The hallways at Yadkinville Elementary have been marked to indicate the direction students will walk in order to maintain social distance for a safe return.
Students will be returning to school in a few short weeks though it will look much different than ever before. Yadkin County Schools released details last week about the reopening which will be a combination of in-person instruction and remote learning from home.
“We know that there will be challenges as we begin the new school year. Beginning a new school year in a normal year is a big undertaking. However, this year will bring unprecedented challenges as we implement a hybrid schedule that includes both face-to-face and virtual learning. However, I am thankful that we are finally going to have students back in our classrooms. It is going to be a refreshing change for us as we welcome our students back,” said Yadkin County Schools Superintendent Dr. Todd Martin.
Per Governor Roy Cooper’s order, schools were instructed to prepare for a 2020-21 school year with strict social distancing measures in place and fewer students in the classrooms at the same time. While schools were given the option to choose an all remote learning plan, Yadkin County schools will welcome at least some of its students back in person. Students will be divided by last name into groups A and B. Group A students will be in the classroom on Mondays and Tuesdays and Group B will report to schools in person on Thursdays and Fridays. All students will do remote learning on Wednesdays and on the days they are not scheduled to report in person.
Yadkin County has also expanded its Yadkin Virtual Academy (YVA) offerings. YVA previously offered high school courses only but will now offer options for elementary and middle school students. Around 16 percent of local students will be taking part in the expanded YVA program this year. More than 850 students will be taking part in the program. Registration for YVA has ended, but Martin said additional students could be accepted for the virtual academy by contacting the school directly.
“There is the potential to enroll additional students in the coming weeks but parents will need to contact our Virtual Academy coordinator or staff directly,” he said.
The school system has a 14-page document on its website detailing the cleaning and safety measures that will be taken to protect students and staff. Martin is expected to host a virtual town hall for parents and students on Wednesday evening via YouTube.
Increased cleaning, eliminating gatherings such as assemblies and face coverings are all part of the plan. Martin did say that students will have opportunities to remove their masks at certain points in the day.
“We are working on having times built in during the instructional day when students can remove masks and take ‘mask breaks’ in each classroom. Teachers will work to ensure that students are maintaining social distancing during mask breaks so as to minimize any risks to students. This is part of the guidance school districts have received from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services,” he said.
The school hours for the in-person instruction days will remain the same as usual with most area schools starting the day around 7:45 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. and dismissal at 3 p.m.
The new normal for school students will likely be a challenge, in particular for families without internet access, but Martin said they are working to adapt the learning model for those students.
“We always try to make accommodations for those students who are working at home and don’t have internet access. We provide them with instructional materials that don’t require internet access and will take this into consideration when assigning grades. We work hard so as not to penalize students who might not have access to internet. Also, teachers will be available for students at various times during the week to help them,” Martin said.
School is slated to begin on August 17 with a soft opening for the first week of school. In lieu of Open House this year, schools will schedule individual or small group “back to school” orientations for families. Schools will use these individual sessions to help students and families become familiar with the new procedures and protocols YCS will be following this year. Additionally, schools will make sure families have the supplies they need in order to engage in Remote Learning, and will also help families become acquainted with the various online resources that will be utilized by teachers this year. Schools will be in touch with families to schedule these individual orientation sessions.
Yadkin County Schools has received $1,029,000 in CARES Act funding, which will help with purchase of cleaning supplies, new safety procedures and more.
“This seems like a lot, and it is, but with reopening there will be a tremendous amount of associated costs,” said Martin. “Thus far, expenditures include the purchase of personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, thermometers (because everyone’s temperature has to be checked prior to boarding a bus or entering a building), software and training for remote instruction, curriculum development costs for the virtual academy, child nutrition expenses because we are continuing to feed students, Chromebooks for students, and student mental health services. I anticipate there will be considerably more spent on maintenance and cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer.”
School sports have been postponed for the time being, but students are taking part in workouts in preparation for a delayed season.
“Our high schools are having groups of student athletes who participate on teams that play in the fall season on campus for conditioning and workouts,” Martin explained. “There are considerable guidelines in place that they have to follow. These are not practices but instead the coaches are having workouts. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has pushed the official start date for fall sports to September 1 but are still allowing summer workouts to continue. Similarly, I anticipate that our marching bands will begin preparing soon. However, they will also be under strict guidelines in order to ensure a safe environment for students.”
In his address earlier this month, Cooper said a spike in cases of COVID-19 infections could change the decision to allow schools to partially reopen. Martin said Yadkin County schools will be closely monitoring the number of local cases to determine if students should all go to remote learning for safety.
“We will continue to monitor case counts daily, and if the number of cases were to trend upwards sharply, any decision to close schools would be made in close consultation with the health department,” said Martin.
Jessica Wall, Assistant Director of Yadkin County Health and Human Services, said they had been working closely with the school system in the past weeks to provide advice on safely reopening. Wall also offered advice for parents planning for their child’s return to school next month.
“When deciding which option is best for their child, we would recommend they have a conversation with their child’s pediatrician if they have any medical issue they are concerned about,” said Wall. “The schools will be a good source of information about how the campuses and classrooms will be structured, so the child’s principal or classroom teacher could also be a good source of information. Parents should teach their children about proper hand hygiene such as covering sneezes and cough and proper hand washing. They may also want to discuss mask wearing with their children. Parents should be aware of the symptoms that will keep their kids from going into school.”
Kitsey Burns Harrison may be reached at 336-679-2341 or on Twitter and Instagram @RippleReporterK.