SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Central Valley School District is bringing more students into the classroom on Monday. It comes the same day as thousands of Spokane Public Schools middle and high school students also return to school in-person.
Marla Nunberg, a spokesperson for CVSD, told KREM what is changing and how they plan to keep everyone safe.
What is changing?
Most Middle and High School students in the Central Valley School District have been back in the building on an A, B, C, D hybrid model. That means students were put in four groups so each student had one day of in-person learning a week. One day a week was a dedicated online learning day for every one.
On Monday, they are combining the groups to bring students back in-person two days a week. The Tuesday group is joining the Friday group, while the Monday group will join the Thursday group.
Wednesdays will remain a distanced learning day for all groups. High school students have the option to get online help from teachers after school.
What are the protocols in place?
Temperature checks at the door or in their car. At-test station slips are turned in to staff which says the students doesn't have any coronavirus symptoms.
Nunberg said there are social distancing markers throughout the building.
"This is the great thing about doing the phased in plan," she said. "We get our students and staff and everybody ready for more students coming back."
What do the classrooms look like?
Desks are six feet apart and there is a reduced number of students in each classroom.
Staff will continue teaching to both in-person and virtual students. A quarter of students were in person and three quarters were online. Now, the classroom will be half in-person and half virtual.
Nunberg told KREM both students and staff are excited.
"They miss their friends and that's probably the most exciting part is to have that social connection. I think we all miss that," Nunberg said.
"Teachers are very excited to have those students," she said. "Of course they've been making those connections online, but there's nothing like that in-person connection to connect with the students."
What do parents need to know?
CVSD has outlined what parents can expect from the district regarding COVID-19.
Parents will be contacted directly from the school to pick up their child if they are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.
They will also be notified by a recorded phone call and/or an email if:
Another student in their child’s class has exhibited symptoms and is isolating/being tested.
Their child has been identified as a close contact of someone who is being tested and needs to quarantine.
A student in their child’s class is tested. Parents will be notified of the result of that test and next steps from that result.
There is a confirmed case in their student’s class.
There are two or more positive cases in a 14-day period in their child’s class and the class will be quarantining and shifting to online learning.
In grades seven through 12, if their child shares a classroom with a positive case and needs to be quarantined.
There are enough quarantined classrooms at their child’s school that the entire school will be quarantining and shifting to online learning.