Wayne County schools are reopening today, Wednesday, August 12th, on a staggered schedule that was designed to allow fewer students to be in the classroom at the same time. All Wayne County students have been placed into one of three groups: Group A, Group B, or Group C. For at least the first few weeks of the school year, students will only go to school on the days designated on the calendar for their specific group.
The group schedules are as follows:
Group A – August 12, 17, 20, 25, 28, and September 2
Group B – August 13, 18, 21, 26, 31, and September 3
Group C – August 14, 19, 24, 27, and September 1, 4
“Our priority is maintaining the safety of students and staff while providing a quality education,” said Wayne County Director of Schools Marlon Davis. “We have closely monitored local and statewide COVID-19 trends, and we are aware of the role that schools could potentially play in the spread of the virus.”
The staggered schedule will be re-evaluated at the end of August, and a decision will be made regarding if, and/or when, a regular schedule will resume.
Students will be provided with instructional activities and the opportunity for virtual learning on the days that they are not physically at school. Students will need an electronic device such as a Chromebook to connect with the classroom teacher. Chromebooks will be provided to students whose families have demonstrated a need for technical assistance.
Due to the extended closure at the end of the last school year, teachers will be assessing students to devise individual strategies for academic recovery. For grades K-4, the academic focus will be on math and reading for the first nine weeks, but will also include science and social studies in the curriculum. Grades 5-12 will do the same, but will incorporate the full curriculum at a faster pace in order to help students gain grade level expectations. All teachers will practice using technology as an educational delivery method with their students in order to prepare for future closures if necessary.
It seems that there are daily changes in the recommendations on how to handle the coronavirus situation, and there are many differing opinions surrounding the best way to keep our children safe while still providing them with the quality education they deserve. Wayne County educators encourage all parents to choose the learning option that they feel is best for their child.
The Wayne County School System is offering three different options for learning this year:
Traditonal – Students will attend school on a normal school schedule with some modifications.
Distance Learning – Students enroll in one of our schools, but all school work will be done offsite. Wayne County teachers will be responsible for instruction. This is a FREE program. Not all of the Distance Learning will be online because Wayne County does not have adequate internet service for the entire county, and some people do not have internet in their homes. The schools will provide work packets for those students without internet at home.
Virtual School – Students register with the Wayne County Board of Education as a homeschool student. Current homeschool students may also register for this program. This is a tuition-free, online program with Tennessee certified teachers. The Virtual School is a homeschool approach that is a free online program for people who are currently homeschooling or want to move to that option.
All parents of Wayne County students are encouraged to go to the school system’s website at www.waynetn.net and read over the Reopening Parent Guide and the Framework/Protocol for Reopening. These are detailed guides that answer most of the questions surrounding the reopening of Wayne County schools.
