Cove Schools Making Last-Minute Changes

Claysburg-Kimmel and Williamsburg school Districts recently announced changes in school attendance. Both districts are using “hybrid” methods by which students attend partly in person and partly remotely.

Both districts have put students in groups, with the groups alternating in how they “attend” classes.

Details of each district’s plan follow, but the Herald urges parents to check each district’s website for the full, updated plan.

Claysburg-Kimmel School District

By BRIAN HESS

The Claysburg-Kimmel School Board on Wednesday, Aug. 12, approved an implementation of the district’s hybrid learning plan for the first nine weeks of the 2020-21 school year.

This is a change from what the district initially announced, which was a full-time return in-person by students .

The plan will allow students in kindergarten through Grade 3 to attend school five days per week, while students in Grades 4 through 12 will attend four days per week.

Details of the plan are posted on the district’s website at

https://cksdbulldogs.com/

“This is the plan we intend to follow for the first nine weeks of school,” Superintendent Darren J. McLaurin said. “As with everything over the last five months, all plans are subject to change.”

McLaurin said the district had a hybrid plan as an option and was hoping to return to full face-to-face instruction.

“Unfortunately, when the recommendations were released by the Department of Health and the Department of Education on Monday [on Aug. 10], we had no choice but to move to our hybrid plan,” McLaurin said. “We feel the hybrid plan we are moving to is the best plan for both students and families by having all students in the building four or five days per week.

“We hope this is only short term and we can return to a full five day face-to-face plan as soon as possible.”

McLaurin said the district’s plan will allow parents to know what day their child will not be attending in-person, face-to-face classes.

McLaurin provided examples of the daily schedules, which will vary depending upon the spelling of a student’s last name. (Schedule is provided later in this story.)

McLaurin said the district based its plan on the results of its parent survey, where parents said they want students in school as much as possible and that parents said they want students to be able to connect to their classroom teacher when at home.

“As a parent of a daughter who will be participating in a hybrid plan at her school, I understand your frustration with this situation, and we will do our absolute best to make this transition as easy as possible,” McLaurin said to parents.

First Full Day

Wednesday, Aug. 26 – full day for all students whose last name begins with A-K

Thursday Aug. 27 – full day for all students whose last name begins with L-Z

Friday, Aug. 28 – no school for all students – Teacher Act 80 Day

Elementary School Daily Schedule

From Aug. 31 through Oct. 30, students in kindergarten through Grade 3 will attend class every day (five days a week).

Students in Grades 4-6 will attend in-person four days per week. Students’ day off will be determined by their last name:

• A-Cla – off Mondays, virtual day

• Cle-G – off Tuesdays, virtual day

• H-Ma – off Wednesdays, virtual day

• Mc-Ri – off Thursdays, virtual day 

•Ro-Z – off Fridays, virtual day

Students should connect virtually from home on their day off, McLaurin said.

Jr./Sr. High Daily Schedule

From Aug. 31 through Oct. 30, students in Grades 7-12 will attend in-person four days per week. Students’ days off will be determined by their last name:

• A-Cla – off Mondays, virtual day

• Cle-G – off Tuesdays, virtual day

• H-Ma – off Wednesdays, virtual day

• Mc-Ri – off Thursdays, virtual day

• Ro-Z – off Fridays, virtual day

McLaurin said students should connect virtually from home on their day off.

Social Distancing On Buses

McLaurin said in order to ensure proper social distancing on buses, the district needs help.

“If you are able to drive your child to and from school, we encourage you to do so,” McLaurin said.

Masks Required

“The state has enacted a universal face covering order which includes public schools. Health care professionals, the CDC and PDE Guidance reinforce that mask wearing is a key strategy for mitigating the spread of COVID‐19,” McLaurin said. “As a public entity, our district must implement the governor’s executive order and the board-approved health and safety plan.”

McLaurin said masks or face coverings will be required, and proper mask wearing guidelines must be followed.

“If your child refuses to follow the governor’s mandate without justification, you must provide a medical note or choose from one of our online learning options,” McLaurin said.

McLaurin said students will be required to wear masks on buses, in hallways and when social distancing is not able to be followed.

McLaurin said the district will provide a mask during the orientation day to all students. If lost, a second mask will not be provided, but each building will have a supply of replacement paper masks, he said.

If a student has a medical condition that prohibits him/her from wearing a mask, McLaurin said parents are asked to provide a medical note as soon as possible to their child's principal.

McLaurin said if a child or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 or is in close contact with someone who tested positive, the district will immediately contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health Hotline and follow their directives regarding safety measures that would be put into place, ranging from self-quarantine to the closure of school buildings.

Why Aren’t Schools Checking Temperatures As Students Enter The Building?

The C-K superintendent said the CDC does not currently recommend universal symptom screenings (screening all students kindergarten through Grade 12) be conducted by schools. McLaurin said parents or caregivers should be strongly encouraged to monitor their children for signs of infectious illness every day. Students who are sick should not attend school in-person, he said.

McLaurin said if parents change their mind about how their student will start the school year (face-to-face, distance learning, full cyber), they are asked to contact their school’s principal as soon as possible.

Water Bottles

Students will be permitted to bring a water bottle to use throughout the day, McLaurin said. Touchless water fountains were installed in both buildings over the summer. Cups will be available for students who forget to bring a water bottle, the superintendent said.

Access to Buildings

With the onset of COVID-19 and the district’s commitment to the overall health and wellness of the CKSD community, McLaurin said the district will be limiting the number of people entering school buildings. When possible, all meetings and conferences will be held virtually, he said.

According to McLaurin, if items need to be dropped off, items will be placed between the first set of doors at each building and received by a building employee. He said if parents/guardians are retrieving their child during the school day, he or she will be brought to them at the first set of doors.

“Anyone entering our school buildings will be required to wear a mask, sanitize hands and be screened for a fever and COVID-19 symptoms,” McLaurin said.

Williamsburg Community School District

By NATALIE GORSUCH

Williamsburg Community School District students will be starting school on Monday, Aug. 24, but their classrooms may look different thanks to a 7-2 decision made by the school board.

During the regular school board meeting on Thursday evening, Aug. 13, Superintendent Lisa Murgas announced that Williamsburg Grades 2 through 12 will begin the year using the hybrid model. In the hybrid model, students will be grouped in to Group A or Group B and will alternate days in attendance.

With the number of kindergarten students, the district believes it will be able to apply social distancing. Kindergartners will be attending in-person each day.

The Williamsburg school board during the meeting hired another First Grade teacher, Zachary Slagenweit. Therefore, social distancing can be implemented in First Grade classes and allow for face-to-face learning for first-graders five days per week.

But for Grades 2-12, it will be the hybrid model, according to the board.

Students grouped in Group A will attend Monday, Wednesday and every other Friday.

Students grouped in Group B will attend Tuesday, Thursday and every other Friday.

The days that students are not in face-to-face instruction, they will be participating in online learning.

Murgas said in a letter sent out to parents via the school district’s website, “despite our best efforts to provide full time face-to-face learning for our students, we are following the guidelines recommended by the PA Department of Health for the health and safety of the students and staff.”

The district will be monitoring data and recent recommendations as to how to move forward for the year with either hybrid, full face-to-face or with online learning.

Students were to be notified which group they would be in and the district said they were working to have siblings in the same groups.