For at least the start of the 2021-22 school year, masks will be as essential as math in both the East and West Tallahatchie school districts.
With in-person instruction resuming, local school officials have mandated the wearing of face masks by students and staff on school buses as well as inside school buildings.
In the Charleston schools, where teachers reported Monday and students’ first day was Thursday, first-year ETSD Superintendent Johnnie Vick said the district is following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for universal masking so that schools can begin as scheduled during a time when the delta variant of COVID-19 is raging worldwide.
Click on Title To Read Document
On the west side of the county, where staff orientation and teacher work days have been underway this week and students’ first day is Monday, Aug. 9, WTSD Superintendent Dr. Sherry Ellington said face masks are “most definitely” being utilized, “to be on the safe side.”
“Masks will be worn at all times by everyone entering the buildings in the district,” including visitors, she noted.
In addition to masks, the districts have implemented safety protocols to mitigate COVID risks.
Among these are:
» Daily temperature checks will be conducted on students and staff before they enter the buildings.
» Social distancing will be practiced “as best as we possibly can,” said Vick. Ellington noted that WTSD students and staff will be required to maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance in classrooms and hallways.
» Charleston schools are switching to touchless water fountains and upgrading restroom facilities with touchless equipment, Vick explained.
» West Tallahatchie is utilizing filters and new air purification equipment in each classroom, said Ellington, adding that “outside air ventilation will be increased throughout the building’s HVAC systems.”
» Touchless hand-sanitizing equipment will be widely available.
» Sanitizing will be conducted frequently on buses and in buildings using mechanical sprayers and other means.
Many other accommodations are being made, such as grab-and-go prepackaged meal items or individually plated meals. Plexiglass and other protective barriers will be scattered.
Try as they may to create and maintain a safe, COVID-free traditional learning environment, local school officials know all too well that even their best-laid and perfectly executed plans can come unraveled in an instant.
While Tallahatchie County has seen a relatively slow and modest uptick in the number of confirmed COVID cases during the delta wave, school leaders have contingency plans in place for various scenarios based on a flare-up in the community and/or an outbreak within the schools.
“Our plan is for in-person instruction for this academic year,” said Vick. “However, we are prepared to make adjustments as needed. We have enough technology — Chromebooks, hot spots, etc. — to support the student population if we have to pivot in another direction.”
Likewise, in the WTSD, Ellington said several options are available for students and staff “just in case the need arises to switch from in-person to virtual or hybrid.”
Prior to the start of the 2021-22 school year, districts were federally mandated to develop a “Safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services” plan, which also outlines contingencies in the event of a disruption of classes due to the pandemic.
Ellington noted that West Tallahatchie schools have “the necessary tools in place to better offer continual learning without a possible break in instruction.”
Should the schools be closed due to an outbreak, virtual classes would kick on like a backup generator.
ETSD would utilize Google Classroom to provide online instruction for all grades, while WTSD would use Google Classroom and/or Google Meet.
“Each student will log in to his/her classes for continued instruction,” noted Ellington. “Assignments will also be published on the district’s website and the Facebook page. Overall, the district will provide continuity of instruction through synchronous remote learning.”
In East Tallahatchie, as well, Vick said the plan would be for an almost seamless switch to virtual learning.
“Despite the COVID issues, we are committed to providing a high-quality education,” he said.
Vick noted that ETSD teachers have been in workshops this week with the Mississippi Department of Education and several private consultants, “developing lesson plans and strategies for addressing learning loss and moving forward with the curriculum.”
The Holly Springs-based Institute of Community Services Inc., which operates Head Start centers near Charleston and Glendora, indicates on its website that face masks will be required for “both children and adults” this school year. Other information is available on the ICS website at http://ics-hs.com.
Return-to-school plans of both Tallahatchie public school districts are posted on their respective websites.
In the ETSD, visit https://www.etsd.k12.ms.us. For the WTSD plan, visit https://www.wtsdschools.org.
On Wednesday, both Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi announced that they, too, would start the school year with a mask mandate for everyone in their buildings and on school transportation.
Mississippi State Department of Health COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for College and University Settings is available here.
