As Greenville County Schools’ first graders continue their transition to five-day-a-week in-person classes, all remaining elementary students in the traditional school program (not Virtual Program) will move toward full-time in-person classes as well.
Updated Safety Measures
- social distancing will be maintained by utilizing extra space in school facilities and splitting time between the teacher and the aide
- plexiglass dividers will allow up to four students wearing masks to sit in clusters with three feet of social distance
- students in grades 2-5 will be required to wear a mask during instruction, unless they have a medical or cognitive exemption.
- Monday, October 12, first grade students will start their first full week of in-person classes
“For the past six weeks, teachers in our traditional model have been supporting two instructional platforms: in-person instruction and online eLearning,” said Royster. “Planning and delivering content over two platforms is very time-consuming and presents both teachers and parents with multiple challenges. Those challenges are even greater for teachers and parents working with our youngest students. This plan will remove the burden of eLearning from our elementary teachers, return those students to daily in-person instruction, and provide a safe learning environment that protects the health of students and staff.”
Dr. Royster of GCS
Survey Reveals Teacher Reaction to Covid-19 Measures
GCS teachers were surveyed last week to determine their perception of compliance with protocols in GCS schools as well as their comfort level with in-person instruction.
- 83.5% reported protocols such as mask wearing and social distancing have been followed with little to no resistance
- 12.7% reported employees have done well, but students have been less compliant.
- 82.1% of teachers indicated that have felt very safe (42%) or somewhat safe (40.1%) from COVID while at work this fall.
- Just over 51% of all teachers reported feeling comfortable with the idea of moving to five-days-a-week face-to-face instruction when in accord with DHEC regulations
- 60% of elementary teachers indicating they were comfortable.
GCS will continue to monitor both compliance with these protocols and the number of COVID cases among students and staff. A significant change in either could result in a return to a hybrid schedule or 100% eLearning.
Important Dates by Grade
4K & 5K
Week of October 12
- Students will attend Monday or Tuesday, based on color group
- Students will attend Wednesday & Thursday, October 14 & 15
- Week of October 19 is the first full week of attendance (4 Days because October 23 is a professional development day)
- Week of October 26 will be first full 5-day week
- 4K and 5K students will be expected to wear masks when moving through the building
1st Grade – already underway
Week of September 30
- Students attended Monday or Tuesday, based on color group
- Students attended Wednesday & Thursday, September 30 & October 1
- Week of October 12 will be first full 5-day week
2nd Grade
Week of October 19
- Students will attend Monday or Tuesday, based on color group
- Students will attend Wednesday & Thursday, October 21 & 22
- Week of October 26 will be first full 5-day week
3rd Grade
Week of October 26
- Students will attend Monday or Tuesday, based on color group
- Students will attend Wednesday & Thursday, October 28 & 29
- Week of November 2 will be first full week (4 days because Election Day is the Nov. 3)
4th Grade & 5th Grade
Week of November 2
- Students in Blue and Green color groups will attend Monday
- Tuesday is a school holiday due to Election Day – no students attend
- Students will attend Wednesday and Thursday, November 4 & 5
- Week of November 9 is first full 5-day week
By the week of November 9, all elementary students will be attending full five-day weeks. Again, this phased-in schedule is contingent upon plexiglass supplies arriving on time and the COVID-19 spread-rate remaining at a manageable level. This plan does not impact students in the GCS virtual program.
Related School News
