Iredell-Statesville Schools issued the following announcement on Sept. 17.
Iredell-Statesville Schools PreK Through Fifth Grade to Return Five Days a Week Beginning October 5, 2020
Statesville, NC - Governor Roy Cooper announced today that North Carolina students in grades Pre-K through fifth grade can return to school under Plan A, beginning October 5, 2020. Iredell-Statesville Schools superintendent Jeff James said that I-SS will be ready. “We are excited to welcome back all elementary school students five days a week. We will use the next two weeks to solidify plans and schedules to ensure a smooth transition.”
Principals will begin working on classroom schedules, cleaning schedules, transportation plans and building logistics. “It will be important to continue with our COVID-19 protocols as much as possible,” stated Dr. James. “In order to safely bring all our elementary students back to school full-time, we will continue to enforce enhanced cleaning and sanitizing as well as mask wearing. We’ll offer mask breaks when students are six feet apart, and we will encourage schedules that keep students with their classmates to limit potential exposure as much as possible.” Our data shows that our process works as currently deployed with no student to student or student to adult transfer and limited quarantine situations. We attribute this to social distancing and wearing a face covering.
In the coming days, parents of students in grades Pre-K through 5th will learn more about the October 5th move to Plan A. “In many ways, this is sort of like the first day of school all over again, but we are excited to adjust schedules and bring back those students whose families feel comfortable to do so,” explained James.
Beginning October 5, 2020, elementary families must choose Plan A (five days a week face-to-face learning) or Plan C (all virtual learning). After October 5, families will not be able to switch between Plan A and C until the beginning of the second semester, which begins on January 5, 2021. “Families need to have discussions now about the remainder of the first semester. Students can either come to school full-time or learn virtually full-time. We simply don’t have the resources to allow families to switch back and forth between Plan A and Plan C.
Plan B, which allowed students a hybrid schedule, will no longer be an option for elementary age students after October 5, 2020. As the state continues to adjust restrictions for public schools, the district will continue to seek opportunities to bring secondary students back for more in-person instruction.
Original source can be found here.
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