Kemper County school announcing reopening plans

Posted

By Hilute Hudson III

Special to The Messenger

Thank you for your continued support of our district as we plan for the 2020-2021 academic year.

    I recognize that for many, there is a great level of uncertainty and perhaps even anxiety about what the school year will look like in Kemper County School District. The safety and welfare of all staff, students, stakeholders, and visitors is and will always be our top priority. We will not compromise on healthcare guidance and protocols from the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as it relates to our district.

Last week, our Board of Trustees approved Kemper County School District’s reopening plan and school calendar, which are both summarized below.

 

For staff

School will start on Monday, August 3, 2020 for all staff at their respective campuses. This will include professional development and training on safety and sanitation procedures.

On Thursday, August 6, 2020 and Friday, August 7, 2020, we will have an open house/mock school day for parents, students, and the general public to see our plans, processes, and procedures for what the school day will look like.

 

For students/parents

Online - School will start on Monday, August 10, 2020 for all students, PreK-12, via our Distance Learning platform.

Instructional packets (paper copy) will be made available to any student who does not have internet access.

 Face to Face Learning - Physical Classroom Learning will start on Thursday, August 27, 2020 for all students, PreK-12.

  Parents will have the option to choose Face to Face Learning or continue with the online Distance Learning platform.

  At the end of the 1st Nine Weeks, parents may review their decisions and switch learning platforms.

School Days – Our school day schedules are as follows by grade levels:

-PreK – 5th Grade will have Face to Face learning four days a week (Mon – Thurs)

-6th – 12th Grade will have Face to Face learning two days a week and online Distance Learning two days a week.

Students will be classified either by Group A or Group B schedule, which will denote the actual days for Face to Face learning.

School Times – Our school times are as follows by grade levels: Kemper County Lower Elementary (PreK – 3rd Grade) – school start/end time is from 8 am – 2 pm

- Kemper County Upper Elementary (4th – 5th Grade) – school start/end time is from 8 am – 2:30 pm

- Kemper County Middle and High School (6th – 12th Grade) – school start/end time is from 8 am – 2:45 pm

Transportation - Parents are encouraged to bring their students to school, but transportation will be provided should this not be an option. To promote safety, all students will have their temperatures checked prior to boarding the buses. Social distancing and face masks will be required while on the bus. Also, all buses will have a bus monitor (personnel) to ensure safety protocols are followed. Bus cleaning and sanitation procedures will be strictly followed according to the CDC guidelines.

Safety Protocols – We are implementing the following safety protocols for our schools and buildings:

Screening for COVID-19 symptoms is mandatory every day for all staff, students, parents and visitors prior to entering our buildings.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE - face masks and face shields) will be required if less than 6 feet apart.  PPE will be provided to all staff and students.

Classroom sizes will be restructured to promote social distancing and safety guidelines by the CDC.

Daily cleaning of classrooms, buildings, offices, buses and high touch point areas will be strictly followed according to the CDC guidelines.

Registration – No later than Friday, July 24, 2020, all students new to a school (students not enrolled in that school this past year) or that have had an address change since last year are required to bring two (2) proofs of residence in-person to their respective schools to complete the requirements for registration.

For complete details about our district’s school reopening plan, please visit our website at www.kempercountyschools.org/reopening

Thank you, as always, for your support and help as we work through these unprecedented times together in partnership.

Hilute Hudson, III is the superintendent of the Kemper County School District.






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