For kids, showing up at school daily is over for the rest of the year. But at school, life goes on – or part of it, at any rate.
“The current stars of our show are our child nutrition workers,” said Marietta Superintendent Brandi Naylor. “I can’t say enough about the work they’re doing to feed our kids during the shutdown.
“They are just amazing. When so many businesses are shutting down to avoid public contact, they’re at school, with great attitudes, interacting with our kids, just to make sure they have healthy meals.”
Child nutrition workers are at school Monday through Friday.
On the rest of the campus, a pared down maintenance crew is still working full-time and custodians are coming as needed.
All campus offices are open Monday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. so that necessary business can go on.
“We have several teachers who are in and out, gathering supplies and preparing for distance learning,” Naylor explained.
The district’s distance learning plan can’t replace a full day at school with certified teachers, but is instead intended to provide students with continued learning opportunities without being too much of a burden on parents.
The school will be checking out devices for those who have internet, and are working on hotspots for those who don’t, but many telephone companies have opened up hotspot capabilities on most phones. Alternate paper packets will be available to students who cannot get internet access.
Administrators are working, too.
“We are still trying to hire staff to fill positions that we know we are going to need,” said Naylor, “and we’ve got a senior class to graduate, so we’re working on a plan for that.”
Additionally, construction is continuing across campus in the STEM/Administration building, the track fieldhouse, and the softball complex, albeit with smaller crews who are practicing social distancing.
In all three facilities, tiling was completed last week, HVAC crews are finishing up this week, with ceiling grids and tiles soon to follow. As soon as the ceilings are done, light fixtures are next.
“We are a few weeks out on all three of these projects,” Naylor said, “but we feel like the end is in sight.”
So, even though it’s not business as usual at Marietta Public Schools, there are people there, taking care of important business.
To stay up-to-date with school news, go to the school’s Facebook page or website, mariettaisd.org, where you can also find email addresses for all administrators and teachers.