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08/24/2021 12:34 PM

Back to School Means Masks, New Classes is Westbrook


The first day of school for Westbrook Public School students this year is Monday, Aug. 30. Unlike last year where students were given the chance to do school remotely, students this year are expected to be in school unless quarantining.

Per recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH), the Board of Education has adopted a policy that requires mask use inside the school buildings and on school transportation for all students, staff, and visitors.

A letter sent to parents earlier this month states in part, “In the event of a confirmed positive case, unvaccinated students and staff identified as close contacts will be required to quarantine per DPH guidance. Asymptomatic vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine under current guidance.”

“We will continue to provide as much time outside as possible and to schedule mask breaks throughout the day,” said Westbrook Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kristina Martineau.

The schools have asked that families drop their children off at school, if possible, to reduce the number of students on the buses. Buses will have assigned seats to help with social distancing and to help in contact tracing scenarios. Desks will be spaced three feet apart and frequent hand washing and cleaning will be encouraged.

In recent weeks across the country, there have been instances of angry townspeople attending BOE meetings to demand that schools not adopt mask mandates in schools. Some of these communities have subsequently had large COVID outbreaks.

Asked about potential backlash, Martineau said, “Our focus continues to be on the health and safety of our students, their families, our staff, and our community. We will work closely with our families to support our students this year and to be both responsive and flexible to changing conditions and health metrics.”

Not Just COVID

Besides the COVID guidelines, Martineau said that a number of new changes are coming to the curriculum as well.

“Over the last several months, community members, staff, students, and parents shared their thoughts about course offerings at Westbrook High School and suggestions for new courses to increase educational opportunities for our students,” said Martineau.

At the high school level, that includes new offerings in AP classes, a principles of computer science class, robotics classes, American government and civics foundations, and a Black and Latinx studies course.

There will also be an expansion of virtual learning opportunities. “Through the support of grant funding, to complement our College and Career Pathways Program, and to provide opportunities for our students to explore their interests, we have expanded our access to Odysseyware virtual courses for the 2021-’22 school year,” Martineau wrote.

Career and technical courses will be offered that intersect with topics like agriculture, food and natural resources, architecture and construction, technology and communications, business management, government, finance, health science, hospitality, IT, law, and public safety.

At the middle school level, 7th- and 8th graders have the chance to take new classes like advanced instrumental music, advanced voice, piano, ukulele and guitar, animation, art studio, robotics, drama, coding, and personal wellness and finance.

“We are also exploring expansion of our after-school activities through the use of the ARP ESSER III grant to support program development and student interests, including a middle school robotics club and high school team,” Martineau said.

“At our elementary school, we are exploring the addition of clubs to support student interests in coding, STEM, robotics, as well as in art and writing. We will be reaching out to our students and families this fall to find out more about additional activities they would like our schools offer this year to expand enrichment activities,” she added.

Martineau said that in future months, there will be conversations with the community about what values 21st century skill should be prioritized in the schools.

“There are many skills to choose from as we determine together what is most important for our students, including but not limited to: critical and creative problem solving, collaboration, global mindset, empathy, financial literacy, communication, innovation, creativity, critical thinking; adaptability, flexible thinking, perseverance, growth mindset, citizenship, technology, self-direction, leadership, and resilience,” said Martineau.