More students return to class for hybrid instruction
Motorists may notice an increase in morning school bus traffic in the coming days as public schools ratchet up the pace to return students back to their buildings for in-person learning.
W hile most Catholic schools across the county returned Sept. 9 in a hybrid model, public schools delayed in person re-opening as health officials urged caution in opening schools until positive COVID-19 cases in the county had decreased after a potential surge following Labor Day.
Over the past few weeks, a small number of special education students have returned to schools but most student have been learning virtually for the past month.
In the Wa lling ford Swarthmore School District, kindergarten through second grade students returned this past Thursday. Third through fifth grade students came back yesterday and upper grades will return next week.
“It’s going great. Teachers so far are feeling excited and positive about kids back in the classroom,” said Deidre Abrahamsson, spokeswoman for the Wallingford Swarthmore School District.
Heath officials at the Chester County Department of Health have been issuing a weekly update of COVID-19 cases in individual school districts as a whole by examining the cumulative incident rate in the community populations. Last week, Interboro had the lowest rate, 4.24, in the county, while Chester Upland had the highest with 111.46. Those numbers are a total number of confirmed cases divided by the population of that district for a specific time period.
Interboro welcomed kindergarten, first and second grade students back five days a week last week. Some high school students also returned last week in a hybrid schedule. All other students returned on Monday.
“They are really doing a great job, wearing their masks and respecting the 6-feet social distancing,” said Interboro Superintendent Bernadette Reiley.
Reiley estimated 1,200 students are in their two cyber programs, a third of their overall enrollment. One program offers in-synchronous education with teachers all day while the iCyber allows students to learn at their own pace with benchmarks.
“I’m happy to have our students back and our parents have been wonderful,” said Reiley. “The teachers have been great and everybody has been putting in a lot of time and preparation for this. We are very glad to have students back.”
Reiley said all students, including cyber students, in the district are eligible for free USDA breakfast and lunch through December. Other districts also have free lunch programs for all students as part of pandemic recovery efforts from the federal government.
At Penn-Delco, kindergarten to grade two began a hybrid schedule Monday with grade six returning Oct. 8 and all other students Oct. 12.
Marple Newtown brought elementary students back Monday while the high school hybrid model begins next week.
Rose Tree Media School District kindergarten students began attending school five days a week on Monday, as did students new to their buildings (incoming first, sixth and ninth grades). All grades will be back in school by Oct. 14 with most in a hybrid format.
The School District of Haverford Township welcomed kindergarten through grade 3 back Monday with the remaining elementary and middle students returning next week and high school students the following week.
“Within our hybrid model, students will come to school in two cohort groups (A/B) with half of our students attending Monday and Wednesday, and the other half attending on Tuesday and Thursday,” said Anna Deacon, district spokeswoman. “Friday will be a virtual learning day, including a variety of live, synchronous instruction and recorded or self-paced assignments. Middle and high school students will be dismissed for lunch then continue with virtual learning in the afternoon.”
Deacon said elementary students will remain for a full school day at school, eating lunch at school. The district is using both the cafeteria and the school gymnasiums to allow for proper social distancing.
Springfield will welcome most elementary students back Oct. 8, with high school students back the following week.
“We’re a brick and mortar institution and we miss our students, and we want to see them in person,” said Springfield Superintendent Anthony Barber. “We’re going to do everything we can possibly do (to remain safe) and according to our health and safety plan.”
“Thankfully we have a really good team and all the districts have been supportive of each other. Our district solicitor, the Chester County Health Department - everybody has been such a good team. I’m really humbled to be part of that team,” he said.
Chichester School District has had low incidence disabilities students back since Sept 21, according to Superintendent Dan Nerelli. Kindergarten through fifth grade students will return beginning Oct. 19 and high school freshmen two days later. All students will return the following week.
In Garnet Valley, kindergarten through second grade students returned last week five days a week.
“We’re beginning with these students for several reasons,” district officials wrote in a letter to parents. “Educationally, it is incredibly complex to educate these children online. Lack of literacy skills, limited ability to work independently, and shorter attention spans are just a few of the many issues that our teachers and our parents are facing.”
All other Garnet Valley students will return in a hybrid schedule beginning next week.
In Radnor, students in grades kindergarten through second grade and those new to their buildings (grades six and nine) returned for the district’s modified in-person learning program Sept. 29 with all others back at the end of the week.
Upper Darby School District will return kindergarten through grade five students on Nov. 5 for in-person/f lexible instruction with the option to remain in the virtual learning model. The remaining grades will return a week later.
William Penn School District will remain virtual through the end of the first quarter in November and Chester Upland will remain virtual through the end of 2020.