Making do in COVID-19's world

MEDICAL LAKE — It’s one thing to be one of 200-plus school districts in the state to be relative observers in the daily COVID-19 reality show.

But when it hits home like it did in Medical Lake where a teacher tested positive for the virus, it presents a completely different response.

Medical Lake Superintendent of Schools, Tim Ames got word on Saturday, March 14 that a staff member at Hallett Elementary — and an advisor with the Circuit Breakers robotics club — had indeed tested positive.

The district, however, had the virus on its radar prior and were prepared to take measures to make sure it did not affix itself to any employee, student of school.

It took numerous conversations with the Spokane regional Health District over several days for Ames to get the response he was looking for.

“My board would have would have given me permission to shut the district down on Thursday, the 12th, but that was the first of two days of parent conferences so student contact was minimal.

Prior to the positive test by the staffer the plan was to close on Monday, March 16. “But when they tested positive, we just closed everything down for two days,” Ames said.

Nobody was allowed in buildings whatsoever and that gave administrators an opportunity to plan what the next steps would be.

The obvious first step was to scour each school building and on March 18 the first group to go in were custodians. They conducted deep cleaning at each district school, a mission that was expected to be completed March 24 with Michael Anderson.

“And then the plan after that is start to give limited access to staff to get their stuff so they can work and teach from home,” Ames said.

The high school, for example, did a Zoom meeting for those who needed to get in the building. They had 10 teachers, everybody else said all their stuff.

“So (principal) Chris Spring scheduled five at one time and five at another time,” Ames said.

Entry required a protocol that included answering five questions — and take your temperature, Ames explained. “It’s like have you traveled? Have you demonstrated any new flu-like symptoms? Have you been around anybody who’s been sick?”

“So everybody does that, even I got stopped at my door by my administrative assistant (Sarra Reiber) and took the test and passed,” Ames said with a chuckle, adding that he, too, was required to have his temperature taken.

March 23 began the process to distribute grab-and-go lunches and the effort to have valid instruction while school buildings are locked.

Prior efforts to infuse the latest technology have come it real handy, too.

“Right now we’re in a good position, in a better position than most,” Ames said. “All our kids have devices, Chromebooks kindergarten through 12th grade,” that began to be standard tools in 2018.

There is already Google Classroom up and running and “(Director of Teaching and Learning) Kim (Headrick) has done a wonderful job kind of gathering resources, online resources,” Ames said.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].