ER9 Superintendent Rydell Harrison informed families on September 25 that Samuel Staples Elementary School and Helen Keller Middle School will transition to all in-person instruction for students starting October 5, while Joel Barlow High School will continue with a modified hybrid model.
SSES and HKMS families will also be given the option to continue with hybrid learning through at least November 25, according to Dr. Harrison’s letter. “Although our current health data supports transitioning to full in-person learning, we understand that some of our families may have lingering concerns regarding the increased number of students in the classroom,” the letter said. “To provide additional flexibility, students will be permitted to continue in the hybrid learning model after we transition to in-person learning on October 5.”
All Joel Barlow students have been learning remotely on Wednesdays with one cohort taking in-person classes on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the other cohort learning in-person on Thursdays and Fridays. Beginning October 7, the cohorts will attend in-person classes on alternate Wednesdays.
According to Dr. Harrison, unlike SSES and HKMS, the conditions at JBHS do not allow for a safe transition to all in-person instruction. “It has become clear that maintaining adequate social distancing will be problematic if all students return [to JBHS],” the letter said.
Both letters from Superintendent Harrison are included below:
Pre-K-Grade_8_Transition JBHS_Transition