Peru Central School Confronts the Coronavirus Crisis
Peru Central campus
Lessons delivered to elementary students
Dr. Thomas Palmer
By John T. Ryan
On March 15th in response to the ongoing Coronavirus crisis the Peru Central School District and 15 other area districts suspended on-campus education through at least April 17th. Since then Peru administrators, teachers and staff have been striving to continue educating the district’s approximate 1,800 students. Last Friday and in a follow-up communication tonight Superintendent Dr. Thomas Palmer responded to Peru Gazette questions.
How has everything been going? Dr. Palmer said, “The people and the staff have been phenomenal. They’ve gone above and beyond. The grade 6 -12 staff has been doing a great job providing online instruction and the elementary staff has been very active. Last Wednesday academic packets were delivered to elementary children. Things have been going better than expected. Is it perfect, no. Administrators are communicating with their staff and vice-versa.”
On Thursday student meal deliveries began. Palmer explained, “We delivered 1,310 meals to 655 students daily (lunch and a next day breakfast ). It went seamlessly. People really pitched in and the kids were excited.” Every student is eligible for the meals. There are no income restrictions. To participate provide your child’s name to the Middle School office at 518-643-6300. The weekend food backpack program should resume this coming weekend. Details will be worked out later this week.
Earlier this year the district issued Chromebook computers to every grade 6 – 12 student. Tired of waiting for Smart Schools Bond Act monies the school board authorized using reserve funds to purchase the computers. Palmer said, “It’s a different way to provide instruction. Kids seem to be doing OK. A few are struggling a bit. It’s a different mode of learning.”
About 75 of the high school’s 566 students do not have access to the internet at home. Palmer said they are being provided information on paper adding, “The teacher needs to communicate with them. We’re doing everything we can so they have the work. All the Chromebooks have word processors. We just can’t transmit the work to them electronically.”
Teachers provide up to five hours of daily instructional time. Palmer said, “Students are not getting all five subjects every day. They’re getting two core academic subjects. Elective courses are outside of that. If we overload them with digital it’s not going to be very successful.”
Palmer said the school is trying its best to communicate with parents and students through email, videos and podcasts. The school’s webpage and Facebook pages are being utilized. All offices will be open this week but operations may be conducted remotely. Messages will be responded to the same day or no later than the next day.
Posted: March 22nd, 2020 under Education News, Peru School News, Peru/Regional History.