Nodaway-Holt using technology to adjust
2020 In the News
GRAHAM, Mo. — Like every school across the county and state, and many across the country, Nodaway-Holt is adopting new strategies to adapt to online education.
Last week, the school board held its regular meeting with some board members joining through the video conferencing platform Zoom.
Similarly, the district has been using video conferencing to hold class. Unlike many districts, Nodaway-Holt’s elementary students are still attending a set daily class period online through video with teachers and their peers in addition to completing assignments. Special education students are having one-on-one sessions.
About five families in the elementary and high schools do not have access to the internet at home. High School Principal Michael Hollingsworth said that paper packets were sent home with those students, and he will go to each family this week to collect them and replace them with new packets.
Teachers, meanwhile, have continued to connect with students in a variety of ways. In addition to the video conferencing, some teachers have continued to come to work and record lessons for students to watch on their own time. And high school teachers are required to come to the school on Wednesdays for online “office hours.”
Superintendent Jeff Blackford said that the district has collated its strategies into a comprehensive alternative learning plan, and submitted the plan to the state for approval. Next year, if the plan is approved, the district would be able to use the alternative learning plan in place of makeup days, or, instead of canceling school for a snow day, could simply have students “attend” school from home under the plan. Blackford said he’s confident the plan will be approved.
Nurse Jessie Prettyman updated the board on the latest information about the pandemic, including the state mandate to follow social distancing guidelines and to keep social gatherings under 10 people.
“I think if we can lead by example by everyone staying home — like each one of you stay home that doesn’t have to be out, lead by example and tell your families to … stay home, and encourage everybody you know — if we do it for two weeks, maybe we can get out of this,” she told board members, particularly the ones who were physically present.
Five board members, three administrators, the board secretary and Prettyman all attended the meeting in person, and several frequently squeezed into frame to be seen virtually.
Other notes
- The district served 105 free meals Monday, March 23.
- The elementary school in Maitland received some damage from a hailstorm earlier this month. The insurance company is coming to take a look.
- The board voted to raise the district’s contribution to the employee health plan by $50 to $500 per month for next year.
- The board voted to raise the base certified teacher salary by $250 to $32,500 for next year.
*An earlier version of this story misstated the name of the high school principal. It is Michael Hollingsworth, not Shawn Emerson. Mr. Emerson is the elementary school principal. The Forum apologizes for the error.
