see CLASSES

Continued from pg. 1 the option of switching to the full virtual model, Jones said.

Among several calendar changes the school board approved was one to make Nov. 3 a divisionwide teacher workday, which, when combined with another teacher workday on Nov. 2, will give the affected teachers two days to prepare their rooms to accommodate the increased numbers on Nov. 4.

Jones also pointed out that some fourth- and fi fth-grade teachers are concerned about class sizes with a full elementary return – meaning about 80 percent of all students enrolled at the three schools – and want to remain with the hybrid model.

All of the school board members weighed in during the lengthy discussion about the issue, questioning Jones at length about current health and safety guidelines, contingencies in the case of a COVID-19 outbreak, and the process by which he and his staff arrived at their recommendation.

Part of the discussion centered on the current success weighed against potential risks. Since the school year began, the division has had two cases of staff members testing positive for COVID-19 and seven cases of students as of Oct. 13, Jones said. However, he pointed out that fi ve of the students were made up of siblings from two different families.

In answer to board member questions, Jones explained the procedure the division follows when a staff member or student tests positive, including contacting the health department so it can begin contact tracing and notifying people who may have been exposed and need to quarantine. To date, no school has had to quarantine an entire classroom.

However, contact tracing looks for anybody who came within 6 feet of the person who tested positive for more than 15 minutes. With some class sizes causing the distance between students to be shortened, this could potentially have an impact.

Jones said the biggest challenge with the full elementary return from a health and safety standpoint actually falls within buses and transportation. The school district’s transportation department is working on bus route plans to safely accommodate all students who take the bus.

“We may have a few buses that we have to provide a double run because of the number of students that can be fi t on that bus. So we are working through that now. It would be around six buses we are looking at,” he said.

Exploring a full return

After the successful movement of pre-K through third-graders to a fi ve-day, in-person week on Sept. 14, the division began exploring the possible return of fourth- and fi fth-graders, Jones said. This analysis included reviewing safety measures, examining facilities, and talking to teachers and staff. Local representatives from the Virginia Department of Health also reviewed the data staff collected and signed off on the full return of the additional students.

The school division has been doing assessments of students to gauge their academic foundational needs in math and language arts and found some areas of learning lost due to the school closures in March, Jones said. Those needs combined with the diffi culty distance learning poses for younger students were key factors in the decision to return.

In meeting with the impacted teachers in all three elementary schools in September, Jones said he heard a mix of responses. Some teachers do not like the hybrid model and want all of their students back in class together, while others had concerns about coming back, particularly some fourthgrade teachers.

The class size averages for all three schools in both grades have 20 or more students as of Oct. 8, Jones said. The high numbers in fi fth-grade at Flat Rock Elementary prompted the division to advertise for a new teacher to help lighten the load.

Board members weigh in

The school board members asked numerous questions about specifi c safeguards the division has put in place and talked about the feedback they have been getting from teachers and parents.

Jones said some of the elementary classes are using their cafeterias, but some teachers prefer lunch in the classroom.

In response to questions about the HVAC system, Jones said the division has been doing fi lter changing and used CARES Act funding to purchase ionization machines. During discussion that followed, there seemed to be some consensus that the board members would like portable ionization machines in the fourth- and fi fthgrade classes with larger student sizes. The schools have already been working to bring in more outside air at all of the buildings.

Susan Smith, who represents District 2, said she has heard from many teachers who acknowledge the transition will be hard but tell her “we need our kids back because the hybrid model was killing them – just the maintenance of it and keeping up with it and getting good lessons put out there and the kids understanding what was going on.”

Rick Cole, District 1, asked that the health committee set a minimum number of times students get out of the classroom throughout the day. He said he has received many emails from people concerned about the full return for these grade levels and he shares some of the concerns. But he likes the phased approach PCPS has been taking along with constantly evaluating the situation to see what works and what needs to be changed.

“I am heartened by the number of things that we are trying to do to make parents and teachers comfortable with this situation if we do go back,” he said before the vote.

Valarie Ayers, District 3, said she has received passionate letters from parents and teachers on both sides of the argument regarding the next step in full return. She understands the concerns on both sides and agreed she shares some of them but said it comes down to what they believe is in the best interest of the children. At this time she thinks it is best for the majority of students to be back in school in order to thrive.

Chairman Joe Walters, District 4, agreed the majority of teachers he has heard from wanted all of their students back in the classroom full-time. They just want to make sure everything is done as safely as possible.

Kim Hymel, District 5, talked about the strain on hybrid teachers, who have to prepare separate lesson plans for in-class and virtual instruction, adding a great deal of work to their schedules. This becomes even harder at the middle and high school levels, where they may be teaching a variety of classes.

Jones said the school division is aware that there is a great deal of stress on the teachers, and he is committed to getting them the resources and help they need if they reach out and ask for them.

Looking ahead

With the path forward for fourth and fi fth grades basically decided, Hymel pointed out that she has had numerous calls and emails regarding the middle and high schools returning to full-time in-person instruction.

The division is trying to take a measured approach going step by step, Jones said. After the youngest students who most need the full-time interaction and classroom structure are settled in, staff can focus on the steps needed to bring back the older students full time.

He pointed out that no surrounding school district other than Hanover County has students back full-time at the secondary level. However, while Hanover did start the school year with full in-person instruction as an option, only 62 percent of students decided to go back. Powhatan, by comparison, had roughly 80 percent of its students that wanted to return to the classroom.

Many divisions that started with a full virtual model are starting to bring students back on the hybrid model, which Powhatan has been doing the entire time, he added.

The middle and high school staff members worked extremely hard to create class schedules that worked on the hybrid model, Jones said. They will need additional time to formulate new schedules.

Staff will bring the issue back to the board at its November meeting, although he was not sure if they would have a recommendation at that point. The other thing to consider is that by the time they talk again in November, the end of the semester is in December. The school board has to consider whether to wait until January to bring the older students back, keeping in mind that the families who were committed to virtual for a semester could want to return at that time as well.

The process

Paprika peppers are grown just like other peppers. I start mine from seed in February or March and set them outside after all chance of frost has been eliminated. I prefer to plant around Mother’s Day. As the peppers grow and ripen, they can be used in other cooking. Although smaller than your typical bell pepper, Alma is delicious stuffed.

I also allow most of the peppers to ripen to a medium or deep red. I fi nd it easier to clean peppers in a basin of water as it speeds up the process of separating the seeds. Those wanting a hotter paprika with a different fl avor dimension will want to include the seeds. I do not.

Finally, I stack these seed free pepper slices into an electric dehydrator. The weather in Central Virginia is too humid for sun drying. I dry the pieces as much as possible until they are crispy. With the traditional electric dehydrator this can take 24 to 36 hours. Air fryers have a dehydrating function as well but results will vary from brand to brand. Spanish paprika, a paprika blend using mostly pimento peppers, is generally smoked with oak wood. I am describing how to prepare Hungarian paprika. A word of caution: Clean and prepare the peppers using protective gloves as the capsicum can burn hands and especially eyes.

As the months pass, I continue to collect, clean and dehydrate the paprika peppers, storing them in sealed containers. In late fall and early winter – when our atmosphere is generally dryer – I begin the process of grinding the dehydrated peppers into paprika.

I pick a dry, sunny day, and I do them all at once. Using my canning funnel and a large mason jar, I begin grinding the peppers with an electric spice grinder.

see PAPRIKA, pg. 7

CHURCH DIRECTORY

St.Luke’sEpiscopalChurch SUNDAYS LiveStreamWorship! www.stlukespowhatan.org

AllareWelcome Formoreinformationvisitwww.stlukespowhatan.org Route711atThreeBridgeRoad794-6953 Genito Presbyterian Church TheBridge Church “BuildingaBridgeofHope” Isaiah58:12 2910GenitoRd.Powhatan,VA Sundays: 372-9074 WorshipwithusthisSunday MorningWorship10:00AM Wednesday: FamilyLifeNight7:00PM

Churchservice@9:30AM 2480AcademyRoad Sundayschool@10:30AM 598-7159 Pastor:JohnathanM.Whichard

EVERGREEN COMMUNITY CHURCH (PCA) Proclaiming&PracticingtheGospelofJesusChrist IndoorWorshipServiceat10:30AM MeetingatthePowhatanWarMemorialBuildingat 2375SkaggsRd,Powhatan,VA23139 ECCPCA.ORG 598-8844 Rev.RobertBarnes

1801 Huguenot Trail SundaySchool 9am SundayWorship 10am WednesdayBibleStudy 6:45pm BryanM.Holt, Pastor 378-3607 www.EmmausChristianChurch.org

MeetingSundaysin Amelia,Farmville, ForkUnion,Midlothian, PowhatanandOnline. Visitpccwired.netfor servicestimes&locations. 598-1174 pccwired.net

MountCalvary BaptistChurch 2020RedLaneRoad Powhatan,VA23139 Pastor,LarryB.Collins SundaySchool9:45a.m. SundayWorship11:00a.m. WednesdayBibleStudy 7:30p.m. Office804-598-2398

Providence Presbyterian Church

WorshipService11:00am SundaySchool10:00am 598-4970 Located1950RidgeRoad (Rt.627) 2/10thofamilenorthofRt.13

Powhatan United Methodist Church LivingAsChrist’sDisciplesWithinOur HeartsandBeyondOurDoors 2253RossonRd. JustoffRt.13intheVillage Worship: 8:30&11a.m. 598-4438 SundaySchool: 9:45a.m. www.powhatanumc.us WeekdayPreschool(ages2-5) 598-6090

CommunityChurch

Dr.CavellW.Phillips,Pastor WherethereisUnity,thereisalwaysVictory. Achurch“Whereyouarewelcome”

JoinUsForSundayWorship Wednesday:BibleStudy

11:00AM–12:30PM 6:30–7:30pm(60Minute

PowhatanVillageBuilding WarmUpToSunday) 3910OldBuckinghamRoad Powhatan,VA 804-256-4411 ucc4me.org PowhatanChristian Fellowship SundayMorningWorship 11:00a.m. SundaySchool10:00a.m. WednesdayNight7:30p.m. 3308PleasantsRoad, 1/4mileoffofRoute711 RussCress,Pastor 598-0733

St.JohnNeumann CatholicChurch

Rev.WalterG.Lewis,Pastor Saturday-5p.m. Sunday-8:30a.m.&11a.m. 598-3754 www.sjnpowhatan.org LocatedbehindFlatRock VillageShoppingCenter

Advertisein