Rio Bravo-Greeley Union School District fourth grader, Audrey Sheffield said that while she enjoys virtual learning, “I’m excited to go back to school and see my teachers in person and my friends in person,” she said.
RBGUSD’s District Superintendent, Jennifer Hedge echoed the anticipation of returning Wednesday, after its pause December 3rd due to staffing problems during the pandemic.
“We are now poised and in a great position to start bringing students back after the holidays and the COVID effects from the holidays, Hedge said. “We feel like that’s starting to decline. We’re ready to have our kids back!”
Hedge told 23ABC that starting Wednesday, TK/kindergarten, fifth grade, & special day classes will return.
On Feb, 18, first and second grade will follow. February 22, third and fourth grade will return, and sixth, seventh and eighth grade will be back March 8.
RBGUSD eighth grader, Marshall Day is looking forward to that March 8 start date.
“I learn so much better at school, because learning on computers is hard. You get kicked off sometimes,” Marshall said.
The in-person school experience will not be what it used to be. Hedge noted the following precautions:
-When students come to school they’ll be directed to a sanitizing station and get their temperatures checked.
-There will be social distanced markings on the floor as students wait for their teacher to escort them to class.
-Directional arrows will be marked to direct traffic flow and prevent inter-mingling.
-Classes are only three hours a day, and two sessions of students will come in the morning and afternoon, taking home with them grab-and-go meals at the end of the day.
“Those students do not eat meals on campus or have recess,” Hedge explained. “So we’ve eliminated the unstructured part of the day where they’d have masks off, needing to eat or out playing on playground equipment.”
Marshall, who will be graduating this year from middle school, is hopeful about experiencing the traditions about his school that he loves.
“Like the ‘Moving Up’ song every year and graduation,” Marshall said. “The eighth graders get to do a lot like go to Disneyland and Sacramento so hopefully we’ll get to do that too.”
Hedge also mentioned that 100 percent of teachers voluntarily will continue to be surveillance tested, which essentially means they test them even if they don't have COVID-19 symptoms. A nurse is also contact tracing for the district.
