Stop the World, I Want to Get Off – Coping During a Pandemic WRITTEN By: Annemarie Sliby
Stop the World I Want to Get Off is a musical that debuted October 3, 1962 on Broadway. Although the musical’s storyline is much different, the title describes how people may feel about the year 2020—the year loved ones passed, businesses closed, and jobs were lost due to a world-wide pandemic that started just before 2020 began.
The town prepared for a medical emergency weeks before the lockdown. Committees were put in place to prepare the school district, business community, and general population.
SCHOOL DISTRICT Dr. Vince Scarpetti (Superintendent of Schools), Dr. Amir Mohammad (the town’s Director of Health), and various committees began planning for alternate learning should a lockdown happen. Scarpetti says, “We were focused on being proactive, but it was still shocking---school is in session, and suddenly, we get the call we are closing. Because of our preparedness, we were able to provide assignments the week after shut-down.”
WINTER 2020
Virtual learning was initiated via Google Classroom (where teachers would post assignments) and Google Meeting (where teachers and staff attended meetings). This type of learning continued until summer break began.
REOPENING PLAN The planning continued all summer for the school district’s reopening in the fall. Scarpetti says, “The health and safety of the students and staff were at the forefront of our thinking and planning.” Dr. Mohammad made himself available for multiple meetings a week. The reopening committee, parent feedback, and collaboration of key stakeholders were also critical in the reopening plan. A variety of educational models were proposed. Dr. Scarpetti says, “What we learned from being shut down last spring became a driving force for what we are doing now and what we will do if we move to full remote learning.” We continued to focus on technology, instruction, ventilation, cleanliness of buildings and the social, emotional and well-being of our staff and students. Dr. Scarpetti emphasizes the importance of creating multiple streams of communication and systems to mitigate the chance of
OrangeLife
Photo: shutter stock
As the country went into lockdown in March, a virtual way of life was launched. While essential businesses remained open and thrived, others closed, with some trying to survive virtually. Working from home was the norm and offices soon became a staple in every home. Online platforms such as WebEx, Zoom, and Google became household names-utilizing it for teaching, business meetings, friendly chats, physical fitness, or even virtual happy hours.
exposure to COVID-19. Systems include communication via central office emails, board meetings, weekly school eblasts, website postings and open dialogue with those who contact district personnel. Mitigation systems include social distancing, mask wearing, regular hand washing, improved ventilation systems, heightened cleaning routines and cohorting. A child’s cohort consists of the students in his or her homeroom class and allows members to quarantine, as needed, rather than having to close an entire school or district. School districts across the state are currently operating in a variety of learning models including full inperson, hybrid, and remote. Orange Public Schools have implemented a full in-person learning model, with few parents choosing remote | 41
