MARION — Just a little over a month into the school year, the Sippican School Council took time at an Oct. 19 meeting to assess how reopening the building has gone during a pandemic.

The school was lauded for its ability to keep students on the same learning schedule between those learning in the building and at home. Meanwhile, different council members looked to discuss issues like motivating students and parents, or the pacing of learning.

Council member Anna Ward, a parent with a fourth grader at the school and two that already went through it, said she was able to have her son stay at someone else’s house for the day while she’s working because the learning pace is the same between those in and out of the building. 

While her son is independent and will sometimes have his work at home done by 10:30 a.m., council member and fifth grade teacher Elizabeth Milden isn’t experiencing that across the board. 

“We have kids who are doing nothing” at home still, Milden said. 

“I worry about kids who don’t have parents pushing them like me,” Ward said.

One method of accountability that was brought up was assigning homework. Principal Marla Sirois said that might tip the scale for parent work loads at home, but would love to have a discussion about it. 

“I want to give people meaningful work,” Milden said. She noted that teaching this year has made her think about what is essential to teach students this year and how to keep them going. She said that students are learning new lessons everyday, so she is teaching what they need to know as a priority.

“Everything feels the same,” as how she taught last semester, second grade teacher Leanne Dineen said. 

But since being in classrooms, Dineen said she’s had zero behavioral issues with students.

For remote teacher Chelsey Lawrence, she said it’s “nice that kids can see all the teachers,” although it’s hard to keep track of teaching both fifth and sixth grade at once.