SCHOOLS
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
OTM School Systems Pencil in Plans for Fall, but They Might Have to Use the Eraser
Journal photo by Jordan Wald
By Emily Williams and Caroline Rice
Mountain Brook band director Jason Smith noted that both directors and students are “committed to supporting our Spartan athletes as much as possible.” Above, band members social distancing at a practice session last week.
Start Up the Bands
Band Directors at OTM Schools Face Challenges in Preparing for Football Season By Emily Williams and Caroline Rice The impending school year is commonly portrayed as a rebirth of sorts, filled with promises of a new year, a new routine and perhaps even a new you. At the center of all that opportunity is one of the most spirited American trademarks – football season. The Friday night athletic productions draw the community together after school hours to the tune of drums and brass pounding amid spirited chants and cheers. With about two weeks remaining until the date many schools systems are hoping to restart the 2020-21 school year, the idea of arriving on campus for the first day of school and attending the first football game of the season remains in limbo as administrators continue to grapple with pandemic planning. Regardless, football teams, cheerleading squads and marching bands are preparing for the potential to perform.
Challenges for Band Practice
At Mountain Brook High School, band director Jason Smith and his crew began rehearsals in July, following the announcement by the Alabama High School Athletic Association that football practices could commence. Though there are numerous aspects of band that are separate from sports, band director Jason Smith noted that both directors and students are “committed to supporting our Spartan athletes as much as possible.”
There are still many questions hanging in the air as far as football games and performances are concerned, as the landscape of the pandemic and its effects on gatherings of any kind is constantly evolving. “Of course, we are not sure about travel to away games, social distancing protocols in stadiums – this is
‘We are going to be positive and keep going. My goal is to give these kids some sense of normalcy.’ CHRIS COOPER HOMEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL BAND DIRECTOR
important when playing music with wind instruments – and being able to consistently rehearse in the middle of a pandemic,” Smith said. Over the course of the pandemic closures of schools this past spring, band directors had to adapt to online learning. “Virtual band was challenging and rewarding,” Smith said. Via Google Meet, band students and directors were able to see each other virtually, share quarantine stories and continue to work toward some of their bigger goals, such as, celebrating the senior band members by organizing an online ‘banquet.’ “We were even able to feature our Beginning Band, junior high school and high school bands in a video concert,” Smith said. “This required each student to record their individual music, and we were able to mash it
together to make a large video featuring their performances.” In almost any band setting, Smith noted, there is a similarity in that each individual is responsible for practicing, playing and performing their music to the best of their ability. The difference this fall lies in the visual responsibilities that performing as a marching band requires – the choreography. “Students are relying on each other to be in the correct spot on the field at the exact time successfully playing the right notes and rhythms,” Smith said. This year’s performances are being choreographed to accommodate a greater distance between musicians, and the crew is rehearsing their routines in the great outdoors almost exclusively. No matter how much distance there is between students, there is still that aspect of marching that has them moving about the field rather than remaining stationary. With that in mind, Smith said that the band will be using personal protective equipment. This includes items that will help mitigate the spread of respiratory droplets, especially for those playing wind instruments. Despite the measures put into place for rehearsals, there is always a chance that practices and performances will be put on hold once more. “Our discussions about delaying school and sports are still in play,” Smith said. “We would need to evaluate the safety of the decision to continue. We would look to our administration for guidance and move forward from there.
See BANDS, page 26
Though coronavirus responses related to schools are subject to change daily, one thing is certain: many high school students will be learning through an online platform during the fall 2020 semester. Parents have pushed for learning options that offer different levels of online and in-person instruction.
for years, but it is now an option for middle schoolers as well. While Hoover City Schools officials cannot make an announcement this early on what level they are planning to begin. They have pushed back the first day of school from Aug. 6 to Aug. 20. In addition, students from Pre-K through second grade are highly encouraged to wear masks, and students from grades 3 through 12 are required to wear masks.
Hoover
Homewood
Hoover City Schools has proposed three learning options for students and parents to choose, in addition to four contingency plans that are based on worsening health condition scenarios. The in-person learning plan option allows for full-time school on campus when operating in contingency level one or two. However, when raised to contingency level three, students would go to campus only two days a week, either Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday. They would learn remotely for the other three days. If raised to contingency level four, students would learn fully online. The in-person learning plan allows Hoover teachers to use the local Hoover curriculum. The virtual learning plan option allows for a full-time virtual school that takes place at home. Students who choose this option will be communally connected to their zoned schools, but their teachers will instruct them through a digital curriculum. Pre-K through 8th grade students can switch from virtual to in-person learning at the end of the first nine weeks, but high schoolers cannot change until the end of the semester. The final learning option proposed for Hoover students is called a blended plan. This allows students to learn part-time virtually and part-time in person. Students can then continue inperson instruction in areas of particular interest that cannot be supported in the virtual format. Hoover City Schools says that this has been an option for high schoolers
Homewood City Schools is offering two learning options: traditional school and virtual school. Students who choose the traditional school option can switch to virtual at any time, but if the student chooses virtual, the student is committed to it for the semester. Homewood also has four levels of operation, in which they will determine the level of operation according to recommendations from local health departmentsas well as data from community and schools. Some of the categories that the level of operation will determine include extracurricular activities, large group gatherings, entering and exiting the building, and teaching and learning. Homewood city schools will require students to wear masks where social distancing is not possible.
Mountain Brook
On July 30, Mountain Brook City Schools announced an adjusted reopening plan, postponing the start of the 2020-21 school year from Aug. 11 to Aug. 20. In a release, Superintendent Dicky Barlow noted that the postponement will allow more time for the school system to train employees, prepare buildings and finalize reopening logistics. In addition, junior high and high school students who selected the traditional school option over virtual learning will be assigned to one of
See SCHOOLS, page 25
Vestavia Hills City Schools officials have delayed the start of classes by a week and now will open Aug. 30.
Journal photo by Jordan Wald
24 • Thursday, August 6, 2020
