Desert Messenger

September 2, 2020 www.DesertMessenger.com 11 Read Desert Messenger online! Sign up for free email alerts when the Desert Messenger becomes available online! Join thousands reading the paper online at: www.DesertMessengerOnline.com QES updates Salome High School updates FREE CLASSIFIEDS Desert Messenger offers FREE Classifi ed Ads! HERE'S THE SMALL PRINT: Items for sale under $1000. Private Party Only. 1 per month. Yard/Ga- rage/Craft Sales, Wanted, Give-a-ways, Free, Lost & Found, etc. (non-commercial) For more information, contact Rain at 928-916-4235 or Email: Editor@DesertMessenger.com New way to chat with Town Hall Town of Quartzsite now offers text notifi cations on your phone through TextMyGov. iWorQ is excited to an- nounce a strategic partnership with @TextMyGov to expand citizen en- gagement with text messaging To opt in, text the word "QUARTZSITE" to 91896. What to expect: After the initial keyword is sent, you'll receive a confi rmation message asking you to reply "YES" to verify opt-in. There will be 0-4 text messages per month with a notifi cation from the Town regarding the categories you are opted-in for. Message and data rates may apply. Check with your mobile phone carrieer for more de- tails. How to Opt-Out: Text "STOP" at any time to remove yourself from the notifi caiton list. Also are you looking for answers? Need to report an issue? Now you can Text the Town of Quartzsite directly. Introducing the new way to skip a phone call and use your mobile phone's text messaging to fi nd answers to your questions. Text "hi" or one the words listed be- low, to 928-260-4442. "Trees, Sewer, Contact, Street, Wa- ter, Pothole, Weeds, Departments, FAQ." TextMyGov will help you to quickly fi nd the answers your looking for or help you to report an issue to the Town. Quartzsite Elementary School (QES) District 4 held their meet- ing Thursday, August 27th. School Superintendent Raquel Burton ex- plained there are 191 total students registered, however an update next month will be provided with stu- dents who have moved or with- drawn. According to Burton, distance learning started August 12th. She said, "Most teachers are working on campus with two hours of live lessons and monitoring students throughout the day." The District Purchased Chrome- books which were fi nanced for $17,500 for the next four years. This year, the District purchased 150 chrome books, 150 licenses, 15 lap- tops, and 30 hotspots for six months of service which have content fi lter- ing. Also fi ve touch screen Chrome- books for special ed students. They don't know when the Chromebooks will arrive, but expect them soon. Several Board members are reg- istered for the Law Conference this week. Burton will be meeting with Schools Facility Board to discuss Quartzsite Elementary School proj- ect. Distance Learning Plan update: The teachers are making accomoda- tions for students without chrome books with packets. It is not the ideal way of learning, however that is what we are working with. We are working with parents when they call with questions or to express their concerns." By Trevon Tapp When COVID-19 struck last year, all schools around Ari- zona got canceled, including Salome High School. It went from one extra week on spring break to more weeks, and the weeks added up to months. This caused the rest of the school year to be cut short. Many goals and plans were put on pause. "Not being able to fi nish classes, see the seniors complete their fi nal seasons when they had such an incredible four-year run, hurts my heart," explained Coach McCarty. Students were unable to attend prom, fi nish sports, and seniors didn't even get to have the tradi- tional graduation they wanted. Graduate Tatum Milts said, "I was upset when the school year ended early, because we didn't get to say goodbye to all of our teachers and friends for the last time, and we never even knew it. We didn't get to fi nish up school the way everyone else wanted to fi nish it... I would love to have just fi ve more minutes… to say goodbye to everyone." Many other students had a lot to say about school ending earlier. Juan Ruelas, an upcoming sophomore, told us, "School ending early affected me because I couldn't see friends or fi nish my fi rst year of high school. I was really looking for- ward to fi nishing the baseball season as well." The effects of Covid-19 still linger with us as we kick off a new season. The football players had to quickly get acquainted with the new rules that have been placed due to the virus. They are expected to wear masks and practice social distancing when they arrive at each day of conditioning. "It's diffi cult to try to be socially distant because your friends are out there with you and you want to be around them, but at the same time, you have to try and stay spaced out. It's diffi cult, but we have been trying our best to adjust to the rules," junior football player Nick Dautel explained. As of right now, only six games are scheduled, but that can change if the pan- demic gets worse or better. During games, players will wear masks, visors, face guards, and hand sanitizer must be used. Additionally, players will have their own individual water bottles and individual player zones. "It's a huge process, but it's also great we are getting the opportunity to give it a go. I'm excited and happy to see the team and see what we can do this year," Coach Bryan McCarty said positively. The Salome Frogs will be heading into their fi rst game on Octo- ber 2nd, hoping to start off the season with an unforgettable beginning. As athletes social distance, students have to as well. For this school year at Salome High School, the students are studying and working from home. When asked about the new distance learning, Charly Calderon said, "This distance learning has been pretty weird. It's something new that none of us are really used to. Like having to just wake up without leaving your home and just opening the computer to learn." Despite the diffi culties of distance learning, the school has done a lot to make it easier. They have provided Chromebooks to each student and are working to get internet hotspots to anyone who needs them. In other news, while students are doing school at home, the lunch ladies are coming in and saving the day by packing lunches! This year, the school has started to send out free breakfast and lunch packages in 4-day kits to students who requested it. Jonathon Beckett, senior, said, "I think that it's nice that the school is trying to provide us with free breakfast and lunch even though these circumstances." Lunch Lady Regina lamented not being able to have all the students on campus and the limited meals she could prepare for everyone in the packet, but we appreciate all the hard work she and Marina are putting in on our behalf!

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