As you know, COVID-19 infection rates continue to rise in Carter County. We will continue our staggered re-entry plan, scheduled for the week of August 10th through August 14th. However, in response to these disturbing facts, beginning on Monday, August 17th, Elizabethton City Schools will implement a hybrid educational plan for our district for grades K-12. The details of this plan are as follows:
• Students with last names beginning with letters A – L will attend traditional, in-person instruction on Monday and Tuesday. These students will participate in remote learning on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
• Students with last names beginning with the letters M – Z will participate in remote learning on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. These students will attend traditional, in-person instruction every Thursday, and Friday.
• This schedule will be in effect from Monday, August 17th, through Friday, August 28th. We will continue to monitor the situation and will adjust the schedule as appropriate.
• The traditional, in-person days will be full days of instruction.
• Buses will run on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday each week.
• Students who live in the same household will be allowed to attend traditional, in-person instruction on the same days, regardless of their last names. Please contact your child’s school for arrangements.
• Parents of PreK and Kindergarten students will be contacted for details regarding their schedule for these weeks.
• Face coverings/masks are required for students and staff while at school/work unless medically exempt.
• This plan will not affect students who chose the distance learning track.
Given our current situation, this plan provides us with the best opportunity to keep our students and staff members safe, while providing a quality educational experience. We understand this plan will create some hardships for families. It is far from perfect, but we believe the hybrid model gives us the best opportunity to safely provide instruction. This plan allows us to:
• Keep class sizes low, which will allow for proper social distancing
• Minimize the number of students in common areas (i.e. lunchroom, hallways, etc.)
• Implement social distancing on school buses
• Deep clean all schools on Wednesdays 2
As a district, we believe that in-person instruction is the most effective method of teaching for the vast majority of students. The relationships and connections teachers and students make in the classroom are invaluable. We are committed to providing our students with a traditional educational experience as long as it is safe to do so. As infection rates lower, we will transition back to a traditional schedule. We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust our plan as necessary. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s school.
Richard VanHuss- Director of Schools