The St. Mary Parish School Board has voted to delay the start of school until after Labor Day, with students reporting on September 8. Originally the start day for school was August 7, 2020.
St. Mary Parish Schools will delay going back to school to give staff and students a chance to adjust to changes this year. Students will head to school with 50 percent capacity in groups.
September 8 will be the first day of school for students assigned to Group A. Those in Group B will report to school on Wednesday, September 9th, according to Superintendent Teresa Bagwell.
In Phase Two, which corresponds with the phase Louisiana is currently in, schools in the parish will follow the following guidelines:
- Elementary school students will attend daily classes on school sites.
- School administrators will implement modified schedules designed to reduce face-to-face student/student and student/teacher interactions in Grades 6-12.
- Student progress will be supported using a hybrid (blended) learning approach with MS Teams as the primary information portal.
- Students in Grades 3-12 will wear face coverings; face coverings are recommended but not required for students in Grades PK-2.
- In Phase 2, families will be offered a virtual (distance) learning option.
- School sites may offer limited on-site activities.
- Accommodations will be made to help meet the needs of our students.
- District offices will open with adherence to guidelines set forth by federal, state, and local agencies by federal, state, and local agencies.
According to the guidelines, in regards to virtual learning, the school board will provide more hotspots for students to have access to free internet. That information is below:
Hotspots
- In addition to 720 existing internet access points (hotspots) currently located inside district schools and buildings, the district will deploy approximately 70 additional external hotspots that will broadcast from buildings to site parking lots.
- The district will work with community civic centers and other public buildings near residential areas to enhance free internet access at those locations.
- For isolated residential areas, the district will mount internet access points on school buses. During emergency situations, these buses can be parked in protected areas, where they can broadcast a signal to nearby students.
- In extremely isolated residential areas, it may be necessary to supply mobile (cellular) hot spots that provide limited internet access.
Partnerships
The district encourages local service providers to open their networks and provide free or low-cost internet access during emergency situations.
For more on the what has been implemented by St. Mary Parish, click here
Or view the document below:
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Download our free app for Apple,Android, Roku and Amazon devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers
