Like other local school districts, Pleasant Valley is working out the kinks in providing online education to its students. They intend to contact parents today through ConnectEd with the information about how instruction will be provided.

Acting Superintendent Charlene Brennan said, “This is proving very challenging for Pleasant Valley given the rural nature of our community where even today we have pockets of families who cannot receive internet, hundreds of families without home computers, over 1,300 special needs students for whom we must make equitable provisions, and more.”

As of Wednesday, the district had about 350 families that said they need a computer in order for their children to do online instruction. About 100 of those families said they did not have internet access.

“However, each day we are finding families who need a computer or internet or both,” she said.

In order to get all of the families linked to the internet, the district has provided information on its website about the Blue Ridge Learn from Home Initiative. Blue Ridge is offering two months of free internet service for families who don’t have internet and need it for their children’s classes.

Brennan said that beginning on Monday, administrators and teachers will be meeting virtually to plan online instruction that will begin April 6. The teachers will also participate in virtual professional development activities to learn new computer tools and video applications.

During that time, the technology staff will continue to distribute computers to families who need them, and the special education department will be reaching out to families to work with them “to ensure equitable learning for our students with special needs,” she said.

When learning does resume on April 6, Brennan said the primary online platform will be Google Classroom and Seesaw for the elementary school students. Instruction will be supplemented with video or phone calls with students and families, but students will still be working independently from one another.

In the meantime, students should continue to use the At Home Learning Resources on the district’s website under Family Resources. The teachers for kindergarten through eighth grade prepared 10 to 20 days of review materials and maintenance of skills instruction activities listed under the links for each grade. For high school students, web links and suggested resources were provided for independent study.