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Harpswell Coastal Academy

March 27, 2020


Harpswell Coastal Academy Starts Trimester 3 Online After Three Days of Planning and Preparation

Brunswick, Maine – Harpswell Coastal Academy (HCA) kicked off Trimester 3 course online this past Thursday after three quick days of students and staff acclimating to online learning.  Last Monday, teachers and other staff members met to plan the transition not only of instruction, but also of food services, special education delivery and social services.  On Tuesday, crews (home rooms) started their first daily 9:00 a.m. online meetings. By last Thursday, all were ready for the start of online classes for the new trimester.  

“We decided immediately that we were going to make sure this challenging situation strengthened our community and strengthened our students’ academic engagement,” said Scott Barksdale, Head of School.  “We are here to support our students and their families, and the best way to do that right now is to not miss a beat and get our students right back onto an academic schedule, even if that is happening from their breakfast tables or bedrooms.  Routines are important and healthy - we know that.”

Starting next week, HCA buses will hit the road to bring much-needed food, school supplies, library books, and technology to drive-throughs in students’ home communities.  HCA draws students from 24 towns, from Bath to Auburn and from Freeport to Richmond. As a free public charter school with a focus on entrepreneurship and social change, HCA draws students from all walks of life.  There will be drive-throughs every Tuesday and Friday afternoon in Lewiston, Lisbon, Topsham, and Bath.

In addition, all HCA seniors who were on the path to graduation have the opportunity to start their final coursework.  Those who have taken advantage of HCA’s flexible programming and have already satisfied their graduation requirements continue to take free college courses, do internships and service learning, or gain valuable work experience.  “Motivated students can move at their own pace at HCA, and since SMCC is right across our parking lot and Region 10 is just up the road, they don’t have to travel far to go far,” said Kaitlyn Pulju, school counselor at HCA’s high school campus on Brunswick Landing.  “Transitioning successfully to online learning is what we need to do right now to keep our communities healthy, and our staff and students have really embraced that.”

Families were invited to a one time drive-through pick up of school materials and devices at the Brunswick Landing campus this past Wednesday.  In addition to the drive-throughs, HCA students will receive a care package in the mail from school with school supplies, “getting started with online learning” resources, as well as a reminder that HCA cares.

“We all need to work together right now to beat this, and HCA staff and students are doing their part by quickly shifting to online teaching and learning.  I’m really proud of them,” said Barksdale.

 

Connect with HCA:

www.harpswellcoastalacademy.org

info@harpswellcoastalacademy.org

https://www.facebook.com/HarpswellCoastalAcademy  

https://www.instagram.com/hca_me/

(207) 833-3229

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