Progressing to the End of the 2020-2021 School Year

It has certainly not been a normal school year, but Pocahontas School Superintendent Terrence Beam is making plans not only for this year’s graduation and prom, traditions that mark the end of the school year, but is developing plans for offering opportunities to those students who would like to attend a summer session to get caught up on what they may have missed this year because of the unusual school schedule caused by COVID-19. Beam fills us in on these plans.

“I’d like to talk with you a little bit today about two or three little situations we’re dealing with or upcoming events that we have coming to our schools” said Beam. “First of all, an update on our summer school. We sent a survey out to our teachers (and) our employees to see how much interest there might be for summer school, and also, we have done a survey with our parents to see how many students would like to attend. Right now, we have about 30 students in kindergarten through eighth grade who are interested in going to summer school, which would begin either June 7^th or 8^th and run until July 1^st. to be held at Pocahontas County High School.  We would be running buses. We wouldn’t be able to run all the side roads, but we would run our main roads, and figure out a way to transport our kids to summer school. And in coordination with that, we are going to be offering out credit recovery for our high school during those same dates. Credit recovery is something that’s even more important this year since we’ve had so many days missed, especially at the high school, and we are probably have more students that need credit recovery. And by offering it at the same time as summer school, we can provide transportation to those kids to come to and from. The kids will be here approximately six hours, five to six hours -we are working on final schedules right now. And, of course, we would offer them lunch and those kinds of things. But we feel like that’s a really good option for us to get our summer school program and our credit recovery program coordinated together.”

“Also, we will be offering Energy Express this summer. I just met with Lucy Mosesso this morning. And that’s to be held at Marlinton Elementary School. They emphasize that it’s usually K through 3^rd grade, but I think they are going to try and include some 4^th and 5^th graders in that. And, that’s going to run from June until the end of July, those dates will come out a little bit later on.”

“So, we have several opportunities for kids to get a kind of refresher courses or some added instruction in all areas of their schooling for this summer.”

“Another area we are looking at is prom. We got a little guidance yesterday from the State Department (of Education) on how we can hold prom. Mr. Riley has received that information; I am sure he’ll be communicating with his parents on how prom can occur this year.”

“And, next week we are expecting some more guidance on graduation and how we can do graduation this year. I have spoken with Mr. Riley a little bit on how we can do graduation. Last year we had to hold it outside due to the COVID, and it was very well received to have it outside, so I think they are looking at the possibility of having this year’s outside as well. Graduation will occur on Memorial Weekend, which traditionally used to be the day we held it, but this year it has to be held a little bit later because our school calendar didn’t start until after Labor Day.”

“So, with summer school, Energy Express, prom, and graduation, those are the things that’s on our radar as we progress through the rest of the school year.”

So, as we bid farewell to the upheaval that was this school year, Pocahontas County parents and teachers alike are hoping for a return to some sort of normalcy in the upcoming school year that will begin on August 18^th.