NORTH VERNON — Once again, Jennings County School Corp. schools will be pivoting to a new schedule in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a letter from JCSC Superintendent Teresa Brown, beginning Nov. 16, the entire district is moving to virtual learning until Nov. 30.
The letter goes on to say that sports and other extra curricular activities will be allowed to resume at the high school on Nov. 16, but those activities will not continue at the middle and elementary levels until Nov. 30.
The decision to temporarily return to virtual learning beginning Monday was made due to community spread “escalating at a high rate.”
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
In her letter, Brown said that cases are spreading through both the student and staff member populations.
“With the exception of one school, we have every building experiencing large numbers of student and staff absences,” Brown’s letter said. “We now have 28 staff members out due to COVID or close contact reasons (not counting JCHS or Hayden Elementary). With JCHS and Hayden included, we have 48 staff members out for COVID related reasons.”
On Friday, Brown told The Republic that “hundreds” of students have been forced to quarantine this school year.
The Indiana State Department of Health bumped Jennings County to the “orange” category on its COVID-19 dashboard map on Wednesday. The weekly cases per 100,000 residents was 353 while the seven-day positivity rate stood at 13.63%.
“I’ve heard from 12 different superintendents over the past couple days, and it is a pattern we are all seeing,” Brown said. “If you look at the community numbers, the schools are reflecting in the community.”
Brown said that the staff and students in the district have done a “wonderful” job of following the health guidelines that have been in place all year at the schools.
Because of the Thanksgiving vacation already scheduled Nov. 25-27, seven school days will be completely virtual.
Starting Nov. 30, middle and high school students will begin hybrid instruction. The hybrid model of learning in December, which will extend until the end of the semester, is designed to help reduce the number of students in the larger buildings.
The plan for the hybrid schedules for the middle and high schools will be the same. Students with the last names beginning with the letters A-K will attend in-school classes on Mondays and Thursdays. Students with the last names beginning with letters L-Z will be in school Tuesday and Fridays. On Wednesdays, students will be engaged in a Panther Day (all classes) model and will be able to get small group or intervention help with recorded lessons and activities available for regular instruction.
Brown’s letter said that because safe social distancing is easier to achieve in elementary schools, the elementary schools will resume their normal five-day in-person schedule on Nov. 30.
JCSC will continue to provide all students with breakfast and lunch pick-up meal kits. Each kit will include five meals. The first pick-up day for meals will be on Nov. 20 at each school between the hours of 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
If a student’s family needs help with a hot spot they can contact the tech hotline at 812-352-1921.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”At a glance” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
The current plan for Jennings County School Corp.’s schools:
Nov. 16-24: Virtual Learning, but high school athletics and after school activities resume with strict protocols
Nov. 20: Meals available 10 a.m., to 1 p.m. at each school.
Nov. 25-29: Thanksgiving Break
Nov. 30: School resumes for elementary students.
Nov 30: Middle and high school students begin following a hybrid model. Last names A-K attend in-person on Mondays and Thursdays and last names L-Z go in on Tuesdays and Fridays.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
