Superintendent Danny Adkins announces that beginning Monday, February 22, 2021, Floyd County Schools will return to in-person instruction following the hybrid model.
Adkins comments, “On Monday, at a special called meeting, our board members voted to return to in-person instruction following the hybrid model we had previously created. In Kentucky, if your county falls into the orange or red categories regarding COVID positivity rates, school districts are to follow a hybrid model.”
Adkins explained the hybrid model saying, “First, we want to make it clear to parents that they have the option to have their children remain on virtual instruction. No child is required to attend school in person. Second, we want everyone to understand that all students will be in classes Monday through Thursday, regardless of whether your child is attending virtually or in person.” Adkins discussed how the students will be divided saying, “On Mondays and Tuesdays, students with last names beginning with the letters A-J, will attend in-person classes. Students with last names beginning with the letters K-Z will attend in person classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Parents who have children with different last names but living in the same household should contact the school principal to schedule children to attend on the same days. Fridays will be Flex Days to be used for students to schedule time with teachers for additional instruction or assistance. Lastly, all K-8 students will remain in one classroom for the majority of the day so as to minimize contacts.”
Regarding transportation and meal services, Adkins says, “Our buses will run their regular routes for at least the first week until we make sure we know which students will be attending classes. Students who attend in person will have breakfast and lunch the two days they are in attendance and will have the option to take home 3 more breakfasts and lunches that we would provide if school were in normal session. Students who remain in virtual instruction will still have pick-up meal service available to them on Tuesdays as we have been doing.”
When asked how parents will let schools know whether or not their children will be attending virtually or in person Adkins says, “Tomorrow, your child’s teacher will send a link through Google Classroom to a form where you will let us know if your child will be attending virtually or in person. It is very important that you fill this form out as soon as possible so that we can make sure our classrooms will have the appropriate social distancing for your children.” Adkins went on to say, “We know there’s several areas without power currently and we will leave the form available for as long as we can. At some point we will have to make decisions based on the number we have so we ask that you please try to fill out the forms. These forms can be accessed through mobile devices if your child logs on to their Google Classroom through that device.”
Adkins concludes saying, “We’re excited to be able to see some of our students again and we’re also excited to continue offering virtual instruction as well. We have a list of frequently asked questions that we are sharing with the media and posting on our social media sites that we hope addresses other concerns our parents may have.”
Floyd County School District
Return to School Options for February 22, 2021
The Central Office Instructional Leadership Team in addition to the Superintendent have worked to develop a plan of re-entry for the students and staff of the Floyd County Schools in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order, dated December 18, 2020. Please review the following proposals that will assist students with in-person learning:
Frequently Asked Questions?
- What is Hybrid Instruction?
Hybrid Instruction divides students into two groups referred to in our model as Group A and Group B. Students will attend in-person instruction two days per week and utilize virtual instruction 3 days per week. Group A will attend school on Mondays and Tuesdays while Group B will attend school on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
- How will students be divided? Will siblings be able to attend school on the same days?
Groupings will be based on alphabetical divide. Group A will consist of students with last names beginning with the letters A-J. Group B will consist of students with last names beginning with the letters K-Z. In an effort to help students who live in blended families and do not fall in the grouping with their siblings, parents may contact the schools for assistance in regards to all students within a family attending school on the same days.
- What is a Friday “Flex” Day?
Friday will be a flex day within the Floyd County Hybrid Model. Teachers and students will utilize Fridays in the following manners:
- Teachers will hold office hours to assist students in need of assistance, provide enrichment and extension opportunities through MTSS, meet through virtual PLC Meetings and plan for the next week of instruction.
- Students will work on individual and group projects, complete assignments as well as complete enrichment and extension activities.
- What is synchronous instruction?
Synchronous Learning is defined as learning taking place either in-person or online at the same time. Student schedules will remain the same and students will log into instruction on their virtual days at the same times as if they were in-person.
- Students that wish to continue with online instruction will be allowed to do so. Schedules will remain similar to that of what their normal day would like if in-person. Note: The District through the MTSS Plan has a model for teachers and staff to utilize while working with students that have signed up to be virtual but have not participated fully or are not participating fully with the virtual instruction method.
- Will everyone still wear masks and follow health and safety guidelines?
- All schools will continue to follow KDE’s Healthy at School Guidelines as well as recommendations recently released by the CDC, which includes the following:
- Social Distancing of 6 feet must be adhered to at all times within the classrooms, cafeteria… even while wearing a mask.
- Cloth face coverings must be worn at all times while inside the building.
- Screenings such as temperature checks will continued to be utilized. Students not meeting those screenings shall be excluded from school while sick.
- Sanitation and environmental factors and plans will be followed.
- Contact Tracing
- Schools should continue to maintain any best practices that were in place prior to the end of in-person learning in late October.
- When Floyd County is “Red” and “Orange” as monitored by the state incidence map, students and teachers in grades K-8 will not transition between classes with the exception of Related Arts classes. When students’ transition for related arts, students shall remain in their normal traveling group and not mixed between classrooms.
- Are students still allowed to remain learning virtually if parents are still concerned about the spread of the virus?
All students have that option. Schools have worked diligently to ensure all students have access to the curriculum while enrolled in virtual instruction. Students may still begin instruction virtually or in-person and make that switch. The District has asked that parents notify the schools in advance and provide a maximum of five days’ notice while the switchover takes place.