We are pleased to announce that Winooski Middle School is preparing to move grades 6-8 to a 4 days-per-week in-person schedule. Currently, Monday, April 26 will be the first day of the new schedule.
Our plans are centered on two goals:
- Make decisions that maintain safety and wellbeing first for ALL.
- Make decisions that are the least disruptive to student learning.
Students will stay in their current pod structures. Student in-person days will be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesdays will stay remote learning days for everyone.
Due to scheduling issues, some teachers may switch classrooms. Students will still remain in their assigned classrooms with the same pod teachers. While we are working to maintain all students’ current classes, we appreciate everyone’s flexibility as we work through potential scheduling changes.
Students on IEPs will continue to receive their necessary services, and Special Educators might follow up with parents/guardians about any potential scheduling changes.
Below are some FAQ about the return to four-days-per-week
Why wait until April 26?
By April 26 a high percentage of our staff will be fully vaccinated.
What about Physical Distance Between Students?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that, with universal masking, students should maintain a distance of at least 3 feet in classroom settings. However, Strong and Healthy Start guidelines from the Agency of Education have not been updated with this new recommendation. Through creative planning, we are pleased that Winooski 6-8th grade students can all be back together in our building safely while maintaining the previously recommended 6-feet of distance.
Why will Wednesday Stay Remote?
Our Leadership Team has decided to keep Wednesdays remote for all students for stability and consistency. Wednesdays are also important staff Professional Development days, where our full staff works together to deepen their knowledge of Restorative Justice practices and study together from the Teaching for Black Lives curriculum. There were also concerns about potential staffing challenges when considering a return five days per week in the spring.
What about High School Students?
For the remainder of the year, Winooski High School students will continue with their hybrid learning schedule. We know this will be disappointing for many high school students. Spacing constraints obliged us to use classrooms in the high school to accommodate middle school classes. We are committed to bringing in seniors that need additional support to reach graduation requirements and will continue to provide additional time for students with disabilities and ELL newcomers.
We know that another change may be stressful for our students, their families, and our staff. We are also very much looking forward to seeing all our wonderful students and teachers in the building together again! We will continue to work together to make this spring a strong and celebratory ending to this challenging year.
If you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to contact WMHS Co-Principal Kate Grodin ([email protected]) directly.