Return to School

Bringing Cohorts Together again

Students in Amanda Mangione’s third grade class at Increase Miller Elementary spilled in on Tuesday morning and got right to their morning routine.

While the class had doubled in size since the week before, students calmly took books out of backpacks or began a do-now handout while waiting their turn to wash their hands at the classroom sink.

It was the second day that both cohorts were all together in one classroom – the first of three waves in the district’s thoughtful and methodical Return to School. In a week’s time, by April 19, all grades would be back.

conversation at the classroom sink

Student strides in adaptability and technology

Mangione’s third graders were adept at broadcasting the classroom screen to their iPads –a tech tip they were sharing around the school. “Students have learned how to be so flexible this year,” said Mangione. “They are very empowered to use technology.”

Keeping students safely spaced while eating is another challenge. The goal is to have students eat outside as often as possible. “They’ve been bringing in towels and blankets to use on the grass,” said Mangione.

“We might occasionally still use Zoom, ” she reminded her students. “It can be a great way to bring visitors into our classroom.” 

IMES PTO welcomes students and staff back to full week in-school learning with a balloon surprise