NORTH HARFORD HIGH SCHOOL
211 PYLESVILLE ROAD 21132
410-638-3650
VOLUME 44 ISSUE
OCTOBER 30, 2020
Approved plan enables Hawks return to Nest ANNIE FINHOLMReporter As the students of Harford County Public Schools enter a new virtual school year during the midst of a pandemic, a proposal has been authorized to re-enter the building and resume in-person teaching. With lower numbers of Coronavirus cases confirmed daily, according to The New York Times, public schools in the county have put into action their reopening plan. Monday, October 12 marks the date on which staff will return to work sites and on Monday, October 19, limited smallgroup activities will begin. As for the date of student return, HCPS has deemed Monday, November 16 the appropriate date. In order to track and limit the number of students and staff that come into contact with the virus, school nurses will monitor and observe symptoms of individuals to prevent any possible
spread of germs. HCPS reports stations, masks, or fabric face covthat “In the event that a student erings, will be required in school or staff member becomes ill with and on buses. Harford County COVID-19, school nurses will ad- Public Schools will promote here to the latest Maryland De- physical distancing by, according to HCPS, “Rearrangpartment of Health guidance ing furniture and regarding isolation and desks to move quarantine procedures.” students farThe latest guidther apart” ance from the state “HCPS will be and, to and local health observing cleaning maintain department will and sanitation proto- or obtain determine school cleaning and cols provided by MSDE physical health, closing decisions, states the and the Harford County will “rereopening plan. Health Department. ” q u i r e frequent The plans - Harford County h a n d also includes that washing Public Schools “HCPS Health Serand cleanvices will collaboing of high rate with the Harford touch surfaces.” County Health DepartThe American ment to assist with appropriSchool and University ate contact tracing measures.” Like the active protocol in reports that 26 million students many public places such as gro- take the bus to school. The HCPS cery stores, restaurants, and gas reopening plan includes explic-
it details regarding the usage of this form of transportation. They write, “In order to maintain reduced capacity guidelines, school bus seating will be limited to one student per seat.” The guidelines proceed by stating, “Siblings may sit together. If necessary, some seats may remain unoccupied. Students will be required to wear a face covering.” Because of the reduction of persons per seat, more buses will be needed to accommodate. To ensure germs are not spread between groups of students taking the bus, “HCPS will be observing cleaning and sanitation protocols provided by MSDE and the Harford County Health Department. Sanitization and Disinfection All HCPS school buses will be sanitized in the morning and afternoon, after dropping students off at their school buildings. High touch surfaces are sanitized between each route.” This plan has been imple-
mented by all HCPS principals, including Mr. Bryan Pawlicki, principal at the Hawks Nest. Pawlicki said that “support[s] the reopening plan as it has been written” and has made it a priority to “provide students and teachers with the safest environment [they] can.” In regards to the effectiveness of online classes and hybrid learning, the second year principal says they are “watching the data to see how the delivery of virtual instruction is [affecting] the learning progress.” Plans will be adjusted according to the data and how efficient the learning process is. Assistant principal Mrs. Megan Lewis reports that she has many goals regarding the work rate of the school year, as well as the safety of student and staff physical wellness. Lewis claims she wishes for “all students and staff to have a healthy and productive school year.”
New School Resource Officer assigned to The Nest; Deputy Norman joins staff at NHHS EVAN KUZEMCHAK Social Media Coordinator James Norman, also known as Deputy JJ Norman, just landed his first School Resource Officer assignment at The Nest. Norman has been a deputy at Harford County sheriff’s office for 11 years now and also serves as a volunteer firefighter. Norman says he uses his skills to “communicat[e] with people in stressful situations and report writing.” According to the MCSS (Maryland Center for School Safety) and SRO is a “career law enforcement officer with sworn authority who is deployed by an employing police department or agency in a community-oriented policing assignment to work in collaboration with one or more schools.” Currently, due to Covid-19 restrictions, Norman duties look different. His day for virtual learning starts “by bringing the surveillance cameras up and checking to make sure they are working properly.” Next, Norman “make[s his] way to the bus ramp where students are coming in for school
to help[s] monitor the area.” After Norman checks in with the students, he goes to “check-in with the principal’s and custodians to see if they have any issues that need [his] attention,” and “check[s] to make sure all on the exterior doors of the building are secure.” The low number of students “in the building at this time and due to Covid-19 safety guidelines [Norman] ha[s] not had many interactions with any students.” Since Deputy Blottenberger has left, the Outdoors Club, an organization known for its fun field trip opportunities, was transferred over to Norman, who says he is a very outdoor person. He said that he enjoys “golf, riding four-wheelers, mountain biking, kayaking.” Norman’s favorite part of his job is “is the interaction [he] get[s] to have with a diverse group of individuals daily.” Norman also likes to think about the “fact that [he] may be able to change someone’s life for the better as a result of [the] interaction.” When not in work Norman is “an avid golfer and love[s]
to be outdoors.” him and his family “I love hiking, kayaking, [and] riding ATV’s.” In addition to being a very outdoors family and ready for an adventure Norman and his family “love antique tractors and farm equipment.” Norman even has a tractor of his own “a partially restored 1973 International 1066 Tractor that [he] bush hog[s] with to help maintain our property.” Norman’s son shows his skills when he “recently rebuilt an old hay wagon to be pulled behind the tractor for hayrides during family get togethers.” When the SRO program started gaining attention after school shootings happened across the country, Harford County implemented its own program. According to their website, “they made their decision “ in an effort to protect our most precious resource, our children, Sheriff Gahler and County Executive Barry Glassman Harford County Government committed to placing a School Resource Officer in every Middle and High School, by January.”
Deputy Norman is current School Resource 0fficer at the Nest. He fills the position vacated by Deputy Blottenberger. Photo credit: Kim Iddings