Bradenton school shifts to ‘team-teaching’ after Helene devastates Anna Maria Island says

By Michael Moore Jr. 

A school in northwest Bradenton is temporarily hosting students and staff displaced from Anna Maria Elementary School by Hurricane Helene.

Stewart Elementary School opened its doors Monday to students and staff from Anna Maria Elementary, as much of the island remains closed due to the severe damage inflicted by the recent storm.

School District spokesperson Michael Barber told the Bradenton Herald in an email Wednesday that there is “no definitive timeline to return” to Anna Maria Elementary. Barber said the district’s maintenance staff weren’t able to examine the school for the first time in the wake of the storm until Tuesday.

The goal, Barber said, is for students to return “as soon as the school is safe to host students and staff.” But Barber said there’s no telling when that will be.

Until conditions on the island improve, students from Anna Maria Elementary and Stewart Elementary will share classrooms in what the district describes as a “team-teaching model.”

On Monday, students arriving at Stewart Elementary School were greeted with a sign that read, “Welcome Anna Maria Students and Families.”

Stewart hosts Anna Maria students

Around 171 of the island school’s 186 students attended Stewart Elementary on Monday, according to the district’s website.

In an email sent out to parents of Stewart Elementary School, Principal Joe Houghland wrote, “First, I hope you and your families are safe and any damage to your homes is minimal. The same can’t be said for our friends on Anna Maria Island.”

“Due to the conditions on the island and at the school, they will not be able to have classes on the AME campus until the situation on the island substantially improves,” Houghland wrote, adding that he had been working on a plan with the school district and with Anna Maria Elementary Principal Dr. Katie Fradley for Stewart to host students and staff until things could resume to normal.

“We have room to accommodate them, and we have come up with a plan to keep all students learning and create minimal disruption to the daily school schedule,” Houghland wrote.

Anna Maria Elementary School also addressed the situation in a recent social media post.

“We wanted to take a moment to reassure our school community that after checking on the campus today, we are happy to report that our little school on the bay is still beautiful and standing strong. We will temporarily be housed at Stewart Elementary School,” the post said. “We look forward to welcoming our families back to campus once the school and island are ready. In the meantime, we are here for our families and our island community and will get through this together.”

Anna Maria Elementary is the only Manatee County school that remains closed following Hurricane Helene, according to the district.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/bradenton-school-shifts-team-teaching-095000785.html