MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Three days after Florida education officials decided to close all public schools through April 15, the Martin County School District has laid out a new plan to give students meals and distribute laptops for virtual learning.
The Martin County School District will move to a virtual learning plan on March 30.
Right now, students are on spring break. Next week, teachers and students will begin preparing for virtual learning. The following week, virtual learning will begin.
“Schools are closed and we have a plan to roll out for our teachers. The Department of Education is expecting that students will still be receiving education virtually. So, we have a plan that will happen next week,” said Superintendent Laurie Gaylord.
Teachers will begin to gather supplies next week.
"[They will be] coming in on Monday morning 8 a.m. to 12 noon to get any necessary materials that they need to work from home to deliver that instruction virtually,” Gaylord said.
If a student needs a laptop, they will be able to begin picking up a laptop from their school Wednesday.
You can find that schedule here.
“We will be using google classroom and I think it’s probably going to be a combination of things. I think it will be the teacher delivering the lesson. And then teachers uploading lessons for students, especially your older students who are able to acquire that information digitally,” Gaylord said.
On Monday, breakfast, and lunch will be available for students to pick up at four area schools: Warfield Elementary School, Port Salerno Elementary School, J.D Parker Elementary School, and Home Sound Elementary School.
The food can be picked up between 9:30 AM and noon.
Gaylord says she knows this is an uncertain time for parents, but she urges them to keep their students on a routine, especially when virtual learning begins.
“Still to be ready for class in the morning. We don’t want all the routine to go out the window where they’re staying up late so they can’t get up the next morning for school, so just to try to keep in routine,” Gaylord said.
Gaylord is also hopeful there will still be opportunities to celebrate the success of high school seniors graduating, but it is still too soon, she says, to know what kind of impact there might be on graduation ceremonies.