WESTFIELD-Students can experience learning curves in any grade, and now in this time of upheaval with the pandemic, teachers and service providers are also learning how to provide a format of virtual learning to reduce a child’s anxiety and stress that they may be experiencing.
For young people with disabilities, professionals in the Westfield Public Schools are trying to find unique ways to help students adapt to a new way of learning.
Nick Stefanik, a student at Westfield Intermediate School, reads for a school “reading log” at home. (MARY STEFANIK PHOTO)
“There are approximately 1,100 students with disabilities in the Westfield Public Schools,” said Martha von Mering, administrator, Special Education and Student Support for the public schools. “Just as it is a learning curve for the teachers and service providers to learn and provide this format of virtual learning to students, it is also the same for students and parents.”
von Mering noted that since schools were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students, regardless of disability, have “struggled” to some degree to adapt to this new way of receiving an education, with some students experiencing less disruption than others.
“Many students are doing well with approximately three hours of school per day and can keep up with their work,” said von Mering. “Other students need additional support from their teacher during the teacher’s office hours or a separate breakout session in order to stay abreast of their assigned work along with work modification in terms of length of time or length of assignments.”
Currently, students have sessions structured using Google Classroom through larger groups, small groups, and 1:1 via Zoom/Google Meets meetings, telephone calls and regular emails. Students work with general and special education teachers, paraprofessionals in the Google Classrooms, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, a behaviorist autism consultant, and their assistants, school adjustment and guidance counselors.
Tommy Stefanik, a student at Westfield Technical Academy, checks Google Classroom at his desk at home. (MARY STEFANIK PHOTO)
“I think it varies from family to family on how they are coping each depending on family environment, the nature of the child’s disability, and whether families still have a parent or guardian leaving for work each day,” said von Mering.
von Mering added that the school district has reached out to families as a whole as well as special education teachers and service providers to families individually.
“These are trying times and we are all just doing the best each person and family can do,” said von Mering. “Remote learning doesn’t and will never replace direct and explicit learning that all children need even more so special ed kids.”
Lucas Stefanik, a student at the Westfield Middle School, works on a math assignment at home. (MARY STEFANIK PHOTO)
Michele Douglas, who has a son in the fourth grade, concurred.
Evan Douglas has a Zoom session with his fourth grade teacher Jennifer Sparks. (MICHELE DOUGLAS PHOTO)
“It has been hard transitioning from full day school to doing school at home,” said Douglas. “With all the distractions it is hard to focus. Also, modification of school work is a challenge since teachers are at home without all their teaching materials. As a parent it is clear that the teachers and staff miss their students and the students miss them.”
Mary Stefanik, who has sons at the Westfield Middle School, Westfield Intermediate School and Westfield Technical Academy, shared a similar sentiment.
“They say that they miss their teachers and friends in person very much,” said Stefanik.
Dawn Altieri, who has a son at Westfield Technical Academy and a daughter at Westfield High School, and Cynthia Serrano, who has a daughter at the Westfield Intermediate School and a son at the Munger Hill Elementary School, also shared their thoughts about online schooling.
Rylee Altieri, a student at Westfield High School, participates in a remote learning class. (DAWN ALTIERI PHOTO)
“Rylee does not like online schooling at all,” said Altieri, adding, “She can’t see her friends plus the teachers. She also feels it is more work.”
Dominic Altieri, a student at Westfield Technical Academy, takes part in a remote learning session. (DAWN ALTIERI PHOTO)
Altieri added that her son Dominic feels he has more free time, however, “he misses the shop and working outside.”
For Serrano, she said her daughter Gavriella would prefer to be in school rather than learn remotely, and for her son Ethan, there are distractions that impede the remote learning process.
“I teach Ethan one-on-one so he can focus and then he feels proud of himself finishing his work,” said Serrano, adding, “Ethan also gets teletherapy and he does well at home.”
On a related note, parents are invited to participate in the Westfield Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). SEPAC is a parent group that provides resources and education to families.
“We are also a group that has a working relationship with the special ed department of WPS as well as the superintendent,” said Rachel Bullock, a volunteer parent with SEPAC. “As parents have issues they should reach out to our group to have as a sounding board, a place of resources and a collective communicator to the school district.”
Gavriella and Ethan Serrano have their own computers for remote learning. (CYNTHIA SERRANO PHOTO)
Bullock, who has a daughter at the Westfield Intermediate School, appreciates all of the work executed by special education professionals.
Karley Bullock, a sixth grade student at the Westfield Intermediate School, participates in a Zoom session with her special education teacher Courtney Phelon, seen on left. (RACHEL BULLOCK PHOTO)
“My kids are adjusting to the remote learning well enough,” said Bullock. “We are grateful for the constant communication especially with the WIS team that my daughter has. The many platforms the kids are using can get confusing at times but everyone seems to be trying their best, the kids, the teachers and us parents. My kids were happy at first with no school but as time goes on they are missing interactions with friends and other activities and even teachers.”
Currently, monthly emotional support group meetings are conducted with professional facilitators through Zoom. For more information, send an email to [email protected] or visit the group’s Facebook page – Westfield MA Special Education Parent Advisory Council.
