Freeport Schools

By Alexandra Whitbeck

Students in the Freeport Public School District finished out their 2020 school year through a computer screen due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Making the switch to Google Classroom presented many challenges for teachers, administration and students in grades two through 12. However, all fronts preserved and prospered.

Through Google Meet and Google Classroom, teachers were able to maintain contact, and students continued learning from late March to the end of the school year in June. Because in-person education stopped, students in grades five though 12 were issued Chromebooks, and Google Classroom was already a tool in daily learning, which was paired with the training of teachers to use the platform to its fullest.

In homes with students in grades two through four, “every effort was made to provide households with a Chromebook” based on a survey, said Dr. Alice Kane, assistant superintendent for educational and administrative services of the Freeport Public Schools.

In the case of younger students in pre-K, kindergarten and first grade, family outreach platforms like Google Classroom, Google Meet, SeeSaw and email communication were used heavily.

In the event of at-home confusion, parents and students were able to access an Online Resource Center consisting of grade-level pacing guides on the district website along with a technology helpdesk.

To further foster parent-teacher communication in the E-classroom of students in kindergarten through fourth grade, a virtual bulletin board and daily video read-alouds were posted in the Google Classroom. These additions aided in unity between parents, students and teachers.

Parents were kept involved in the classroom through Facebook, phone calls, the district website and app notifications on the Parent Portal and email. The Guardian feature on Google Classroom allowed parents to receive timely information about assignments and due dates.

Daily communication became essential when gauging student morale and their overall transition to online learning. Teachers began keeping logs of communication and monitoring student work. However, reaching out through phone and email was a direct method used by teachers, administra tors and guidance counselors.

To ensure students made the transition to Elearning while maintaining their personal health, Pupil Personnel Services officials made phone calls to check in on mental health and wellness of students, said Kane.

To aid students in households without Internet access, Freeport Public Schools purchased hotspots providing Wi-Fi. Technology issues were discussed in the communication networks between teachers and parents.

According to No Kid Hungry, a nonprofit aiming to end child hunger, one in four kids could face hunger this year due to the loss of in-school meals. Long Island Cares and Island Harvest, two organi zations dedicated to ending hunger on Long Island, provided food weekly to assist Freeport students and families. The district also packed over 70,000 Grab and Go meals consisting of breakfast and lunch Mondays through Fridays.

When facing dire circumstances, the Freeport Public School District was able to aid and support its students to ensure their academic success even through a computer screen.