Kent School District families need to choose between hybrid and remote learning

The Kent School District will begin offering in-person learning for students in kindergarten through sixth grade in a hybrid learning model beginning on April 12.

To ensure physical distancing and other required COVID-19 mitigation strategies are in place, families must choose between a hybrid learning model or choose to remain in remote learning for each student by Thursday, March 25.

K-6 parents and guardians are asked to fully review the remote learning schedule and the hybrid learning schedule before confirming their final selection in Skyward Family Access for the remainder of the school year by 11:55 p.m. on Thursday, March 25.

Bargaining continues as labor partners work to come to an agreement to bring PreK, middle and high school students back to classrooms on April 19, according to the district. Once an agreement is reached, PreK and 7-12 grade families will also receive the enrollment form through Skyward Family Access to choose hybrid or remote learning for the remainder of the school year.

Remote learning model

The district will continue to offer a synchronous/asynchronous remote learning model that has been in place since the beginning of this school year. This model allows students to continue learning online at home.

Schedule

• Remote learning will be 3.5 hours of remote learning each day, Monday through Friday in the mornings.

• Students will also complete 2.5 hours of asynchronous, or “Work You do on Your Own,” on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons.

• Wednesdays are early release days for all K-6 students.

• Specific school schedules are being developed and will be shared by each school.

• Regardless of remote or hybrid status or grade level, will experience a change in bell times; the updated times are available online on the Elementary Remote Schedule page.

Hybrid learning model

(in-person & remote learning)

Learning happens in a traditional classroom with a teacher but with limited students in the school and specific health and safety requirements in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including:

• Physical distancing will be practiced between students, staff, groups, or classrooms as much as possible in alignment with public health guidelines.

• No more than approximately 50% of students can be in each classroom at a time as determined by the state Department of Health guidelines’ physical distancing requirements.

• A Health verification form will be required each day for every student attending school in-person.

• Face coverings will be required on both staff and students at all times, except when eating or drinking or those with a medical exemption. You will be notified if a student or staff member in your child’s class has a medical exemption and cannot wear a mask. This notification cannot be done until all class assignments are completed.

• Students will be in cohorts (small groups) that remain together with minimal mixing of groups.

• Some classes will not be offered in-person or will be provided in a modified version.

Schedule

• Hybrid learning will be 3.5 hours of in-person learning each day, Monday through Friday in the mornings.

• Students will also complete 2.5 hours of asynchronous, or “Work You do on Your Own,” on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons.

• Wednesdays are early release days for all K-6 students.

• Specific school schedules are being developed and will be shared by each school.

• Regardless of remote or hybrid status or grade level, will experience a change in bell times; the updated times are available online on the Elementary Hybrid Schedule page.

Capacity

• If more students express interest in in-person learning than safety guidelines will allow, prioritization of students will occur using the Department of Health guidelines.

• This hybrid schedule allows us to maximize instruction time without extending the day for staff and meet required COVID-19 mitigation strategies to keep students and staff safe and fulfill the governor’s emergency proclamation.

If a response is not received for a student, the student will remain in remote learning through the end of the school year. The information collected from families on their final selection of a learning model for each of their children will be used to establish in-person learning assignments, class rosters, teacher assignments and bus schedules.

Families that choose in-person learning will be notified via email and mail the week of April 5-9 of important information about returning to the building, their classroom assignments, and health and safety guidelines beginning April 12.

The district will prioritize staffing consistency as much as possible for the sake of students and staff. It is possible that students would need to have a different teacher; this will depend on how many families choose in-person and how many families select to remain in remote learning, and on the number of teaching staff who request remote working accommodations.