With only minor tweaks to its proposed reopening plan, the Jaffrey-Rindge School District is prepared to open its doors to students four days a week, starting Sept. 10.
Sept. 10 is a delayed start to the year for the district, which was originally set to start Aug. 25, as the School Board and an ad hoc committee dedicated to the school reopening plan have hammered out the final proposal. The majority of the district begins on Sept. 10, with the preschool and kindergarten classes beginning on Sept. 14.
The last day of school has been set for June 18.
Students will attend school in person on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with remote learning on Wednesday while the school buildings undergo extensive disinfecting. Pre-school will not be held on Wednesdays.
Students do have the option of attending school remotely full-time, and between 20 and 25 percent of students have opted for virtual learning in all four of the district’s schools, according to district Communications Coordinator Nicholas Handy.
Parents have the option to switch between the online model and in-person learning at the end of each quarter. The first quarter ends Nov. 13, and parents must notify the district by Oct. 30 if they intend to switch their child from an online model to an in-person one, or vice-versa.
The district has prepared an alternative plan for having to shift exclusively to an online model.
Students are required to wear masks at all times in the school buildings and while attending classes, with built in “mask-breaks” throughout the day. Students are also required to wear masks outdoors unless students are able to socially distance six feet apart. This measure, stricter than the original proposal on mask-wearing, was adopted by the School Board in a 6-1 vote during the Aug. 17 meeting.
Class sizes have been reduced to allow for better social distancing, and the schedule has been arranged to reduce the amount of transitions between classes students will have to do. There has also been outdoor learning spaces set up for while the weather allows.
Each student, from preschool through 12th grade, is anticipated to have access to a Chromebook laptop for working from home.
The district has outlined the process for alerting parents to a possible exposure to COVID-19, including alerting the district to positive cases, school closures or changes to the school day as a result.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.