Block Island Times

New distance learning days for BI School students

Superintendent Michael Convery informed the Block Island School Committee of the addition of two Distance Learning day to the school calendar. There will be a DL day added to the week of May 24 and another DL day added to the week of June 7. His decision comes in response to the heightened stress levels he and the staff have observed in the student body over the past weeks.Dr. Susan Gibbons addressed the School Committee in support of the DL days. Dr. Gibbons pointed to the growing awareness that the high school students in particular are under an immense amount of stress due to the difficult changes caused by the pandemic. Last month she conducted a study in her classes that looked at student stress levels and she says the results were shocking. Even the students who are functioning at a high level academically are experiencing tremendous levels of stress and unease related to the reality of pandemic education, according to Dr. Gibbons. She believes the additional two days of Distance Learning will provide a small level of support for the students and staff. She reports that most students perform well on DL days, and the vast majority

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