FITCHBURG, Mass. — Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School is moving from its hybrid model of learning to fully remote for two weeks due to four recent positive COVID-19 cases within the high school.
Monty Tech Superintendent-Director Sheila Harrity told families in a letter Monday that the decision to hold all classes remotely from Oct. 27 to Nov. 6, was made “due to the recent trends involving positive tests within our school, the unacceptable number of students and staff having to quarantine as close contacts and the recent report of significant events involving community spread within the city of Fitchburg.”
School administrators made the decision with state education and local public health officials as they began the process of contact tracing, Harrity said.
The decision highlights the challenges the pandemic has caused for trade schools, as students are limited in the hands-on learning such schools traditionally provide.
“Please know that this was not an easy decision for the administration to make,” Harrity wrote. “We fully recognize that, as a vocational school, in-person learning is an essential element to ensuring that our students become proficient in the skills related to their trade.”
Monty Tech offers 21 vocational programs, from early childhood education to dental assisting to automotive trades, carpentry and plumbing.
After exploring all 21 trades, freshman Kattiah Maillet has since narrowed down her focus to several fields. While she is most interested in cosmetology, she still wants to try out other programs.
“You want to make sure you see what your opportunities are, see what you actually want to do in life,” the 14-year-old said. “So it’s important to try everything.”
Kattiah alternates between trade and academic weeks at school. Before moving to remote, Kattiah had spent three days each trade week learning in person with two days online at home. Each academic week was spent in person for two days with three days remote.
Some fields are more hands-on than others. For example, during a veterinary science lab, she dissected a cow’s eye – a project that can’t be done at home.
“When we were in school, it was a lot of hands-on and doing as much as we could in those three days that we had,” said Kattiah. “It’s really hard to be hands-on when you’re online.”
Her mom, Liz, was sad to learn school was going remote, but she and her daughter fully support the school’s decision.
“My heart kind of dropped. I wasn’t surprised,” Liz Maillet said. “You take it (in) stride, and you just do what you can do at home… You want your kids, your staff – we want them well, and we want them safe. So it was the right decision.”
Kattiah’s next trade week is health occupations. While she will not be able to participate in in-person training, she hopes she will be able to return for the following trade week – cosmetology.
“I’m really hoping it’s not extended,” she said. “Just for one more week, so I can at least try cosmetology.”
Harrity said in her letter, “it is our sincere hope that this is a temporary period away from our hybrid learning model.”
The school will reassess its status and update families by Nov. 6, on whether they extend the remote model or bring kids back.
In the meantime, the two-week remote period will allow those who need to quarantine to do so safely and enable the school to do a thorough cleaning of all the facilities, Harrity said.
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