Dear Parents,
We know that, as parents, you are very anxious to know how the beginning of school will look. We have been working to try and plan for an array of possibilities. Our partnership with local health advisory members has been greatly appreciated as we continue to monitor CDC and Department of Education guidance. Conversations and plans made in late May have changed much throughout the month of June and might well be changed throughout July.
In all of our conversations, the resounding consensus is that for students to learn, they need to be in a school setting that is safe, and that has the advantage of consistently engaging the teacher and classmates. Our teachers very much want their students back in a familiar setting!
At this point in time, our first day of school will be August 5th for in-person instruction. The ultimate goal for our arrival plans, as well as our levels of “phased planning”, will have several precautions to maintain classroom groupings as much as possible. We will be releasing details of much of this including a virtual option as an alternate parent choice. So that you can begin to prepare for what lies ahead, here are some of the procedures that will be in place:
Safety Procedures to begin the year:
- Schley County staff will wear masks.
- Schley County students will be encouraged to wear masks on campus.
- Social distancing will be used to the extent possible within each class setting.
- Lunchroom capacities will be limited to 50% with rotational days in various dining locations.
- Dining in the cafeteria for breakfast will be limited to Pre-K, K, and 1st grade. Grades 2-12 will have breakfast in their classrooms during the extended arrival times.
- Temperature kiosk stations will be maintained at bus rider, car rider, and front entrance locations. The commitment to safety means all parents and staff agree not to enter campus with a 100.3 temperature or higher or are displaying symptoms of illness.
- Arrival times will be extended to accommodate the high volume of potential student drop-off from 7:30am-8:30am.
- Visitations will be limited with temperature checks and exposure questioning required.
- Sanitizing measures will be in place throughout the campus with increased frequency for handwashing opportunities.
Instructional Delivery:
- In-person instruction will begin August 5th and will be 5 days a week.
- A virtual learning option will be provided. Parents may choose this option, but with the understanding of the commitment involved, and sign-ups will be for the entire semester.
- If a significant growth or spike in cases occurs, in-person instruction will shift to distance learning, utilizing Microsoft Teams and maintaining the existing classroom instruction. This will be maintained separately from the virtual class segments offered within the platform provided.
Bus Procedures:
- Bus riders will be required to wear masks.
- Hand sanitizers are on each bus at the point of entry.
- Families/students within the same stop/household will sit together.
We ask that you complete this survey regarding your plans for your child’s first semester, as of now, for in-person or virtual instruction. This is not a commitment at this time. More information will be provided before a commitment is required. It is necessary that you complete this survey for each child in your household.
Thank you for your patience and support in this process.
Sincerely,
Brian Hall