Hamilton County Schools Update Learning Schedules To Online Only For Next Week
Hamilton County, TN – With Covid-19 cases still rising, and the vaccine still in early stages, Hamilton County Schools have had to adopt alternate learning schedules.
During the first semester, there were times that schools stayed open five days a week, but for some of the time, they were forced into a hybrid learning schedule.
However, with the school system in phase one, all schools will be put on an online-only schedule.
The Hamilton County School System posted an update to the website stating that from January 11 to 15 all schools will be online only. When classes start this week, all schools will be doing virtual learning. Over the previous few days, Hamilton County saw around five hundred new cases daily, which put the school system well into phase one.
Phase one means that the risk of Covid being spread is significant and requires a significant amount of litigation.
The Hamilton County Schools website says, “Phase 1 follows a full-time remote learning schedule, and students are expected to attend classes virtually five days a week. This schedule can present challenges for families including internet access, childcare, and learning support, so the district has partnered with organizations across our community to provide resources for families who may need more support in a remote learning environment.”
Staff will also be working remotely during virtual learning, but they can request access to school buildings if needed. School Aged Child Care will still be up and running at a limited amount of locations, which may help lessen the challenges faced by many families.
When the school system posted the update on their social media accounts, Twitter user Michelle said she is, “disappointed but glad sports can resume for these kids. They need an outlet for their mental and physical health.”
The HCSS update said, “We are hopeful we will be able to welcome our students back on campus soon, but the district is also committed to protecting the health and safety of our students and staff. As a reminder, please continue to follow the healthy behaviors outlined in our HCS SAFE Pledge, to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community.”
The update ended by saying, “We are hopeful we will be able to welcome our students back on campus soon, but the district is also committed to protecting the health and safety of our students and staff. As a reminder, please continue to follow the healthy behaviors outlined in our HCS SAFE Pledge, to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community.”
The Hamilton County School Systems will be providing resources for family and parents to try and lessen the strain of virtual learning. The district has been able to use local organizations and volunteers to open virtual learning centers. EPB is also giving free internet to any family that qualifies for free or reduced lunch. There is also a Parent Toolkit that can be found on the HCSS website which includes resources and tips for parents.
Families also have the opportunity to pick up student meals on either Wednesday or Thursday.
