LIHU’E — Tuesday, Wilcox Elementary School transitioned to a distance-learning model that will last through and including Thursday.
Parents and guardians were notified of the switch to remote learning from Principal Corey Nakamura on Monday.
Nakamura cited a shortage of teachers and other essential staff members as well as health and safety concerns as the cause for the transition.
From Jan. 18 to 24, the state Department of Education reported 28 COVID-19 cases at Wilcox among its 873 total students and staff.
According to Academic Coach Megan Nii, transitioning to distance learning was necessary.
“We’d like to see your students in school. They learn best when they’re in school,” Nii said. “(But) we are not able to function with the health and safety requirements that are needed during these times, so there’s no other choice for our school.”
Wilcox was well prepared for the transition.
There are no specific guidelines for how DOE schools should transition to distance learning. Instead, individual schools develop their own plans. At Wilcox, teachers were a part of the planning process.
“(Nakamura) is really good with running the plan past us asking for our feedback and ideas,” Nii said.
Staff were notified on Monday and had time to send technology home with students. Students who were absent on Monday were able to pick up devices Tuesday, which teachers used to plan and conduct their lessons online.
Teachers and support staff have been stepping up to cover classes during the
continued district-wide substitute-teacher shortage. Nii has covered several classes because of the shortage. Special classes like art and physical education have been disrupted at Wilcox for three weeks so that those teachers could cover for other teachers.
“We’re just really blessed that our school that we have an ‘ohana that’s willing to do that in a time of need,” Nii said. “We are definitely experiencing that substitute shortage.”
District-wide, the decision to transition to distance learning has been considered a last resort for schools.
“Be assured that this decision was made with the utmost care and concern for our school community,” Nakamura said in his letter to families. “The latest guidance from the state Department of Health and (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recognizes the importance of in-person learning and the protection that vaccines provide against COVID.”
Under this guidance, fully vaccinated students ages 5 to 17 do not need to quarantine if they are exposed to COVID and do not have symptoms. Staff and students over the age of 18 need to be boosted or fully vaccinated in the last six months to forgo quarantine. Anyone testing positive, regardless of vaccination status, needs to isolate for five days.
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Laurel Smith, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0424 or lsmith@thegardenisland.com.
