Option for 4 In Person Days

Option for 4 In Person Days
Posted on 04/06/2021
To BMS Families-

Students, families, and educators have gone to great lengths over the past year to provide a continuity of learning during the coronavirus pandemic. While everyone has worked incredibly hard to make remote learning as successful as possible, we understand that remote learning is not a good match for every student’s learning needs and can put tremendous pressure on parents and families who may need to work when their children are participating in remote learning.

Recognizing the academic and social emotional challenges presented by the prolonged impact of the pandemic, given the availability of vaccinations, and the lessons learned over the last seven months; the RSU 25 school board has approved a proposal for students in grades 5-12 who are currently identified as a hybrid student to be allowed to choose to attend four days in person beginning Monday, 4/26. Hybrid students may select to remain as a hybrid student participating in the 2+2 structure currently available.  As has been the practice throughout the year, a hybrid student can select to move to a full remote experience.

Students who have selected to be fully remote will remain fully remote students for the remainder of the school year. A fully remote student may request to return to the hybrid or four day per week schedule. Consideration of return form remote to in person will not be considered until after the first of May and will be made on a case by case basis pending available space. 

BMS students will remain cohorted in their homeroom classrooms and the teachers will rotate between rooms.  Desks will remain distanced at 6 feet, except for a small number of desks in a small number of classrooms which may need to be distanced 4 or 5 feet apart. Current health and safety guidelines, such as masking, hand washing, daily symptom self-checks, etc. will remain in place.

Plans have been developed that will maintain the required six foot spacing when students are eating.   At BMS the students will eat in the cafeteria as well as in half of the gymnasium which will allow for up to 70 students combined in the two spaces.  Students will be grouped by homerooms to keep the cohorts as small as possible. Meals will be placed on the individual desks for students to avoid the need for going through the serving line.

Based on preliminary numbers, the buses would be able to handle the increase in ridership, but may need to adjust some runs depending on the number of students who choose the 4 day in-person option.  The original guidance for transportation has been modified to allow more students to ride at one time.

To accomplish the transition to a 4 day in person schedule, Friday 4/9, Thursday 4/15, and Friday 4/16 will be asynchronous learning days for BMS to allow teachers and administrators time to readjust classrooms and review new procedures, adjusting if necessary. All students will have assignments posted to Brightspace and there will be no Zoom classes on those days. There will be no in person learning for gold day students on 4/15.

Parents of hybrid students who are currently considered a “PURPLE” or “GOLD” student and would like to participate in four days of in person learning each week should contact the main office at 469-6647. Parents should do so before 4/30, as after May 1st any change to four days of in person learning will be on a case by case basis pending available space.

Please contact the office if you have any questions or need additional information. Thank you for your continued patience and flexibility as we navigate each new stage of the pandemic.