Students, faculty at Sanibel school mark last day of year
The Sanibel School held its last day of school on June 17 as classes let out for the summer.
“I would say it was a really smooth year,” Principal Jamie Reid said.
Approximately 280 students in kindergarten through eighth grade were enrolled for 2020-2021.
“It was about the same as last year,” she said.
In light of the ongoing pandemic, the school had put safety measures in place for the start of the year. They included one-way hallways, mask wearing, standing 6-feet apart in the halls and classrooms, assigned seats and distancing in the cafeteria. Cleaning and sanitization protocols were also increased.
Reid reported that about 65 percent of the students returned for face-to-face instruction for the first semester, while the remainder attended virtually. In the second semester, about 95 percent came back.
“Which was actually really high in the district,” she said of the percentages for face-to-face.
Assistant Principal Jennifer Lusk noted that the school had a few students test positive for COVID-19 over the course of the year, but all cases were traced to outside relatives or such — not the school.
“We haven’t had a single exposure,” she said.
Reid explained that the biggest challenge for teachers was dual teaching. Because the school is small, staff had to figure out how to teach their face-to-face students at the same time as their virtual ones.
“So that was a huge hurdle,” she said, noting that they figured it out and took it all in stride.
“They had such an optimistic attitude, and they accepted the challenges,” Lusk added, explaining that this was applicable to the staff, students and families. “They embraced it and made the most of it.”
And based on preliminary indicators, the students appear to have excelled this year.
Reid explained that the school monitors the progress of the students in-house and the data looks promising. In addition, early numbers from the Florida Standards Assessments show about 96 percent of the third-graders passing with a score of 3 or higher. The final scores will be released in July.
The test is conducted every two years and about 91 percent achieved that last time.
“We are actually ahead of that,” she said. “But, it’s so much more than test scores.”
Reid continued that in addition to seeing the students succeed academically, the staff wants to ensure that the children feel safe and cared for while they are at school, and also want them to have fun.
The students took outdoor field trips to the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge and Pick Preserve. They built rockets, took part in a cupcake contest, participated in a boating course and more.
“They did so many hands-on activities,” Reid said.
“Just being flexible and innovative,” she added. “And having a really supportive community.”
With the close of the school year, 32 eighth-graders were recognized during the annual promotion ceremony, held on June 17 in the cafetorium. A parent-sponsored party was held for them after.
As the school bid farewell and best of luck to the future ninth-graders, it did the same for some staff. Middle-school reading teacher Alicia Base and kindergarten teacher LeAnn Prescher are leaving, while fourth-grade teacher Daryl Peters is transferring to another school in the Lee County School District.
For the 2021-2022 year, Reid reported that there are already plans on the horizon.
A Cambridge — high level — course will be added for the middle-schoolers, called “Global Perspectives.” It will offer the advanced students a chance to challenge themselves with research, inquiry and collaboration. In addition, staff are intending to expand the school’s existing STEM program — a popular option — to include more robotics, legos and computer programming.
She added that the school will continue with its leadership program, which centers on Dr. Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Happy Kids,” — a spin-off from “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Staff also hopes to hold a Leadership Day and student-led conferences, plus other leadership activities.
“We are looking forward to having a more open campus in the coming year too and hope to have community members become involved with The Sanibel School,” Reid said.
Part of the Lee County School District, the Sanibel school is currently accepting new student applications. There is a wavier process available for interested families who live off-island. For more information on enrolling, contact Donna Marks at 239-472-1617 or donnamm@leeschools.net.
For more information about the school, visit https://sbl.leeschools.net/.
The Sanibel School is at 3840 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel.