(AHSTW) AHSTW Pre-K through 8th grade students return to in-person learning this week, while the 9th – 12th grade students return using the hybrid model.
The AHSTW School Board approved the return to learn plan during a special meeting Friday afternoon. School Board President Bernadette Hatch said, “While our waiver was approved by the Department of Education to go virtual our Superintendent and Administration are recommending we return to school 100-person in person Pre-K through 8th, and in our hybrid model grades 9-12.”
Hatch said this will allow activities to resume and activities will continue to be evaluated on an event-by-event basis.
The absenteeism due to COVID-19, as well as the expiration of a significant number of quarantines will return absentee percentages in the Primary and Intermediate to a rate that allows them to return to full-time in-person instruction. However, due to continued increase in positive cases, the High School will return via the hybrid model for this week. Students will be assigned “A” days or “B” days.
High School Principal Mike Embrock said, “If we went back face-to-face, we would have a lot of kids out already anyway because of quarantine. This is a very rough estimate, but we’re looking at probably 40-percent of our kids that are going to be out at least to some degree for quarantining or because they tested positive for COVID.”
Students, staff and visitors will need to continue to wear appropriate masks and the district will begin to monitor and document that students are wearing the masks consistently and correctly. School officials also emphasize the importance of mitigation strategies such as hand washing and physical distancing. And, wearing a face covering must extend beyond the school day and the district campus.
