Salem Schools Want To Hear If Parents Want Students Back In Class

SALEM, MA — Salem families this week will receive an email asking them if they want students who currently do not have the opportunity to have in-classroom learning to do so when that option hopefully becomes available early in 2021.

Salem Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stephen Zrike told the school community in his weekly Facebook live session that, despite rising coronavirus cases in the district and the region, plans remain to give all students in grades that have yet to return to the classroom this year that option "in the month of January, beginning of February."

He said the exact dates have yet to be determined — and could be later for high school students compared to grades 3 through 5, and 7 and 8, which are all currently fully remote — but that the hope remains to have all students who would like to be in school there in a hybrid model at least two days a week.

"The guidance continues to be that it is safe to have school in session, especially when there is no evidence of school spread," he said. "It is not out of the realm of possibility that guidance could change. … So, stay tuned. We hope that is not the case."

In order to properly plan for the return of the remaining grades, Zrike said the district must know as soon as possible how many students plan to return. Under the tentative return plan, students will return in cohorts either Monday and Tuesday, or Thursday and Friday, and have remote learning the other three days.

“This will be considered a 'final decision' so it's very important that this be filled out so that we have a good plan in place to welcome students back who want to be back and ensure that there is high-qualify remote instruction for those students who want to remain remote," Zrike said of the forms, which can be found here by school. "We're doing this while we’re flying the plane because school is in session and we are adjusting on the fly."

Zrike also held out that the promise of a vaccine will allow for students to be in class more often by the end of the school year and "I surely hope that schools and school staff are considered high priority for the vaccine."

Salem Schools began testing for staff this week and have plans to expand that testing for at least in-person high school students, and possibly younger grades, as more students return to the classroom.

"We would eventually like to, at minimum, test middle school students as well," he said. "Our intent is to continue (the testing) as long as we can throughout the school year."

He said that efforts will be made to create situations where students who remain in remote learning can have social interaction with their peers in a safe and socially distanced manner, and that he wants to work into the return plan that students have as much contact with teachers and school staff during remote days as possible.

"We want to be better than what we’ve seen in other communities where there is no interaction," Zrike said.

More Patch Coverage: Salem Expands Coronavirus Testing In Schools, Sewers

Salem Schools Target Jan. 4 For All Grades To Return To Class

Most Salem Students To Remain In Hybrid Model In Classroom Return