Evansville's Signature School assures families that students' safety is top priority
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Given a choice between in-person and virtual learning, most Signature School families have opted for face-to-face instruction. And while Principal Jean Hitchcock is excited for the students to return on Wednesday, she said their safety remains the school's top priority.
Along with rearranging desks and taping off instructional areas with measuring sticks, Hitchcock said Signature will live-stream classes for families opting to learn from home.
The school spent nearly $150,000 to implement technology needed to stream classes from each room. So far, 88 percent of Signature families have decided to go with in-person instruction and 12 percent will learn remotely – or roughly 50 out of 400 enrolled students.
While in-person instruction is preferred, Hitchcock said teachers are prepared to extend their classrooms to those learning from home.
"We are methodically going through a plan in place for whatever scenario comes our way," Hitchcock said. "I think the keyword is flexibility. Everybody has to be flexible and I'm working with a very great and flexible staff."
Technology Director Jami Cates said the sourcing and installation of technology has taken weeks to complete, but the school has added personnel and other support to help with teachers and students' transition to virtual instruction.
"It's been a challenge, but with everyone coming together it's been quite a team effort," Cates said.
Tristan Kitch, who graduated from Signature in 2015, was tapped to help with the school's reopening. Since flying home in March from Thailand, where he taught English and worked with students on project-based courses, he's worked with Cates in setting up the school's technology.
"I had been looking for jobs out here, and I was like, 'Yes, that sounds great.' I had such a great experience working out here."
Cates said the school's relationship with local vendors has also allowed students, who didn't have the necessary technology, to bring home laptops and other devices for online learning.
While science teacher Cynthia Ahmed and others worked with similar technology last school year, she expects virtual learning to go more smoothly this time around.
Having consistently received updates about Wednesday's reopening, parent Susanne Renshaw said she's confident Signature directors and teachers will provide a safe environment for her daughter and other students in-person.
"We are ready to go," Renshaw said. "We're excited that they're opening the school, and we're excited for our daughter to go back to school. She's missed her friends dearly, and we're confident that this school's going to be a safe place and great place to learn."
While the reopening process has been difficult, Hitchcock said it's been easier than other schools with Signature's size and available space. With several centers in use on campus, students will be able to social distance and follow other safety guidelines outlined by state and local health officials.
"Yes, we're excited but very cautious," she said. "We all realize it's a real privilege to be here."
As the school year gets underway, Hitchcock said the school will remain open with families and continue basing decisions on feedback from the Vanderburgh County Health Department and other health professionals.
In the case that a student tests positive for COVID-19, the school will notify the family and ensure all close contacts are made aware of the situation. Hitchcock said there's no threshold for positive cases that would result in the move to online learning, but if the move is warranted it will be made, she said.
"My goal is to be as transparent as I can be with our parents so they can make informed decisions with their child," she said. "I intend to uphold that, and understand that there will be some tweaking along the way."