A photo of the front entrance of Clarke Middle School on April 25 is shown. CMS eighth grade English department teacher Bailey Frederking believes that even with the disconnect between virtual and in-person learning, it has been beneficial to have the opportunity to bring the community back into the school. “One of the things we (teachers have) talked about is, each time we’ve transitioned into a new space, we have that time (to process),” Frederking said. “It’s been helpful to come back to (and focus on) our community and the work that we do. The (main) challenge has been, ‘How do we make sure that everyone feels connected when we’re in different spaces?’” Photo by Maya Cornish
Clarke Middle School returned to in-person instruction for the second time on March 22 and after wrapping up the spring semester with hybrid learning, the CMS staff is looking toward the future.
CMS eighth grade English department teacher Mollie Sherman believes that the transition from virtual to in-person instruction in the spring was successful.
“There have been so many moments in the last, maybe three or four weeks, where I’ve seen glimmers of what feels like a return to normalcy, and those have provided a lot of hope and a lot of excitement for (what the next school year could be like),” Sherman said.
With the switch to in-person learning and an eye on next school year, CMS eighth grade English department teacher Bailey Frederking believes there is a fine line when it comes to simultaneously teaching students both virtually and in-person.
“The balance of everything you’re thinking through as a teacher (is a lot). You’ve got your computer screens, you’ve got your Zoom on your laptop, you’ve got your Zoom on your projector,” Frederking said. “Your mind (as a teacher) is constantly running, trying to think through where (the class is) at as a group, and making sure that you’re being attentive to all of your students and delivering instruction.”
“Your mind (as a teacher) is constantly running, trying to think through where (the class is) at as a group, and making sure that you’re being attentive to all of your students and delivering instruction.”
— Bailey Frederking,
CMS eight grade English department teacher
CMS parent Hope Cook and her family chose to have her son, CMS seventh-grader Eli, return as an in-person student and believes that this option was in her son’s best interest.
“The transition has been great. We’re so happy to have our son back in school,” Hope said. “I wanted him to have a more structured learning environment (and) schedule as well as interaction with his peers.”
With many students having difficulties with online learning, such as sporadic access to wifi or loud households, according to CMS Media Specialist Shawn Hinger, the Clarke County School District is providing additional funding for schools to provide more in-depth summer schooling. Hinger will be coordinating the CMS summer school, which will work with various community organizations to enrich the program.
“There’s going to be math and reading instruction, but there’s also going to be enrichment in science and social studies (and) daily recreation activities with our P.E. coaches,” Hinger said. “(Local Athens artist) Broderick Flanigan (will) come in and do a mural (with) about 15 or so rising sixth graders and rising seventh graders, (who) will be able to work with him on that mural project that will eventually go into a gallery in Madison, Georgia, and then come back to Clarke Middle.”
The Clarke Middle School Media Center has created various programs to ensure that students participating in online instruction continue to have access to library resources. Video by Krista Shumaker
While she is unsure how the next school year will operate, Sherman is eager for students to be able to interact and collaborate with each other.
“We had the opportunity to take a little bit of a break after our Milestones testing was over (on April 23), and the kids just played. (They) ran around and laughed and had fun, and those are things that we didn’t get to do when school was closed,” Sherman said. “I feel like we did a lot of really miraculous things with (our current) instruction, but ultimately, I am most looking forward to kids being able to be kids and to have the space to feel like (school) is a joyful space for them.”
