that seeing a teacher is important,” he said
The result is the system may allow some students to transition back to the classroom earlier than the nine-week requirement. He encouraged parents who wish to transition their students back to traditional school to email the school system and the team overseeing enrollment would consider coming up with a plan.
Perkins Program
The board received an update on the Perkins Career and Technical Education grant. The program pays for various aspects of career and technical education including salaries, supplemental aids, training and apprenticeship programs.
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Board vacancy
The board announced anyone interested in filling the District two seat to email Martha Seger an letter of interest including name and address. The potential board member must live in district two. The board will make a decision in time for the October board meeting.
Daniel Bell speaks to the board about the benefits of having a College and Career Academy.
College and Career Academy
Townsend and Daniel Bell, the college and career coach, spoke to the board about applying for a $10,000 planning grant for a college and career academy.
“We feel passionately about wanting the best for our kids,” said Townsend. “We’ve formed a task force to see how we can get our kids to stay home in our community, raise their own kids here and send them to our schools.”
“It really excites me,” Bell said. “We’ve seen what the technical college brings to our community and we are lucky to have it. With this career academy, there are different models and as people and administrations come and go, if we put something physical into place, it will continue to be supported.”
Townsend said the system would apply for a $3 million grant in the spring to start the academy and the key was to have community buy-in.
“We have flexibility,” said Bell. “We can teach industry needs, and when you can offer what the industries say they need, it’s much easier to get support.”
Bell pointed out that for every four technical and trader workers who leave, only one is entering into the field, creating a large demand. “Half the jobs in Georgia require trade and technical skills.”
On-line and distance learning shaping up well in Pickens County
Community, Featured Stories March 25, 2020
On-line and distance learning is going well for Pickens County and schools are even finding ways to encourage school spirit, despite the sudden closure of schools.
Schools in Pickens County are encouraging families to share their pictures of how schooling is going at home during the isolation.
“We’re more than pleased,” said Destini Shope, Director of Communication and Public Engagement, said.
Most of the “kinks” were very early in the process and most were because so many people were trying to access the internet, causing delays and some connectivity issues. Some issues were at the opposite end of the spectrum– parents didn’t have internet.
“ETC provided access around the country, which has been a huge help,” said Shope, saying that parents have been able to go to the free locations, downloading the work and bringing it home.
Getting it done
Shope said the schools director of technology, Patrick Shea, estimated that about 80-percent, or 3,440 of the 4,300 students are doing their work virtually while the remaining 20-percent, or 860, have opted for hard copy packets.
“Teachers are monitoring the work the students are doing online,” she said.
Shope said Pickens Junior High School showed data indicating that 95.04-percent of their seventh-grade students and 95.77-percent of their eighth-grade students are submitting work.
Day 4 pictures show students busy working on school and life skills while the schools are closed.
The remaining 20-percent of students are using the packets, provided by schools on a weekly basis, said Shope.
Tate Elementary makes packets up by grade, placing the work in plastic bags so parents can “grab and go,” said Shope.
The packets have their plus-sides, too, said Shope. It’s easier for parents to manage, especially when children have to go to a sitter.
“We are more than pleased,” said Shope. “They’ve made the transition seamless.”
She said the junior high school has set a goal for themselves to make it to 100-percent.
Both Harmony Elementary and the junior high school are holding virtual spirit days, to keep up school spirit. Instead of traditional “in-school” spirit days that feature “80’s day,” “camouflage day,” or “tie-dye day,” they are doing “what are you reading?” and “life-skills day” where students can post a new life-skill they are learning.
“They are trying to keep the kids engaged and keep the school spirit alive,” said Shope.
Some teachers and principals are recording announcements and greetings to send out to the parents or students so a connection to the typical school day remains.
For students who have an Individualized Education Plan, or IEP, that includes speech, occupational, and speech therapy, the system is using a combination of tele-therapy and online learning with materials that are facilitated by phone conferencing, emails and privacy-compliant digital platforms.
Future impact
Some students are learning life skills in addition to academics at home.
Shope said she is interested to see how this changes education in the long term.
“Not only for our kids, ,but kids across the United States,” she said. “Some school districts already had digital platforms established for inclement weather, but we’ve had to work this out quickly and make adjustments, but this will be a springboard for years to come so learning can continue during inclement weather.”
While she is a school employee, Shope said the mother in her was a “bit nervous” about how distance learning would go, but so far her son, a high school student, is doing well.
“He enjoys it, he gets up, get his work done, then goes to work,” she said.
She said that although the Coronvirus and its impact is “sad,” it’s shown how resilient people are.
“It has allowed us to realize we are capable of doing this. Parents are capable and kids are capable. Kudos to students, parents, and teachers who are forging ahead and making the best of this situation.”