South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

Lindbergh middle schools expand to four days a week in person

The+Lindbergh+Green+Light+Plan+outlines+the+three+phases+of+possible+school+openings+and+closures.+
The Lindbergh Green Light Plan outlines the three phases of possible school openings and closures.

Middle schools in Lindbergh Schools will soon begin attending school in-person four days a week instead of the current rotating two days mixed with virtual learning.

Superintendent Tony Lake announced Thursday that the sixth through eighth grades at both Sperreng and Truman middle schools will transition to in-person four days a week, beginning Tuesday, Feb. 2. Mondays will remain at-home learning days, with students attending class in person Tuesdays through Fridays.

Students in the Accelerated Remote Courses, or ARC, program, the district’s 100-percent at-home learning program, will remain virtual.

The district said in an email to parents that the decision to bring back middle school students was based on continued low COVID-19 positivity rates among students, in addition to declining cases in the community.

“Finally, we know that in-person learning is the best for most students, both academically and socially,” Lake said in the email.

Teachers will use Monday, Jan. 25, to prepare for the transition to Phase 1, meaning that there will be no live Zoom instruction.

All other Mondays beginning Feb. 1 will have middle-school students participating in at-home learning beginning at 10:45 a.m. and concluding at 2:50 p.m. Keeping students off campus for a day will allow dedicated time for contract tracing.

Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 2, students will attend class in person Tuesdays through Fridays, beginning at 7:40 a.m. and dismissing at 2:40 p.m. ARC students will also begin the day at 7:40 a.m. and conclude at the same time.

Middle-school students have been attending school in-person in rotating groups two days a week since October, divided into Group A and Group B depending on their last names. Phase 1 will bring together both groups of students for in-person learning.

The district will use seating charts to minimize students’ number of contacts in a day and both staff and students will continue to be required to wear face masks while in school and on the bus.

“As we add more students to each classroom, we will do our best to social distance as much as possible,” Lake said.

Students and staff will be asked to continue completing a health screening before coming to school in person each day, to assure that individuals have not experienced the following symptoms in the last 14 days:

  • A fever (100.4 or higher)
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion/runny nose
  • Headache
  • Nausea/vomiting/diarrhea
  • Body aches
  • Cough
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Loss of taste/smell
  • Or if they or a close contact have been diagnosed or presumptively diagnosed with COVID-19.

 

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