HOUGHTON — Tiffany Scullion, mddle school teacher at Houghton-Portage Township Schools, said that her school is moving forward with providing material and learning through the end of the 2019-20 school year.

“Last week the teachers met virtually to talk about how each of us would be teaching or providing material for the rest of the school year,” Scullion said in an email on Monday. “We also worked on figuring out which students can get things online, and which students need paper copies of things.”

The school, and some teachers, will be sending out more information soon, she said, including information about students being permitted to come to the school to pick up items in their lockers.

“I believe the school is hoping to do the pick up later this week,” Scullion said. “If your math workbook is in your locker, you will get it when you pick up your locker things.”

She also provided instructions for students who have the ability to access school materials online:

• If you can access materials online (even if it is with a phone), please login to your school email and accept the invitation to my Google Classroom for math. Here you will find – general information about your math class including what we still have left to cover in class, a timeline for covering the rest of the material, a video of me going over the basics of the Pearson Realize website, and more things to come! I plan to record myself teaching the material we would have been covering in class and will put these videos on Google Classroom. This will make it easy to watch, pause, and re-watch as needed.

• If you cannot get to things online, I will be getting things together at the school for you to pick up later this week. This will include a timeline for trying to complete some of the things in the math workbook. For those that can’t see the videos I’ll be putting online, I will try to make phone calls and/or send home examples.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last Thursday signed Executive Order 2020-35, which orders all K-12 school buildings to close for the remainder of the school year — unless restrictions are lifted — and ensures continuing of learning by setting guidelines for remote learning. District facilities may be used by public school employees and contractors for the purposes of facilitating learning at a distance while also practicing social distancing, the order states.

Many area teachers have expressed disappointment at not being able to share the rest of the school year with their students. Scullion is among them.

“It is hard for me to think about not seeing everyone in class for the rest of the school year,” she said. “While I always hope to teach you some math, a bigger lesson might be to find something you love to do.”

Scullion said she loves being a math teacher, and misses seeing all of the students. For those students with the ability to do so, she said she plans on having the students continue to “meet” for math periodically, adding she thinks even a cell phone will work for the purpose.

“I will try my best to help in any way, as I know this situation is not ideal,” Scullion said. “Please know that it is okay if this is hard.”

She added that she is not expecting perfection, she only wants her students to try.

“I am also available to help answer questions. Don’t be afraid to email me.”