After consultation with medical and healthcare professionals, coupled with a review of practices across the commonwealth, we believe that it is still essential to maintain the six feet of distancing between students and to adhere to mask wearing protocols.
With that being said, the district will be loosening the cohort sizes within schools. The cohorts were only happening in classrooms, not on the bus or at extracurricular activities or at home. This change will allow us to increase the number of students who will be attending school four days a week while maintaining six feet of distancing. While we wish that we could return all of our students to in person learning four days a week, it is simply not possible to do so and to maintain the six feet of distance required to keep everyone safe.
As such, the district will be inviting students to fill the available spaces based on the need of the students and their families in the following order:
1. Students who need additional support to successfully complete remote learning.
2. Students whose families are struggling to provide childcare on the remote days.
3. Students who would prefer to be in person rather than remote.
Parents will be contacted by the administration as the month of February progresses. Based on information we receive from this next phase, a second invitation will be forthcoming in early March if all safety protocols are being met.
Students who are invited to return will be responsible for bringing their own device to school (Chromebook, charger and headphones) and any other materials deemed necessary for their remote days. A take-home lunch will be provided if needed for students.
To be clear, it is highly unlikely that we will be able to return every student who desires in person learning to a four day a week model but we believe that we can increase the number of students significantly by loosening the cohort restrictions.
The district will be asking parents to commit to either remote learning or hybrid learning for the remainder of the year by March 1, 2021. This will ensure that we can bring as many students in for four day program as possible.
On a side note, students who return to the 4 day model, will be supervised by a Green Meadow staff member not necessarily their homeroom teacher. Students will be completing their remote work while at school.
