Wood County Schools Academic Coach Greg Merritt is leading an online training session for new teachers Wednesday morning, the first in a series of online training sessions with staff from across the district this week and the next. next. (Photo provided by Wood County Schools)

PARKERSBURG – Schools in Wood County are hosting a series of intensive online training sessions this week to prepare teachers and staff for the 2020-21 start to school year.

Online sessions began Wednesday and will continue through Friday as teachers, administrators and service staff prepare to enter an unusual school year due to COVID-19 restrictions and precautions.

Christie Willis, director of programs and education for Wood County Schools, said professional development that would normally be spaced out throughout the school year is instead compressed into the multi-day online training format. .

“This year, everything is in the foreground”, she said.

The district had over 4,000 session registrations, with many employees registering for multiple classes. Many of these sessions reached 300 participants, the highest number that online programs can accommodate.

Technology integration specialists Jimmy Stewart, left, and Eric Murphy, right, along with TIS Amber Matty, led assistants and paraprofessionals at Wood County schools on Wednesday in online training on the schooling program. Schoology will be used across the county this year to centralize information and communication for parents, students and teachers, including attendance, grades and homework. (Photo provided by Wood County Schools)

Almost all teachers in Wood County schools, as well as some service staff and education students at the University of West Virginia at Parkersburg, participate in the online courses.

Training sessions include use of the district Schoology system, trauma-informed care, and best practices for blended learning days.

Students from Wood County schools return on September 8. For more information, visit www.woodcountyschoolswv.com or use the Wood County Schools app for updates and frequently asked questions regarding the district’s fall back-to-school plan.