Remote Learning Village Offers Fairfield Kids Safety And Support

FAIRFIELD, CT — Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club’s Southport Clubhouse has been working to make sure Fairfield students have a safe place between home and school where they can learn and receive support.

Called the Remote Learning Village, Wakeman offers a classroom environment that helps students stay on schedule while learning under the Fairfield school district’s hybrid model. The clubhouse has one staff member for every six students in order to provide computer and learning assistance as needed.

“It’s our most important program right now,” Southport Unit Director Tim Cepetelli said.

Wakeman’s goal is to complement the school district’s offerings, Cepetelli said. During the pandemic, that means opening at 7 a.m. instead of 3 p.m., and serving a smaller group of 100 “superusers,” rather than the roughly 250 children the clubhouse used to welcome most afternoons.

“It’s crucial that we can be here every day for our Remote Learning Village kids,” he said, noting the program is an option for families with a single parent or two parents who work.

Enrollment at Wakeman is down significantly this school year, according to Cepetelli, but with 6-foot social distancing rules, the clubhouse is near capacity. Other pandemic precautions include required face masks and regular surface cleaning. As of early January, the clubhouse had had minimal issues with the coronavirus, he said, but one community member did test positive during the holiday season, which required a few people to quarantine.

Although Fairfield elementary students are set to begin a new schedule Tuesday that’s closer to a full in-person school day than any district students have had this year, Wakeman will remain open in the morning for older kids, and will continue to welcome younger students for the brief remote portion of their days.

Starting Tuesday, the Remote Learning Village fee will be $25 per day for elementary students and $95 per week for middle school students, but Cepetelli said Wakeman provides financial aide, and is working with community partners and donors to make sure all families are accommodated.

“We don’t turn any family away,” he said. “We know that every family’s in a different place for what they can afford.”

In addition to the Remote Learning Village, Wakeman employs about 25 high school students, offers limited open gym for middle and high school students, and continues to operate the Torch and Keystone clubs, which have been meeting virtually.

For information about registering a student to join the Remote Learning Village, visit www.wakemanclub.org/SouthportRLV2020. Spots are available for January and February.