TASD offers learning pathways
In addition to Texarkana Arkansas School District students having three learning pathways to choose from this fall, elementary school times will change and no field trips are expected, according to information released Monday.
The three learning choices for when school reconvenes on Aug. 26 will include:
Traditional: Students will attend a traditional school setting on campus five days per week, and campuses will follow state required safety guidelines while providing direct instruction.
Hybrid/Blended: Students will attend school on campus for two days per week and participate in virtual learning for three days per week. Virtual lesson schedules and assignments will be shared using Google Classroom.
Virtual: Students will participate in virtual learning five days per week. Virtual lesson schedules and assignments will be shared using Google Classroom.
The hybrid/blended option places students into small cohorts. They will have limited contact with other students, not interacting with students outside of their cohorts. After two days of face-to-face learning, students will transition to three days of virtual instruction.
Parents and students will stay in the learning pathway choice they make for the semester.
“We will evaluate the situation in December and allow for a different selection to be made for the second semester beginning in January of 2021,” district officials stated in an online FAQ.
Frequent cleaning will happen at all campuses and masks are strongly recommended for grades 5 and up when social distancing is not possible, like on school buses. The masks will be provided by the district for grades 5 and up. Masks will be provided to students age 10 and under by request of the parents.
TASD does not anticipate taking any field trips during the fall. In the event an opportunity presents itself, the trip will only occur if safety guidelines can be followed. All students will have the opportunity to opt out of the trip for safety reasons.
A daily screening form will also be filled out asking if students or adults have temperatures or a cough, if they visited someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days or if the they have traveled outside the area.
Also, elementary schools times will change with an arrival time of 8:15 a.m. and a dismissal time of 2:45 p.m. to limit the amount of time students are in close proximity to one another.
On secondary campuses, arrival and dismissal times will be the same: 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. for College Hill Sixth Grade Academy, North Heights Junior High and Arkansas High.
For more information on TASD’s reopening plan, go to https://texarkanaar.sites.thrillshare.com/page/reopening-school-plan