Food Network star Ree Drummond's daughter Alex gets married - Page Six

Food Network star Ree Drummond’s family had a reason to celebrate this weekend.

Following patriarch Ladd Drummond’s scary head-on truck crash in March, the Drummonds hosted the wedding of their oldest child, 23-year-old daughter Alex, to Mauricio Scott at their Oklahoma ranch on Saturday.

“Our honeymoon baby is getting married tonight. (TMI?😂),” the 52-year-old “Pioneer Woman” captioned a pre-wedding photo with Ladd on Instagram. In the image, Ladd is wearing a neck brace.

Alex and her 21-year-old sister, Paige, both shared a handful of images posted by friends and family on Instagram Stories.

Paige shared a sweet snap of the newlyweds with the caption: “Married!!!!!”

The bride’s two brothers — Bryce, 18, and Todd, 16 — were also in attendance.

Photos and videos reveal the reception went on into the wee hours of Sunday morning. One video shows glow-in-the dark shots on display for the reception guests, while another shows the couple’s friends and family sending them off with sparklers in the night sky.

The couple originally shared the news of their engagement in August 2020, writing on social media, “Mauricio Scott is the sweetest picture of God’s goodness and provision. And I get to spend FOREVER with him!! I love you, fiancé!!!!!!!”

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NFL Draft Grades 2021: Analysis and grades for all 7 rounds in 2021 NFL Draft - Pro Football Network

With the 2021 NFL Draft in the books, how do the grades for all 32 teams shape up? Which NFL teams impressed, and which teams’ grades suffered because of some questionable selections?

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NFL Draft Grades 2021: NFC

How did the draft classes for the 16 NFC teams grade out in 2021?

Arizona Cardinals | 2021 draft grade

Spending an early pick on a wide receiver with other needs on the team is a head-scratcher for the Arizona Cardinals. They made up for it a little with some dart throws in the later rounds, but the outcome is less than ideal overall.

Draft: C

Atlanta Falcons | 2021 draft grade

Passing over a quarterback to load more talent onto the offense could look like a bad move for the Atlanta Falcons in 12-18 months if Matt Ryan does not come back strong. They added some good playmakers to their secondary, which was an area of serious concern heading into the draft. There is a lot to like in the first return for Atlanta’s new head coach/general manager combination.

Grade: A

Carolina Panthers | 2021 draft grade

Honestly, the Carolina Panthers’ 2021 offseason will not be judged based on their draft class. The entire offseason will be judged based on how the trade for Sam Darnold pans out. However, focusing on the draft class, the Panthers did a solid job adding talent to the roster, especially on the offensive line.

Grade: B+

Chicago Bears | 2021 draft grade

After trading up to secure the quarterback of the future, the Chicago Bears were off to a great start. Adding Teven Jenkins provides protection for Justin Fields, and the Bears also added some great value in the later rounds.

Grade: A+

Dallas Cowboys | 2021 draft grade

The Dallas Cowboys focused heavily on their defense in this draft. However, character questions and uninspiring selections reduce the grade for the Cowboys coming out of the 2021 NFL Draft. There are some intriguing selections as well, such as Jabril Cox and Simi Fehoko.

Grade: C+

Detroit Lions | 2021 draft grade

One of the standout classes of this entire draft was the Detroit Lions. The selection of Penei Sewell over a skill position player raised eyebrows. However, they then went and addressed that with Amon-Ra St. Brown at a great value. Almost every selection by the Lions seemed to be met with praise.

Grade: A

Green Bay Packers | 2021 draft grade

Reinforcing the offensive line in the 2021 NFL Draft gives the Green Bay Packers a solid base for their grade. However, there still appears to be a lack of strategy, and their draft will be overshadowed by the Aaron Rodgers situation. Saying that, Eric Stokes and Amari Rodgers are good players who can offer improvements to the team.

Grade: B

Los Angeles Rams | 2021 draft grade

When you refuse to make picks in the first round, it is imperative you get the selections right in the later rounds. On the first review, the Los Angeles Rams made a lot of questionable selections. They have done a good job developing players recently and will need to so again for this class to not be a complete failure. There is talent here, but it needs to be harnessed or it could hurt the team two to three years down the line.

Grade: D-

Minnesota Vikings | 2021 draft grade

The headline selection from this draft could be Kellen Mond if they can develop him. However, initially, that is perhaps the weakest selection of the Minnesota Vikings’ draft class. Although, when you have a questionable pick like that and your grade for the 2021 NFL Draft is still an A, it tells you just how good the rest of the draft was. With the superb value on both sides of the ball, the Vikings could be real challengers in their division and the conference at large this season.

Grade: A

New Orleans Saints | 2021 draft grade

The selection of Payton Turner in the first round raised some eyebrows in terms of value. However, the New Orleans Saints immediately rectified that with the selection of Pete Werner. The selection of Ian Book is particularly fascinating, and if Sean Payton can work his magic, then Book could be the future of this franchise.

Grade: B-

New York Giants | 2021 draft grade

Kadarus Toney has proven to be somewhat of a love-it-or-hate-it selection for the New York Giants. Adding Azeez Ojulari on Day 2 could be the best selection of Day 2 if his health concerns do not affect him. Add in some more solid selections in the later rounds and the Giants come out with a favorable grade.

Grade: A-

Philadelphia Eagles | 2021 draft grade

As a team, the Philadelphia Eagles did a solid job putting pieces around Jalen Hurts. They traded up to secure their No. 1 receiver, before taking a risk on Landon Dickerson. The Eagles added upside options to their defense, but there are still concerns.

Grade: B+

San Francisco 49ers | 2021 draft grade

A really good draft for the San Francisco 49ers. While Trey Lance is a project, he comes with a lot of upside. Some selections were questionable, but the 49ers added pieces that can improve their team in 2021 or be pieces that can step in from 2022 and beyond.

Grade: A-

Seattle Seahawks | 2021 draft grade

Not much to say here with a Seattle Seahawks that only made three selections. D’Wayne Eskridge may have been a reach but he is a fun playmaker to add to this offense. The real star pick of this class is probably Stone Forsythe, who is a nice value with the potential of significant playing time.

Grade: D+

Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2021 draft grade

After returning so many starters, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft class was never likely to make or break their 2021 season. Spending a second-round selection on Kyle Trask seriously limits the ceiling on their grade coming out of the 2021 NFL draft. However, they put some good pieces on this roster who can serve rotational roles and provide depth.

Grade: B

Washington Football Team | 2021 draft grade

This was a really mixed bag from the Washington Football Team. Selections such as Jamin Davis and Samuel Cosmi were ideal. However, those were then countered by reaches for Benjamin St-Juste and John Bates. Spending a sixth-rounder on a long snapper was a strange moment. Overall, this draft was good but not great.

Grade: B

NFL Draft Grades 2021: AFC

How did the draft classes for the 16 AFC teams grade out in 2021?

Baltimore Ravens | 2021 draft grade

The Baltimore Ravens rounded out their draft with a strong finish, which bookended a draft that started strongly with the selection of Rashod Bateman. Gambles on players like Jayson Oweh and Brandon Stephens stop this being a slam dunk draft class, but it is pretty close.

Grade: A-

Buffalo Bills | 2021 draft grade

While this is only a solid draft class overall, the Buffalo Bills did not need to go above and beyond. The fit of their two pass rushers is questionable, but both are high-upside talents that could be rotational pass rushers immediately. The Bills finished the draft strong, ensuring this grade was slightly above a standard B.

Grade: B+

Cincinnati Bengals | 2021 draft grade

The health of Joe Burrow in the next couple of season will determine how this Cincinnati Bengals’ draft class is viewed. The selection of Ja’Marr Chase over Sewell is the only reason the grade coming out of the 2021 NFL Draft is not an A. Chase is a good player but bookending the offensive line with Sewell and Jonah Williams would have been ideal.

Grade: B+

Cleveland Browns | 2021 draft grade

The Cleveland Browns addressed all their major needs and picked up some great value selections along the way. The early part of the Browns’ draft was so impressive they were able to take flyers on players such as Demetric Felton later.

Grade: A

Denver Broncos | 2021 draft grade

This draft for the Denver Broncos was full of good value selections. Patrick Surtain was a great way to start, and the value, later on, cemented this as a solid draft class. The problem for Denver is that they really needed to address the quarterback position and they seemed to ignore it completely. Without fixing the elephant in the room, the Broncos’ grade is capped at B+.

Grade: B+

Houston Texans | 2021 draft grade

With the Houston Texans entering the draft with limited resources, the expectations were limited. Despite that, they added some solid value. Yet, there are puzzling selections such as Davis Mills mixed in. Not a bad first draft for Nick Caserio given the resources he had to work with.

Grade: B-

Indianapolis Colts | 2021 draft grade

The Indianapolis Colts got great value with their selection of Kwity Paye, who was viewed as a top-15 selection. They took some risks in later rounds and it was concerning they did not address the left tackle position. The selection of Sam Ehlinger makes little sense.

Grade: C+

Jacksonville Jaguars | 2021 draft grade

The Jacksonville Jaguars started their draft off in the best way possible with Trevor Lawrence. However, questionable selections such as Travis Etienne at 25 were not quite so impressive. Their B+ grade shows that overall they had an impressive haul in the 2021 draft.

Grade: B+

Kansas City Chiefs | 2021 draft grade

Despite not having a first-round pick, the Kansas City Chiefs made some shrewd moves on both sides of the ball. They addressed their need at offensive line and added an NFL-ready linebacker in Nick Bolton. The rich continue to get richer.

Grade: A

Las Vegas Raiders | 2021 draft grade

Selecting Alex Leatherwood brought some initial heat on the Las Vegas Raiders. However, they made up for it later on in the draft and finished with a really nice grade. They took a lot of players considered safeties, so it will be interesting how they utilize all those options. Malcolm Koonce and Jimmy Morrissey are intriguing developmental pieces.

Grade: A-

Los Angeles Chargers | 2021 draft grade

This was a really strong draft for the Los Angeles Chargers. Essentially every single pick hit the mark across the board and has the potential to upgrade this roster. The Chargers are sitting in a great position heading into 2021. If Justin Herbert continues to develop, this roster could quickly challenge the Chiefs.

Grade: A-

Miami Dolphins | 2021 draft grade

The Miami Dolphins made an incredibly strong start to the 2021 NFL Draft, giving them a great basis for their grade. However, their inability to get a running back severely hampers their final grade. Addressing the offensive line gives the Dolphins options in terms of the configuration of their line heading into 2021.

Grade: B+

New England Patriots | 2021 draft grade

There was so much to like about the Patriots draft class, with highlights including Christian Barmore, Ronnie Perkins, and Cameron McGrone. However, selections such as Mac Jones and Rhamondre Stevenson come with enough question marks to reduce this grade a touch.

Grade: B+

New York Jets | 2021 draft grade

The New York Jets had a superb 2021 NFL Draft and it is reflected in their grade. Adding the QB of their future, they then put supporting pieces around him before switching focus to the defense. On that side of the ball they added some high-upside talent in the later rounds.

Grade: A+

Pittsburgh Steelers | 2021 draft grade

Not addressing the offensive line early in the draft could ultimately be a serious concern for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The picks they made instead are good football players, but how productive can the likes of Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth be if the line cannot hold up? The roster has been improved, which is ultimately the key. However, with Ben Roethlisberger’s window shutting fast, this draft class will be judged very quickly in 2021.

Grade: B-

Tennessee Titans | 2021 draft grade

The 2021 NFL Draft was a mix of home run and head-scratching selections from the Tennessee Titans. In all, it comes across as a risky pick, headlined by the chance they took on the health of Caleb Farley. This feels like a class that could either look incredible or a disaster in two to three years.

Grade: B-

Want more NFL news and analysis?

Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@PFN365) to stay in the loop on all things around the NFL. Also, continue to visit Pro Football Network for NFL news and in-depth analysis concerning the 2021 season and beyond.

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'NHL Network Showcase': 3 Storylines for Sabres vs. Bruins - NHL.com

The Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins face off for the eighth and final time this season Saturday (1 p.m. ET; NHLN, SN, NESN, MSG-B, NHL.TV) in the "NHL Network Showcase presented by SAP." 

The Bruins (29-14-6) are fourth in the eight-team MassMutual East Division, six points ahead of the fifth-place New York Rangers and one behind the third-place New York Islanders. The top four teams in the division reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins already having clinched a berth.

Boston is 6-1-0 against Buffalo, including a 5-2 win Thursday. Forward David Pastrnak scored for the Bruins in the win and is one goal from 200 in the NHL.

The Sabres (13-31-7) are last in the division, six points behind the New Jersey Devils, and failed to make the playoffs for an NHL record-tying 10th straight season (Florida Panthers, 2001-11; Edmonton Oilers, 2007-16). They are 7-13-3 since Don Granato replaced Ralph Krueger as coach March 17 and 6-8-2 in April.

Here are 3 storylines to keep an eye on: 

Hall, Lazar trade paying off

The Bruins are 8-2-0 after forwards Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar were traded to Boston by Buffalo on April 12. Hall has scored eight points (five goals, three assists) and is plus-9 in 10 games, including four points (two goals, two assists) in five against the Sabres after he scored 19 (two goals, 17 assists) and was minus-21 in 37 games for Buffalo. He's skated on the second line and helped lift the production of David Krejci (11 points; six goals, five assists since the trade) and Craig Smith (seven points; two goals, five assists). 

Lazar has scored three points (one goal, two assists) for the Bruins while settling into a bottom-six role.

Development phase

The Sabres have four of their first-round picks chosen after the 2013 NHL Draft on the active roster. Sam Reinhart (No. 2, 2014 NHL Draft) has scored 16 points (11 goals, five assists) in 17 April games and 23 goals in 49 games this season. Reinhart is one of 15 players in Sabres history with at least five 20-goal seasons. 

Dylan Cozens (No. 7, 2019 NHL Draft) has seven assists in his past 10 games and 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 36 games during his rookie NHL season. Casey Mittelstadt (No. 8, 2017 NHL Draft) has scored nine goals since March 31. Rasmus Dahlin (No. 1, 2018 NHL Draft) has scored 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in his past 15 games since April 3. 

Sabres captain Jack Eichel, the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, is out for the season because of a herniated disk in his neck and expected to be ready for next season. The center scored at least 24 goals in each of his first five NHL seasons, including a career-high 36 last season. He scored 18 points (two goals, 16 assists) in 21 games this season.

Bruins goalie rotation

The Bruins are in a stretch playing their final 10 regular-season games in 16 days with two sets of back to backs and no more than one day off in between games. They have three goalies available (Tuukka Rask, Jaroslav Halak and Jeremy Swayman), and Dan Vladar has received NHL experience this season. Rask is the projected postseason starter and Halak likely will be the backup. They're also ages 34 and 35, respectively, so the challenge will be balancing game reps with rest. 

Swayman is 22 and showing he could be the future for the Bruins at the position. He's 5-2-0 with a 1.57 goals-against average, .946 save percentage and one shutout in seven games, and likely the next man up if Rask or Halak are injured during the playoffs.

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Completing network of trails in the D.C. region would bring a financial boost, report says - The Washington Post

A proposal to add more than 400 miles to the region’s existing trail network could create more than 16,000 jobs and generate more than $1 billion a year in revenue from construction and local spending, according to a new report.

Advocates have long touted the health and environmental benefits that completing the Capital Trails Network could bring to residents and businesses in the region, but the study is one of the first to outline the economic effects the project could have on the economy.

Much of the money would come from people who will use the trail network, both for commuting and recreation. The report estimates trail users would spend $538 million annually on “soft” goods, such as food and beverages, and “hard” goods such a shoes and bikes.

“The current and expanded trail network will enable visitors from communities within the network to travel and patronize shops in neighboring communities that may have been previously less accessible,” the report said.

There are about 479 miles of trails in the Washington region, according to the Capital Trails Coalition. The coalition estimates it would cost just over $1 billion to build an additional 402 miles to complete the network. The project has political support and has been endorsed by the Transportation Planning Board of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, but moving forward is complicated because segments of the network are controlled by different jurisdictions.

If completed, almost 4 million people in the region would have trail access within a two miles of their home, according to a TPB analysis. The board, composed of mayors, supervisors, council members and other local government officials, envisions completion of the trail network within about 25 years.

According to the report, completing the network would create an estimated 16,100 jobs over the course of the project and generate more than $65 million in state and local taxes. The project also could boost property values in areas where there is convenient access to the network, the report’s authors said.

“What this report really documents in clear and concise terms is what the true impact of such a network will be,” said Neil Albert, president and chief executive of the DowntownDC Business Improvement District and a coalition member. “It really quantifies the economic and environmental benefits of our region’s future.”

The Capital Trails Coalition includes around 70 organizations, including government, environmental and business groups. It was formed in 2015 to advocate for the completion of a regionwide network of trails.

Liz Thorstensen, vice president of trail development for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and chair of the coalition, said completing the network would make, “our region healthier and more economically competitive.” The proposal includes building missing trails in the District and the city of Alexandria as well as Arlington, Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

The study estimates that residents of the District, Maryland and Virginia would drive 49 million fewer vehicle miles per year because of a new alternative to cars. The project, it said, also could yield $517 million in annual public health savings due to increased physical activity by trail users.

“This shows how by putting this network of trails together, how much it’s going to change our health, our economy, our environment, create thousands of jobs and reduce carbon pollution and smog and give us cleaner air,” said Rep. Don Beyer, (D-Va.).

The report makes the case that trails aren’t only for recreation, but they also play a growing role in the daily commute as a part of the transportation system.

It estimates that improving access to trails would increase the number of people who walk or bike to work by 13.1 percent compared to areas with less access to trail networks. In the D.C. region, that would translate to roughly 13,500 more residents walking or biking to work if the network is fully built out.

Advocates say the pandemic has highlighted the role that trails can play in a community.

A recent survey by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments found that residents said they are likely to continue using trails even after the pandemic is over. More than half of those surveyed said they expected they would walk more, while 26 percent said they expected to bike more.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has been traumatic and devastating to many across the globe,” the coalition’s report said. “In an attempt to counteract the uncertainty, isolation and immobility of quarantine, people have turned to walking, running and cycling on trails.”

Advocates said a system of connected trails also would address historic inequities in community planning, ensuring that all residents benefit.

“It’s a matter of equity of making sure that everyone in our region can access sustainable and affordable transportation,” said Kristin Frontiera, development director for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, who also is a coalition member.

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As most district high schoolers stay remote, Philadelphia’s Mastery charter network invites all students back - WHYY

This article originally appeared on Chalkbeat Philadelphia.

—

Sharon Brewer is getting the chance to spend at least some of her senior year in school, in person.

It didn’t come a moment too soon.

“I was doing terrible at home,” she said.

Same for her classmate, Parris Boyette.

“It’s the best thing that happened to me,” said Boyette, a 17-year-old basketball player, about returning to school in person last month. “My grades are going up, I’m understanding more. When I was home, I was not paying attention. Here, I’m paying attention.”

The two are students at Mastery Charter School-Pickett Campus in Germantown, a combined middle and high school with grades 6-12 that reopened for in-person school more than a month ago.

Inside Sam Scarpone’s English class at Mastery Charter School-Pickett Campus in Germantown. (Dale Mezzacappa/Chalkbeat)

Unlike the Philadelphia school district, which won’t bring back 10th to 12th graders this school year, Mastery has tried to bring back as many students as possible in all grades in its 18 schools across the city. The charter network, which enrolls about 14,000 students, started hybrid learning back in March, with some starting in April, and has moved its students phase-in at a faster pace than the district.

Most students are back two days a week, except for those with special needs, who can come in four days.

“It is indisputable that in-person learning is what’s best for students,” said Mastery CEO Scott Gordon. Its internal assessments indicated that students learning at home were attaining less academic growth than in a typical year, he said. At the same time, he said, they were also showing “greater levels of depression and anxiety” as levels of gun violence hit historically high levels.

As a result, “we made it an absolute priority” to maximize in-person learning,” including for older students, he said.

While the district also sought an early and fuller return to school buildings, it was a rougher road, exacerbated by deep distrust over dangerous building conditions. After a protracted dispute with the teachers union over school safety that was finally settled through mediation, the district has brought back students in phases. Students in prekindergarten to second grade began hybrid learning in three waves in March, followed by students in third to fifth grade this week. By May 10, sixth through ninth graders can begin in-person learning, most for two days a week. The school year ends on June 11, meaning the last eligible students will have just 10 days of in-person learning.

Most high school students won’t be back this school year.

“We’ve said this before, we understand this is not the school year any of us have envisioned,” said Monica Lewis, the district’s spokeswoman. “Those in high school, particularly seniors, are probably disappointed. They have missed out engaging with friends and doing activities typical of high school life. But this was the plan most in line with efforts to get through the pandemic as safely as possible for all students and staff and school communities as well.”

To help students who might have fallen behind, the district is beefing up its summer offerings, providing credit recovery courses, and encouraging families “to reach out to school to see what services are available,” she said.

Keylisha Diaz, one of two student representatives on the Board of Education and a junior at Philadelphia Military Academy, a district school, has been keeping in regular touch with seniors and other high school students advocating for their needs. Seeing the process up close, she said she has developed a keen appreciation for the hard choices faced by the district’s leadership.

At the same time, she said, “It’s very upsetting seniors didn’t get the experience they were hoping for.” At this point, however, given how late it is in the school year, most of those she has spoken to have made their peace and “are fine with staying virtual.”

Instead, she said what they are looking forward to are the end-of-year rituals, especially graduations, which the district has said will be held outside. It is also providing free caps and gowns to students. Proms, however, will not be held.

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Two different approaches

Like the district, Mastery has paid close attention to the guidance from federal and state health agencies. But the charter network has been determined to bring students back since the start of the year.

Mastery held outreach sessions for parents in the summer, and then opened school buildings for a short time in September. Schools closed again when there was a surge in coronavirus cases in November and stayed closed for the rest of the winter. A phased reopening began in early March, with all students who wanted to return coming back for some in-person learning by the end of April.

Across the country, many school districts have focused first on reopening buildings to younger students and those in special education classes. High school reopening also has been a challenge because older students change classes more often, making it difficult to create socially distanced pods.

Like the school district, Mastery has faced challenges with social distancing and classroom capacity. Almost all their schools are converted district schools ceded in the hopes of rapid academic turnaround, so they have many of the same challenges with old and poorly ventilated buildings.

But Mastery hasn’t faced bitter pushback about safety. The network spent $4 million on upgrading ventilation, including the purchase of expensive air purifiers, and $2.5 million on COVID-19 preventative measures like frequent student and staff testing, said Gordon. It tests weekly, using less expensive batch tests for 20 people at a time; if there is a positive reaction the source can be traced to one or two participants who can then be retested individually.

The network also conducts careful contact tracing. People entering the building can scan their phone in front of one device so they can be notified if someone else in the school that day tests positive. They step in front of another device to have their temperature taken. Mastery maintains a dashboard of positive test results, and it says there were 63 cases this week and 306 since testing began. Pickett has had eight positive cases, according to the dashboard.

Mastery spokeswoman Kerry Woodward said that since reopening it has had one classroom quarantine and two schools have “paused” in-person instruction due to an uptick in COVID-19 cases; Wister is closed until May 3 and Clymer until May 5.

The school district started a dashboard after pressure from The Caucus of Working Educators and Parents United for Public Schools, activist groups that were seeking more transparency and had begun tracking positive COVID-19 cases on their own.

Like most charters, Mastery doesn’t have a teachers union, but it still faced questions from teachers and students about whether it was safe to be in buildings. Gordon said that he and his team maintained constant communication with its teachers and the network’s 11,000 families.

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“We had open town meetings, and lots of meetings to get staff comfortable,” Gordon said. “When we have an infection, we respond quickly. We built confidence we could manage through this.”

Mastery Pickett Principal Margaux Munnelly talks with student Parris Boyette. (Dale Mezzacappa/Chalkbeat)

Sam Scarpone, an English teacher at Pickett, said at first she was apprehensive about returning, mostly when teachers were not being prioritized for vaccinations and due to “fear of the unknown.” Once she set foot in the building, she said, “all my fears dissipated.”

While it varies by school, just under half of Mastery’s students have elected to come back to the hybrid model, Gordon said. At district schools, the figure has been closer to one third of those eligible at any given time.

Neither the school district nor Mastery could offer exact numbers on how many high school students are on track to graduate now compared to the norm in other years, although Mastery said it has not detected a dip.

‘It’s not natural for them to be so isolated’

At Pickett, Principal Margaux Munnelly said that returning to in-person school has major benefits: increased engagement with learning, lessening of distractions, more interaction with teachers, and the opportunity to socialize with friends.

“You want to see your students learn and grow and thrive,” she said. “Welcoming our students back into our building over the last several months has been a joy. I could not overstate the importance of the connections I am seeing our students make with our teachers and with each other.”

Both Scarpone and Katy Kahn, who teaches Advanced Placement and honors literature classes, said they want to see more students in the building. They feel the benefits far outweigh the risks.

“I want as many kids back as possible,” Kahn said. “I’m also planning summer camp. I’m anxious about getting kids up and out for academic and social purposes. The kids need it. It’s not natural for them to be so isolated.”

In fact, after the initial wave in March, more students did decide to come back to Pickett, which enrolls more than 900 students. Just over 300 students returned in March and another 200 returned this week at the start of the fourth and final marking period — meaning about half the 917 students have chosen to return.

To be sure, with maybe a quarter of students there at any given time, the vibe in the school is still nowhere near normal, although some classrooms now have 10 to 12 students in them, spaced out and working on laptops behind plastic barriers. During lunch, there is one student per table, and everyone faces the same way. Hallways are still eerily quiet during class changes.

For seniors like Brewer, however, returning has been a lifesaver. For most of the year, she worried she wouldn’t be able to graduate because her grades plummeted. While some students, she said, were excelling at home, she struggled.

“I am a social person, I need to be in class writing, taking notes, and listening to my teacher talk. I need to be physically participating. I need to ask questions, I can’t sit around and wait for a breakout room,” she said.

Since she came back to school in person, “I feel like I’m improving already. I get more work done. I’m more verbal. The best part of being back here is I’m able to get to the grade-point-average I’m used to.”

Boyette is also happy to be back. He also said being at home all the time was too distracting. “I just want to be with my friends,” he said.

School is better, he said, but in many ways “it feels weird. You can’t walk around like you used to, you’ve got to stay away from other kids.” So, like Brewer, he studies and buckles down on his work. Unlike at home, he pointed out, where the TV, smartphone and refrigerator beckons, “There is nothing else to do here.”

Munnelly, the principal, had to agree. “It’s not the same. But it’s something.”

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Mississippi Senate set to equip an additional committee room with webcasting before 2022 session | Press Register - Clarksdale Press Register

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Below is a press release from Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann:

Legislature’s YouTube Channel Generates 283,400 Views in First Year of Operation, Senate Set to Equip One Additional Committee Room with Webcasting Technology

During the 2021 Session, users viewed the Legislature’s new YouTube site 93,510 times and logged 26,000 hours of watch time.  At less than a year old, the channel has garnered more than 2,300 subscribers and 283,400 views from people logging 66,300 hours of watch time.

“It is impossible for citizens, who have jobs, families, and other responsibilities, to always be present during our debates—but it is imperative we have citizens’ input.  When we use collective intellect, the final policy outcome is always better,” Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann said. “Webcasting has made this possible without citizens having to leave their homes, schools, or businesses.”

Hosemann and the Mississippi Senate have led the effort to webcast committee meetings, in addition to floor debate, to increase transparency in the legislative process.  After the first emergency order related to the pandemic was issued in March 2020, the Senate began webcasting its meetings in Room 216, the former courtroom of the Mississippi Supreme Court.  In January, the Senate added Room 409, the next largest Senate committee room to its webcasted spaces.

Room 210 on the Senate side of the Capitol is currently being equipped with webcasting technology, and will be ready to broadcast by the 2022 Legislative Session.

Almost 158,823 views generated in the past year were from people located in Mississippi, according to analytics from YouTube, with the next highest amount at 17,500 from Georgia. Viewers were from all 50 states.  During the 2021 Legislative Session, 77 percent of those watching were under 54 years of age.  About 22 percent of viewers were under 34 years of age.

“As we promote the site, we are hopeful viewership among all Mississippians will continue to grow,” Hosemann said.

To visit the Mississippi Legislature’s YouTube site, click here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaLmAgbQMuI7kLvDNV6LluA/featured. To learn more about Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann, visit https://ltgovhosemann.ms.gov.

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Mississippi Senate set to equip an additional committee room with webcasting before 2022 session | Press Register - Clarksdale Press Register
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