Schools get creative to find space for students

Schools in the Hamilton-Venham District School District are looking for ways to be creative and insist on face-to-face, hands-on teaching.

At Booker Elementary School, the gymnasium is a kindergarten classroom. The music room at Winthrop Elementary School now accommodates first-year students; the gallery at Cutler Elementary School is being used as a library. Tables and tables have been stored wherever there is available space. 

On January 19th, HWRSD welcomed all kindergarten and first-year students to learn in person, the first time in 10 months.

Mary Beth Banios, the head of the school, said: “This is not just about bringing children back to school, but also putting them in an environment that can bring a high-quality educational experience.” “We hope. Make sure they have enough space to move around and work in small groups, while sticking to the 6-foot social distancing limit recommended by the CDC."

These three elementary schools have almost maximized every inch of space to provide a hands-on learning experience for about 200 kindergartens through the first grade students of these three elementary schools. Winthrop's gymnasium is being doubled as a storage area and school library. Tables, chairs, and cafeterias are stacked in Cutler Stadium.

Cutler's principal, Jenn Clifford, said: "We are trying to be flexible and creative." "We are solving problems every day. All aspects of the school are changing this year."

Winthrop Principal Carolyn Shediac (Carolyn Shediac) said that with the help of volunteers from Hamilton-Vonham High School, the custodians set up additional coat racks in the corridors. All are working to move furniture and build new classroom areas.

Winthrop’s cafeteria and auditorium have now been combined into a temporary gym, while the stage area is used for tuition.

Buker principal Ben Schersten said that efforts have been made to make larger spaces feel like regular classrooms by using partitions and cushions. All in all, "Everyone is happy to be here," he said.

Students have to go to school for four days, and Wednesdays are reserved for special subjects such as sports, art, and music for distance learning.

Banios pointed out that not all classrooms are large enough to accommodate a class, while social distancing can be observed, and the public space in each building is very limited. Banios called the student’s return a “step in the right direction”. ".

"The goal is to get all the students back," Banos said. "Children want to go to school, parents want it, and teachers want it. We will learn from this experience and will continue to look for opportunities we can find to attract more students back to China."