Guilford Revises Full In-Person School Plan

GUILFORD, CT — While Guilford has one of the lowest infection rates, the schools superintendent noted, the state is experiencing its highest increase in infection rates and hospitalizations since June. A full, in-person return for all students was originally planned for Monday, Guilford Public Schools superintendent Dr. Paul Freeman sent a letter to families notifying them of some changes to that plan.

"The plan for a full reopening of our schools on October 19 has been revised based on the current metrics on the coronavirus and the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff," he said.

What this means

• For elementary school students, given the small cohorts wearing masks and social distancing to the degree possible has been effective, prekindergarten through grade 6 will come back to school for in-person learning together, four days each week, on Monday and Tuesday and Thursday and Friday.

"We know that keeping students together in small groups throughout the school day has limited their exposure to others and facilitated contact tracing that the health department has conducted when there has been a potential positive case of the coronavirus," Freeman wrote.

• Wednesdays will remain free of in-person learning so custodians can do a deep clean.
• Students in grades 7-12 will continue in the hybrid model

Freeman praised families for their "diligence, your dedication, and your support over these past weeks."

"You have been asked to adjust to new learning models and technologies, complicated schedules, and health and safety protocols and practices in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. You have risen to these unprecedented challenges and have made it possible for our students to continue to learn both in-person and virtually."

The full revised reopen plan for Monday:

• Our elementary schools and Baldwin Middle School are able to keep students within the same small cohorts throughout the school day, wearing masks and social distancing to the degree possible. Therefore, we will bring all students in prekindergarten through grade 6 back to school for in-person learning together, four days each week, on Monday and Tuesday and Thursday and Friday.
• Wednesday will remain a distance learning day for all students in all grades to allow time for facilities to be thoroughly cleaned and to support the health department in any contact tracing they may need to do.
• Due to the number of students and their varying schedules, we have been more challenged at Adams Middle School and Guilford High School to effectively cohort all students in small groups for in-person learning. The cohorting of the hybrid model, however, remains an effective way to reduce student to student contact in these two schools. Therefore, students in grades 7-12 will continue in the hybrid model with students in cohort A in school for in-person learning on Monday and Tuesday and students in cohort B in school for in-person learning on Thursday and Friday. Again, Wednesday will remain a distance learning day.
• We continue to ask families to drive students to and from school when possible to reduce ridership on our school buses.
• Families who choose to keep their students at home for full distance learning will continue to be supported by teachers and staff remotely.
• We are continuing to work with the Guilford Center for Children’s Before and After School Care
program to provide childcare on distance learning days. New information on the availability of their services will be communicated soon.

October 19 Revised Reopenin... by Ellyn Santiago