Tamaqua Area School District students might not be in a classroom the rest of the school year, but the district is doing whatever it takes to help them learn and grow.

Tamaqua Superintendent Ray Kinder and his faculty wasted no time getting started.

“We immediately had a meeting and we discussed that not knowing what was happening, we needed to take the next two weeks and we decided as a district with the support of our board, that during that two-week period we didn’t want to just sit and wait. We wanted to start to put together plans, information and gather data, so that if the hiatus extended longer, we wouldn’t be two weeks behind.”

Everyone in the district has been working tirelessly to get back on track. But the key in the beginning of the process was communication with Tamaqua students and families.

“We immediately started reaching out to start to talk and learn; what are our capabilities? As educators, what is it that we can accomplish?” Kinder said. “We then started the process of contacting our families and finding out from them, what they had access to and what they had at home. “I feel very confident that whether it’s through phone calls, email or actual home visits, that we will have reached out to every student and family within our district to be able to try and get them connected so they don’t miss anything.”

No student will be left behind. Kinder said the district was able to supply proper technology to every student in the district who did not have such at home.

“We have done a device distribution a number of days last week,” Kinder said. “We were fortunate that through the generosity of the Morgan Foundation, we were able to already have about one-third of our students with a designated device for them. We distributed probably about 100 devices to students who did not have a device to use at home. For those students it’s a lending process and eventually we’ll get them back, but it’s something to get them connected.

“The final part of it is, there might be families that have devices but don’t have the internet connection at home. Through the blessing of our board, we purchased hot spots through Verizon. The students that don’t have that ability at home will be able to connect.”

Over the past week, the students were in a review and enrichment period, which is essentially a review to help get back up to speed. According to Kinder, Tamaqua school district educators will begin presenting new information to the students on April 14.

“I wouldn’t sit here and say this is just as good,” Kinder said. “We honestly believe the teacher in front of the student in the classroom every day is the most valuable tool every day to give to the students to learn. But we are using some of the technology that exists out there to allow some regular interaction. My hope is that our regular interaction with our students by our teachers provides a bit of consistency.”

Kinder gave major kudos to his staff and faculty. “Our teachers have been fantastic. You’re building the plane and trying to fly it at the same time. If I wanted to build an online school, I would want a year to do it. I essentially challenged my staff to create one in two weeks. It’s not realistic, but we’re in an unprecedented type of situation. Everyone has to step up and rally. I think our students have done that, and a lot of them have educational goals that they still want to achieve.”

Nobody knows how long this “new norm” will be a way of life. But the Tamaqua school district did its due diligence to make sure its families are as prepared as possible by providing support and technology.

“We’re going to get through this and hopefully the Tamaqua students will not be adversely impacted from an academic perspective,” Tamaqua Area School Board President Larry Wittig said.

“They certainly had been from an athletic perspective, which is part of the academic process, but it’s beyond our control. The academic process is somewhat in our control. To that extent, we’re going to do everything possible to make sure that they have graduated or have moved on to the next grade with the tools to succeed.”