North Beach School District tentatively schedules return to hybrid in-person learning February 18

All North Beach schools are tentatively scheduled to return to in-person learning on a hybrid schedule on February 18, 2021.

Superintendent Andrew Kelly announced that secondary students will return on a hybrid schedule that puts them in school two days a week and learning remotely the other three. 

Elementary schools will attend on varying schedules, depending on the numbers of students in their classes and the schools’ capacity to physically distance them in the classroom to meet state health requirements.

 In-person classes are tentatively scheduled to begin February 18 district-wide. Parents should watch for communications from their child’s school regarding the days their child will be scheduled to attend in-person.   

Parents are encouraged to join a district-wide Zoom meeting, at 6 p.m., Wednesday, February 3. 

Log into https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84412912214 to hear the details of North Beach School District’s plan to return to in-person instruction, as well as the option to continue remote instruction for families who prefer that. 

Superintendent Kelly’s PowerPoint is available here.

“Now more than ever, the district needs to have good contact information for parents.”

Parents are asked to contact their child’s school to ensure their current phone number, e-mail address and mailing address are on file, if there have been any changes in the past year. 

Watch the website, www.northbeachschools.org and the district and school Facebook pages for changes in the schedule as this return to school plan may change. 

In addition to county-wide COVID-19 activity levels, the plan depends on reaching mutual agreement with district labor unions in the form of a memorandum of understanding to guide this new modality of work.

In the release from the district, they say that they are returning students and staff to buildings based on Governor Jay Inslee’s “Road to Recovery,” https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/HealthyWashington.pdf. 

This guidance provides school districts clear direction from the governor, the Washington Department of Health, and OSPI regarding the return to in-person instruction.

The district states that based on the district survey given in January, 89% of our district staff believe that distance learning is NOT as effective as in-person instruction. Based on the same survey, most district employees have confidence in what science says about the virus and how the risk of infection can be reduced, the practices the district has put in place, and the efforts made to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Likewise, among parent and families surveyed in January, the majority wanted a return to in-person instruction. 

 

From NBSD;

Returning to school safely

Safety requirements for in-person instruction start with the basics we’ve all learned during this pandemic: Masking up, sanitizing surfaces, staying home when sick, and maintaining physical distance between individuals in classrooms, hallways, cafeterias and other communal spaces. 

For North Beach School District, like other schools and districts around the state, physical distancing at the secondary level is especially complicated. 

At this time, students attending North Beach Middle and High School will return on a hybrid “AA/BB” schedule. This means that students will be assigned to cohorts (groups that remain together) and will attend either on Monday and Tuesday, or Thursday and Friday.  Students will not be in the school building on Wednesdays. 

For those parents who prefer to have their children continue distance learning, North Beach schools will continue this option through the end of 2020-21 school year. The district also will work with teachers who have valid reasons to remain in remote instruction until needed conditions can be met, such as completing immunizations.

Moving forward, Superintendent Andrew Kelly said, “North Beach School District will continue to follow all Washington Department of Health and state guidelines. Science will drive our decision making.” 

When will school get back to normal?

For North Beach schools to move back to a completely in-person instruction model, the county COVID-19 activity will need to trend downward and remain low.  As in all steps through the pandemic, any decision to return to full-time in-person instruction will be made with input and agreement between the superintendent, the board of directors, the district’s labor unions and parents.

“We will work and learn together in support of a safe and effective workplace and learning space,” he concluded.