Students at Gowan Science Academy in Yuma, Arizona, could soon have an outdoor classroom where they can socially distance, work on messy projects and enjoy the sunshine.
The outdoor learning hub will be an asset for the public school’s buddy program, where sixth graders work with kindergarteners on projects a practice that could expand now that the school has the extra space.
In previous years, students have worked together to create alphabet books while “randomly sitting in the grass,” said principal Jamie Haines. With the outdoor classroom, they’ll have whiteboards, tables, Wi-Fi and electricity to work outside while taking advantage of living in the “Sunniest City on Earth.”
A for Arizona announces public Small Learning Community Grant awardees
January 22, 2021|
A for Arizona announced the seven public school districts and public charter schools launching small learning communities that will receive Expansion and Innovation Fund grants on Jan. 14, 2021.
In a continuation of the work to discover new ways of teaching and learning that is best for students, A for Arizona received a $500,000 grant from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund in October 2020. The grant is to increase high-quality education options for underserved students through small learning communities. The GEER funding was allocated in the Federal CARES Act this past spring to address disruptions caused by COVID-19 and to support those communities hit hardest by the pandemic.
Crane School District will resume the 2020-2021 school year in a remote learning format Jan. 4, the district announced Wednesday.
The district governing board was slated to hold a special meeting next Tuesday to examine Yuma Countyâs COVID-19 health metrics and determine whether current trends would afford a safe return to in-person learning. However, with the increasing impact of positive COVID-19 cases in the area and the likelihood of holiday gatherings contributing to this upward trend, the district elected to cancel the meeting and begin the spring semester with remote learning.
âWeâve been continuously tracking community transmission of COVID-19 cases and COVID-like illness in Yuma, as is our duty and responsibility to our students and staff,â Superintendent Laurie Doering wrote to Crane families Wednesday morning. âGiven that all three (Arizona Department of Health Services) metrics â cases per 100,000 individuals, percent positivity and hospita