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Date: 11/17/2020
EASTHAMPTON – Mountain View School will be the name of the new elementary and middle school building being built at the former White Brook Middle School site at 200 Park St.
The Easthampton School Committee voted on the new name at their Nov. 10 meeting.
Easthampton Public Schools had posted a survey on its website for community input and Superintendent Allison LeClair said it received over 700 responses with a few written-in suggestions.
LeClair read a memo submitted by Thomas Brown, the School Building Committee chair. He said he understood it is the School Committee’s decision on what name they vote for, but the building committee unanimously recommended Mountain View School.
School Committee members expressed their liking of the new name and debated whether or not they should add to it. For example, Marin Goldstein, a member of the School Committee as well as the School Building Committee, said they could add the words elementary and middle school to the name. LeClair mentioned that there will be signs above the respective entrances to identify that the building is for elementary and middle school students.
When the committee voted to approve of the new name, they also agreed on putting a sign at the entrance on the road that will read elementary and middle school.
During their meeting, the committee also discussed its hybrid in-person learning plans, both current and projected.
Last month special populations and preschool students were allowed for in-person learning under the remote plus options. A week later, on Oct. 26, kindergarten students and English language learners (ELL) started in-person learning and the remote learning center for high school students also opened for students.
LeClair shared that first graders begin in-person learning on Nov. 19, and the remote learning center for the elementary students will also begin that day. LeClair said 40 percent of first graders are returning and, because that number is less than what they anticipated, they were able to condense the cohorts. This means every first grade teacher will teach one cohort to start.
LeClair is planning to open the middle school remote learning center on Nov. 23.
Currently, all in-person learning, including the learning centers, is located at the high school but LeClair said that by January she plans to have everyone back in their buildings.
LeClair also noted when she would like all students to return to hybrid in-person learning. On Jan. 4, 2021, she would like special populations, preschool students, first graders, and their learning centers to move back to their buildings. On Jan. 11, 2021, students in grades 2-4 will move back into their buildings, grades 5 and 6, along with their learning centers, move back into White Brook Middle School on Jan. 18, 2021, and grades 7-12 move back into the middle and high school on the Jan. 28, 2021.
After conversations surrounding health metrics, testing, and families possibly going away for the holidays, the committee decided to push back the start of in-person learning for grades 2-6 to Jan. 18, 2021. Students from grades 7-12 will still move back into their buildings on Jan. 28, 2021.
School Committee Chair Cynthia Kwiecinski said she voted in favor because they need a plan now to prepare for matters like busing and moving the furniture back into their proper buildings. She added that if they need to hold off on returning all of their students to hybrid in-person learning, then they can do so.
“Even though the numbers are scaring me, I am a little more confident because I have seen hybrid working when it is done diligently and I think that we are going to be very careful. We know we are taking baby steps,” Kwiecinski said.
She added that she is also aware of the fact that at any moment their plan can change, but every school has to be ready to move into remote learning.
The next School Committee meeting is scheduled for Dec. 8. Kwiecinski also called a meeting for Dec. 22 to take a final look at the metrics before students return to hybrid in-person learning.