In-person learning to return at Greenwich High on Wednesdays
GREENWICH — Greenwich High School staff and students will return to in-person learning on Wednesdays beginning March 17, Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones announced Wednesday.
Since returning to school in September amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the district adopted a model that allowed elementaryand middle-school students to return in person to school full time. At
the high school level, two cohorts — Greenwich Cohort and Cardinal Cohort — alternated in-person days Monday, Tuesday
and Thursday, Friday. Wednesday was a remote day for the entire school, to allow for proper clean
ing in between cohorts.
“We have learned a great deal over the past six months about how to operate in a pandemic environment,” Jones wrote in a letter to students and families. “Our COVID case numbers locally, and within the district, as well as guidance from the (federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) that states that touching surfaces is not the main cause of virus spread, support that we no longer need a full day cleaning break between cohorts, and as such it has been determined that returning to face-to-face learning on Wednesdays is a safe next step for our students and staff.”
The news comes just days after Gov. Ned Lamont announced the state’s new vaccine prioritization plans, which bumped up teachers.
Now, teachers and school staff are eligible for vaccination beginning March 1. By May, older teenagers would also be eligible, according to the plan.
Despite the change, the school’s cohorting model will continue. The school’s two cohorts will alternate Wednesdays in person, beginning with Greenwich Cohort in the building March 17. On March 24, Cardinal Cohort will learn in-person.
“We are looking forward to providing this opportunity for an additional day of in-person learning each week,” Jones said. “As has been our ongoing process, we will continue to monitor our health situation and take guidance from our local and state health departments to make any necessary updates to our health and safety protocols.”