Lincoln Plans Skype Lessons for Next Pandemic Closure

In the event another pandemic virus closes local schools, Westfield has received a grant which could keep students learning from home.

School officials announced that Lincoln School is part of a statewide pilot training program to prepare for remote student learning in the event of a public health closures of schools. Lincoln School was closed for several days in June of 2009 following concerns of the H1N1 virus infecting students and teachers at the early childhood learning center.

Lincoln School Principal Audrey Zavetz said the grant, funded by the state Department of Education, was provided to the 13 schools statewide which closed during the H1N1 pandemic. The funds will used to purchase equipment and train Lincoln teachers for the next pandemic.

Zavetz said the school will be purchasing 17 laptop computers equipped with cameras. These laptops will allow teachers to create video lessons in order to continue student learning at home during a pandemic crisis. She said teachers will be able to prepare the lessons at home and post them to class websites for students to watch at home.

In addition to the prerecorded lessons, Zavetz said the plan will allow for teachers to teach live lessons utilizing Skype technology for students to learn. She said plans are being put into place to allow for work for ESL students at the school.

Zavetz said the $2,500 grant will also help provide professional development to teachers on how to teach via remote locations and utilizing the technology and live broadcasting of lessons.

School officials said the program will start at Lincoln and will also be provided for other district schools, in case a pandemic virus closes another building.

Lincoln was closed by health department officials for three days in June 2009 when a 40-percent absenteeism rate in one Kindergarten class raised red flags. During the closure, the school was cleaned to national public health standards.

H1N1 was determined to not be the cause of the absenteeism rate at Lincoln, with Avallone saying that a “flu-like virus” casued the closure. At the time, Avallone said it could have possibly been H1N1 but that no test results confirming the issue had been communicated to her office.

At the time, Avallone said the six students and two teachers all had flu-like symptoms and temperatures over 100 degrees. Avallone does not have the power to order H1N1 testing.

“It’s important to remember that H1N1 is like seasonal flu,” Avallone said in 2009. “If in Lincoln, during flu season, I saw six absent out of 15, I would still have closed the school.”