RSU 25 adapting to hybrid learning

BUCKSPORT, Maine (WABI) - We spoke with officials in RSU 25 earlier this year as they worked through the planning process to get students back to in-person learning.

Now that they’ve acclimated to their new normal, TV5 paid them a visit to find out what that new normal is like.

“They’ve just been fantastic,” said Bucksport High School Principal Josh Tripp. “They are rolling with the punches, and they are happy to be here, so they are willing to modify and do whatever they need to do in order to be successful.”

“This is my second day,” explained BHS Senior Addie Morrison. “We go Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the other cohort goes Mondays and Wednesdays.”

Bucksport High School is one month into its hybrid learning plan.

“It’s become pretty normal just having to wear the masks,” said Morrison. “The hallways, you can see, it’s taped on each side, and you have to stick to each side.”

“Obviously there was a tremendous amount of planning over the summer, but you’re planning for something that you’ve never experienced,” said Tripp. “You don’t exactly know all those little things that are going to come up on a day-to-day basis. I think that’s what we found is that every day there’s something that we didn’t think about, and we are adjusting on the fly.”

Adjusting to things like a life on Zoom.

“We tested a bunch of the technology for Zoom and everything during the summer,” Tripp said. “Until you get 350 students on a network and try to do everything the same time.”

“Sometimes people won’t realize their mic is off, and they’ll be eating, and you have to say, oh by the way, can you mute yourself" said Morrison.

Both agree that looking back at where they were - to where they are now - this is ok.

“I think I definitely appreciate being here a lot more than previous years,” Morrison said. “Be like, ah, I don’t really want to go to school today, but you appreciate a lot more when you realize it’s not something you’re always going to have there.”

“I think what’s making it all work is that we didn’t like last spring,” said Tripp. “From March 13th to June 15th, that is not the experience the educators want. That’s not what we went to school for to get into this profession is to teach kids through a computer screen and never see them. Students quickly learned, as Addie just said, sometime

s you never wanted to get up and go to school, but after you found out you couldn’t go there for three months at a time, school is where kids want to be.”

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