Volusia County students return to school

Class is in session

Volusia County students return to school

Photo courtesy of Jerry Orzel/Volusia County Schools Students walk hand-in-hand into Ormond Beach Elementary on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 16.

JARLEENE ALMENAS

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Ormond Beach Middle School welcomed its students back to school on Monday, Aug. 16, with fanfare: music, balloons, a red carpet and an appearance from their Panthers mascot.

“Teachers made some signs and were standing at various locations, just welcoming them back — letting them know how happy we are to have them back on campus, and that we’re kicking things off positively and a good start for the school year,” OBMS Principal Susan Tuten said.

Overall, kids were happy to be back, she said. There were a lot of smiles present, and many students were looking for their friends, some of whom they hadn’t seen in over a year due to the virtual learning options chosen by parents in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just like during the 2020-2021 school year, OBMS is doing its best to make sure the students are safe. In a pandemic school year, that translates to plenty of hand sanitizer being made available, social distancing when possible and keeping classrooms clean.

Masks for students remain optional; however, all district staff and adults visiting any Volusia County Schools campus or facility must wear a face covering.

OBMS saw a large number of students who were previously enrolled in virtual learning return to campus, Tuten said. Seeing them again was exhilarating.

“To see their energy, it just kind of transposed itself on me as well,” Tuten said. “So a lot of smiles. Even though I had my mask on, I was smiling behind my mask.”

COVID-19 AND LEARNING LOSS

The first day of school is normally an exciting time. But the added worry of COVID-19 has put a cloud over it, said School Board member Carl Persis, who represents District 4.

“Unfortunately, we have to start the year being as concerned about not spreading COVID as we are concerned about making sure our students have all of the instructional materials that they need, and that the teachers are ready and prepared so we can start the year off with a very smooth start,” he said.

Five principals tested positive for COVID-19 by the first day of school, he said, citing information provided to him by the superintendent. Mask or no mask, Persis hopes parents have engaged their children in conversations on the topic to avoid bullying or other distractions in the classroom.

“Everybody’s got to do what they think is in the best interest of keeping themselves safe,” Persis said. “We just hope everyone does that.”

While he is cautiously optimistic about the new school year, Persis is fearful about possible quarantines.

“There were students that missed another 30 days because they were quarantined three times,” Persis said. “Those students were quarantined while they were supposed to be getting their instruction in other ways, either with the Live option or other ways. That was not smooth, and I think we lost a lot with that because when they were quarantined, that put an extra burden on the parents.”

Bridging the learning gap will be one of the issues he and other school board members will be focused on.

“We’ll be monitoring them early and often throughout this school year,” Persis said. “ ... Because we have a higher percentage of students that are coming to school, we’ll be much more able to help them when they’re in the classroom with us, than when they’re at home.”

Ginger, seventh grade

Dominic, third grade

Calvin, second grade

Carson, third grade, and Ryder, fifth grade

‘THIS IS WHAT WE LIVE FOR’

At Ormond Beach Elementary School, Principal Shannon Hay tries to do something different every year to greet students on the first day of school. This year, they placed yard art to welcome them back to campus.

Everyone — students, teachers and parents — were excited to begin the 2021-2022 school year, she said. Like OBMS, OBE is taking the necessary steps to make sure students can learn in a safe environment, and Hay said they are doing so while balancing a “welcoming environment.” Every year, the kids come back taller and with more confidence, she said, and seeing that is one of her favorite moments during the first days of school.

“I don’t think that there’s a principal or an administrator in this district that doesn’t love a building full of children — the laughter, the smiles, the learning,” Hay said. “This is what we live for. This is what we want, and this is what we thrive in.”

Hay said she is looking forward for students participating in some of OBE’s traditions, which she called the “heart and soul” of the school. These include the Reading Counts program, kindergarten’s Polar Express-themed day and fifth grade’s annual kickball game.

“I’m very proud of my school and our district because even though we are facing some challenging times as a nation, I think we’ve done a great job of still trying to keep our schools safe and welcoming for students,” Hay said. “I think today seeing our students come back to school so happy just proves that we were able to do that balance.”

LOOKING AHEAD

The start of the 2021-2022 school year also marked the return of self-expression through clothes.

The Volusia County School Board eliminated its uniform policy on July 27, and Tuten said most of the students were in compliance with the district’s new dress code policy on the first day of school. She saw a very small number of students wearing rips or tears in their clothing, and not one pair of flip flops, slides or Crocs — footwear that could present a safety hazard due to the school’s stairs.

“For the most part, it was just very colorful, very individualized,” Tuten said. “We might see some flowers with some plaids, and two different shoes — brand new shoes, but one might be red and one might be yellow — so they definitely were doing their style and that sort of thing.”

Her hope is that with more students returning to brick-andmortar (Volusia County Schools reported 59,887 students were enrolled in its 92 schools for this school year), the students will be able to redeem some of the learning loss caused by the pandemic. OBMS is setting aside time for all students to either catch up or further enrich their education.

“We’re all looking forward to a very successful school year here and we’re so glad to have the students back on campus with us,” tuten said. “The teachers have been planning for a week now some of those engaging activities that will help the students learn at their highest levels.”

VCS REQUIRES MASKS FOR ALL ADULTS

After surveying principals, Volusia County Schools has made the decision to require that all adults, including employees, parents, volunteers, and other visitors, wear a face-covering (mask or shield) in VCS schools and facilities. This will apply for adults who are indoors and where social distancing of 6 feet or more cannot be maintained. Appropriate accommodations will be made for medical purposes on an individual basis in accordance with the ADA.

This requirement began Thursday, Aug. 12, and will be in effect for 30 calendar days (through Sept. 11). This decision will be re-evaluated by Superintendent Dr. Scott Fritz as more information comes in, and VCS will relax the requirement as soon as it is practical.

Face coverings for students will remain optional. Dr. Fritz is strongly recommending that all students wear a mask or face shield when they are indoors and near other people at school. Families have the right to choose the option of not wearing a face covering for their student(s), and no one should be harassed to do so per the FDOE emergency rule.

Dr. Fritz is also strongly encouraging everyone 12 and older to get the vaccine.

The CDC has updated its guidance for fully vaccinated people and also recommends universal indoor masking for students and adults in school, regardless of vaccination status.

Additionally, the Florida Department of Health has provided new information including new COVID-19 protocols in schools.

To provide as much information as possible, VCS has created a COVID-19 information website to share information about Health and Safety Protocols and to answer Frequently Asked Questions.

District leaders will continue to closely monitor the course of the virus and will notify families and parents of any updates.

Remember, anyone who is sick or experiencing symptoms of illness should stay home.

Let’s all work together for a safe, healthy, and successful school year!

— VOLUSIA COUNTY SCHOOLS

Envisioning the future of Ormond’s parks

What did the survey respondents say they wanted from the city’s Leisure Services?

JARLEENE ALMENAS

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The update to Ormond Beach’s parks and recreation master plan is well underway, and with data showing what residents want, the city is beginning to discuss what the future of Leisure Services will entail, and how to fund it.

The master plan update process, which is being conducted by Barth Associates, is currently in the third phase of visioning. Over 1,100 residents participated in the second phase consisting of both a “statistically-valid survey” as well as an online survey open to all. The consultant gathered 402 citizen responses for its statistically-valid survey, and 646 people filled out the online one.

On Tuesday, Aug. 17, Barth Associates conducted two workshops to present findings: a joint meeting with the city’s Leisure Services Advisory Board and the Quality of Life Board, and one with the City Commission.

“We think we have pretty good, robust findings,” Barth Associates President David Barth said.

REFERENDUM ON THE HORIZON?

The three highest-rated actions wanted by citizens, according to Barth Associates, were: 1) providing safe bicycle and pedestrian facilities; 2) upgrading existing parks including athletic fields; and 3) acquiring land for preservation of greenspace, parks and natural areas.

In addition, according to Barth Associates’ survey, 69.5% of respondents said they would be willing to pay $12-$60 more annually to fund the types of parks, recreation facilities and programs that were most important to them. In the online survey, 85% of respondents said they would be willing as well. In comparison, 21.4% of people said they would not be willing to pay any additional dollars; 15% of online survey respondents also stated they were not willing.

If the city were to explore this option as a source of funding for parks and recreation projects and programs, it would need to be approved by voters in the form of a referendum.

City Commissioner Susan Persis said that, with interest rates being so low, now could be an opportune time to look at exploring that option.

“There’s a myriad of things our citizens need, and this to me speaks that people want it,” Persis said.

She also spoke about the consultant’s finding, based on stakeholder input, that providing recreational facilities in the west side of the city, such as a community center and athletic fields, were identified as needs.

The west side of town — generally considered the area west of I-95 — is developing quickly and many young families are moving into those neighborhoods, said Persis. Adding a sports complex is something she identified as being “near and dear to her heart.” The city also owns property in that area near Pathways Elementary, and Persis said the opportunities that could present are exciting.

“I think the sky’s the limit,” Persis said. “I think we can make something really fabulous and make our city even better.”

IMPROVING FACILITIES

The fact bicycle and walking trails were ranked as high-priority needs by survey respondents stood out to Commissioner Dwight Selby. He said when he thought of leisure services, the first thing that came to his mind were traditional sports facilities and parks. He mentioned further examining the city’s many “pocket” parks, some of which many not have a bench or other facilities, and finding ways to include some improvements to those parks as part of the update.

Mayor Bill Partington said he is pleased with how the master plan process is going. He would like to see more “multi-generational” projects, like the Ormond Beach Sports Complex. Seeing the different generations of families spending time out there during games and other sport events are the kind of activities that the mayor said makes Ormond Beach great.

“To me, a lot of the magic in Leisure Services happens with activities where you draw in all of the generations,” he said.

NEXT STEP

The next public meeting for the master plan update is scheduled to take place next month at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 6, at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center, located at 176 Division Ave.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

A follow-up survey for the city’s parks and recreation master plan update is still available online.

Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OBParksLifeVision

OTHER NEEDS IDENTIFIED

 Adding a new gym, multi-purpose center or civic center in the city: The commission is hopeful this need will be one of the first addressed, as the new gym at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center is coming soon.  Provision of adequate pickleball facilities: Mayor Bill Partington said that while neighboring Holly Hill has a highly-utilized pickleball facility, the city should look at providing citizens with opportunities to play the sport in their own city.  Addition of a multipurpose open space: City Commissioner Dwight Selby suggested finding a use for the open field behind Nova Community Center. It is the site of the former landfill, so the city would have to explore ways to make that land usable.  Providing additional amenities in parks, restrooms in particular: Pocket parks, as identified by Selby, could be a way to address this need.

File photo by Jarleene Almenas A sign notifying residents of the ongoing master plan input process is found inside Central Park.

Beth Jacobson Multi-Media Account Executive 8 Years with The Observer

We’re Growing!

Engagement Specialist

This new position will play a key role in overall business development of traditional and innovative media products and services. Objectives and goals of this position will be focused on engagement and lead generation for advertising, subscriptions, membership, digital products and services. This team member must be proficient in all communication modalities including, personal networking, telephone, social media, emailing and surveys.

This ideal candidate will have strong administrative skills, attention to detail, excellent written and communication skills including social media and possess an upbeat positive attitude.

Join the Observer Media Group team! Be part of our success.

For more information: palmcoastobserver.com/jobs

Please send resume and cover letter to: Palm Coast Observer maureen@palmcoastobserver.com

See a Doctor Who Specializes in Hearing NOT a Salesman

• Your hearing is precious - trust Palm Coast Hearing Center - where your total hearing health is our priority, and our Doctors and Specialists use proven best practices to maximize your success!

• Hearing loss can affect your life in many ways, from increasing your risk of dementia, increasing your risk of falling, and decreasing your likelihood of being able to live independently as you age- put your hearing health in the hands of our caring and compassionate Doctors of Audiology.

• In addition to hearing loss, our doctors specialize in cerumen (ear wax) removal, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and testing of our current hearing aids to determine if they are properly fit. We are committed to

providing the best hearing care

available in Palm Coast and Ormond.

Unhappy with your hearing aids? Call us, we can help!

Free Gift for New Patients! *expires August 25th

Dr. Indira Alvarez, Au.D., F-AAA

Dr. Dominique Botto, Au.D., F-AAA

Heather Curry, H.A.S