Performing arts school transformed into hybrid learning center

Faced with the pandemic's challenges, a local mother of three found a creative way to transform her business and help kids.

SUPPORT FAMILIES, AS THEY FACETHE CHALLENGE OF BALANCING LIFE-- BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM.NEWSCENTER 5’S DOUG MEEHANREPORTS FROM SUDBURY.SAMANTHA: THIS IS OUR GRADES K-1GROUP.DOUG: AT FIRST GLANCE, YOU WOULDTHINK SAMANTHA BOWER WAS GIVINGUS A TOUR OF A TRADITIONALSCHOOL.BUT AS WE ALL KNOW, IN THEMIDDLE OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC,THINGS ARE ANYTHING BUTRADITIONAL.WELCOME TO WHAT ISAFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS THE PODSQUAD.SAMANTHA: RIGHT NOW, THEY’RELOGGED ON TO A MEETING, ORTHEY’RE WORKING ON ANY SORT OFMAY HAVE GIVEN THEM FOR THE DAY.--THEY’RE WORKING ON ANY SORT OFEXTRA WORK THAT THEIR TEACHERMAY HAVE GIVEN THEM FOR THE DAY.DOUG: THIS MOTHER OF THREERECOGNIZED EARLY THAT SCHOOL INTHE FALL WOULD BE A CHALLENGEFOR SO MANY FAMILIES, SO SHE PUTA BUSINESS PLAN TOGETHER ANDTRANSFORMED HER DANCE AND DRAMASCHOOL, THE PERFORMANCE ARTSCONNECTION IN SUDBURY, INTOHYBRID LEARNING CENTER.CALL IT AN ALTERNATIVE TO THEFAMILY KITCHEN COUNTER.SAMANTHA: THE RESPONSE WASINTERESTED IN SIGNING UP FORSOMETHING LIKE THIS.DOUG: TWO DAYS A WEEK, AS MANYAS 30 CHILDREN A DAY, GRADESK-8, COME TO T-PAC AND ATTENDTHEIR REGULAR CLASSES, WITHTHEIR REGULAR TEACHERS, EXCEPTTHROUGH THEIR COMPUTERS.WITH SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS GOINGTO A HYBRID MODEL -- OR EVENFULLY REMOTE -- THIS IS ANOPPORTUNITY FOR BOTH THE STUDENTAND PARENTS TO COPE WITH THECHALLENGES OF SUCH A UNIQUESCHOOL YEAR.SAMANTHA: I THINK MOST PARENTSCAN RELATE TO THAT SORT OFTEACHER-STUDENT DYNAMIC.DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK WITH APARENT A CHILD.FOR ME, IT JUST FELT LIKE IT WASSOMETHING I HAD TO DO TO HELP.DOUG: IN A SPACE THAT HASSHIFTED ITS STAGE FROM MUSICALSTO MATH CLASS, THERE IS ONECOMMON THEME THAT IS DESERVINGOF APPLAUSE.SAMANTHA: EVERYBODY THAT WORHERE HAS A HEART FOR CHILDREN.DOUG: NOT ONLY HAS THIS NEWPROGRAM HELP