MV-BT R-III Addresses Learning Loss
Wed, 09/01/2021 - 12:42pm
admin
By:
Julie Olsen, staff writer
Despite COVID-19 and the lasting changes it has made upon our world, the Mountain View-Birch Tree School District is making every effort to ensure a safe return to school. “Honestly, we are off to a great year,” Superintendent Dr. Don Christensen said in an email.
While social distancing, masking, and sanitizing remain active precautionary measures, the MV-BT school district has also implemented a few new changes to help with, “learning loss.”
“Our goal, as always, is to provide a safe and productive learning environment for all students whether they are educated in person or through a virtual format,” Dr. Christensen continued.
This year less than 1% of students are being educated virtually compared to that of 10% last year. The MV-BT district has also hired several new teachers in order to provide small class settings and facilitate social distancing.
“We are initiating a comprehensive after-school tutoring program for students in grades K-5 and will be providing transportation home from tutoring two days a week. We are a 1:1 electronic device school district where every student is issued a Chromebook,” Christensen added. This tutoring program is an effort to help enrich student learning and aid in helping with the learning loss that many students experienced during the pandemic.
In accordance with DESE guidelines, the MV-BT district published their “Safe Return to In-Person Instruction & Continuity of Services Plan,” for fall 2021. It can be found on the district’s website. Like last year, parents are asked to screen their children for fever and any COVID-like symptoms before sending them to school. In addition, parents are also asked to educate their children on good hygiene, signs of illness, and appropriate masking to mention a few.
Teachers will also partner with parent’s efforts by reinforcing these principles as well as continuing to educate students on safety measures within the school environment. The plan can be read in its entirety at https://home.liberty.mvbt.k12.mo.us