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Living In FREEPORT
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Freeport Schools
espite the challenges brought by the pandemic, the Freeport Public School District was able to reopen its buildings for the 2020-21 school year on Sept. 8 and 9. “After many months of working collaboratively with administrators, teachers and parents on developing an approved reopening plan that meets the health, safety and wellness needs of our students in these challenging times, it was rewarding and inspiring to see our goals become a reality,” said Dr. Kishore Kunhcam, superintendent of schools. “It was wonderful to see our schools come to life, and to see the enthusiasm of our staff and students. Thanks to our students, staff and parents for making the first day of school a success and to our Board of Education for their ongoing support. ” Making a switch to the hybrid-learning model, all six schools in the district allowed students to either learn from home full-time or come to school every other day for in-person learning. During the pandemic, the district had given out Chromebooks to students in all grades, as well as provided Internet access to those who lacked it, to make sure that all students were able to take part in distance learning. Before returning to school, students and parents were encouraged to follow a self-health check guideline to avoid coming into the buildings with Covid-19 symptoms. Students had to wear a face mask throughout the school day, with allotted breaks between the day. Once students got to school, they would ap-
proach one of several entry points, where their temperatures would be checked. The students then went on to their classrooms, which only fit around 15 students. The pre-K classrooms had at most nine students in each class ,with two teachers. District officials said that all ventilation systems are routinely cleaned, and teachers are allowed to open windows and classroom doors to help with air circulation. Classrooms, hallways and buses are also cleaned regularly. Whenever someone tested positive for Covid-19, district officials notified the Nassau County Department of Health, and both worked on the conditions and scope of any necessary closures. Contaminated areas were closed for 24 hours before being cleaned and disinfected. The person who tested positive for Covid-19 then waited for a negative test result to come in before they were allowed to return to school. As of April, the district had more than 300 positive cases. Despite all the changes, students continued to thrive in the district and were able to take part in special virtual events, performances and celebrations throughout the school year. While the schools initially operated on a fourday weekday, with Friday’s set aside for additional remote-learning lessons, some of the schools have now gone back to a full, five-day schedule. Courtesy Freeport Public Schools
Above Photo: Teaching Assistant Roberta Shapiro welcomed one of her fourth-grade students at the Archer Street School in September 2020.
