Both Surry County Schools and Mount Airy City Schools announced Friday evening the systems will extend spring break for at least one week, through Friday, March 20, in response to fears of the COVID 19 virus pandemic. Students and faculty for both school systems have been out of school for the past week as part of the regularly scheduled spring break.
Teachers and other staff members will be required to work most of the week, and students still will be able to take part in the school system’s nutrition program via free lunch to be offered on a drive-through basis at select locations.
“We will offer free lunch to students across Surry County Schools,” said Dr. Tracey Lewis, director of communications/teacher recruitment & retention, in a written statement. “We will feed students ages 2 – 18 years old at Rockford Elementary, Flat Rock Elementary, Gentry Middle, and Pilot Mountain Middle from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. This will be provided as a drive-through service to families who wish to pick up lunches for their children.”
According to a posting on the city school’s website, Mount Airy students will be able to receive the same service at Tharrington Primary School, with those participating asked to utilize the curb-side pick up going through the car rider line at the front of the school.
Monday the school systems will be closed to 10-month staff members as well. Tuesday through Friday, Lewis said, will be required workdays for teachers and staff in the county, while the city schools online posting said teachers would be required to work those days.
“During the required workdays and with district-level guidance, principals and teachers will work to prepare for a potentially prolonged period of distance learning (alternate instruction, online instruction, etc.) and/or the return of our students to a normal schedule,” Lewis said of the county schools.
Lewis said, following CDC and health department suggestions, they are asking for parents, staffers, and students to follow these guidelines:
– Parents/guardians are asked to notify their school principal if a student or member of their family has been to a country listed on the CDC’s Level 3 Travel Health Notice list, has recently returned to the community, and has been instructed by the CDC to self-quarantine for 14 days;
– Students who have traveled on a cruise ship are to limit their personal interactions with others for 14 days after returning to the United States and are asked to monitor their health. These students are asked to stay at home and practice social distancing. Students falling in this category should contact their school’s principal and teachers for assignments during this period;
– Staff members are asked to notify their school principal if they or members of their family have been to a country listed on the CDC’s Level 3 Travel Health Notice list, have recently returned to the community, and have been instructed by the CDC to self-quarantine for 14 days. Additionally, staff members who have traveled on a cruise ship are to limit their personal interactions with others for 14 days after returning to the United States and are asked to monitor their health and practice social distancing. Such staff members should contact their principal for modified work assignments during this period.
She said all out-of-district and out-of-state field trips and travel are postponed until April 14; athletic competitions, practices, workouts, and skill development are now suspended at the high school and middle school levels until April 6; all extracurricular school activities and events are canceled until April 14; NCASA academic competitions are canceled and will be scheduled virtually if possible; out of district professional development sessions for teachers are canceled and will be scheduled virtually if possible.
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Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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