ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Roanoke County Public Schools had kids back in the classrooms Monday morning for the first time since March. For weeks, staff prepared their classrooms and entire schools to meet safety guidelines.
Whether kids were coming off a bus or from the parent drop-off line they had to have a temperature check at the door.
Due to the school district’s hybrid model decision, not all kids returned Monday. Kids from grades pre-k through second grade returned and will have in-person learning all five days. The first group of kids third grade through twelfth grade started in-person learning Monday, but do remote learning Tuesday. The next time they’ll be back in the classroom is Thursday.
Group two of third graders to twelfth graders will have their first day of in-person learning Tuesday. Students also had and can still choose to do all remote learning.
Superintendent Dr. Ken Nicely was at Mountain View Elementary School greeting families for the first day. He told 10 News the day went well and having significantly less kids makes this new norm more manageable.
Dr. Nicely also mentioned how keeping everyone safe starts at home. Before the first day, the school district sent out magnets with a COVID-19 checklist that includes symptoms. Parents need to go through the checklist with their kids daily and if by any chance they show one or more of those symptoms the child needs to stay at home. The district also advises parents call a doctor.
Here’s a look at the checklist.
Dr. Nicely said the community also plays a crucial role in schools staying open.
“The best hope we have for schools, not just here in Roanoke county but across the valley is for everybody to just do your part right. So when we’re out in public we wear our facial coverings, we try and maintain that 6 feet distancing if we can keep the cases down in the valley that helps to stay open as a school.”
Families also had and can still choose to do remote learning for all five days.