The McDuffie County School System is continuing to work on a plan for the August 3, 2020, return of our students, faculty and staff in the safest manner possible. The system continues to monitor the evolving guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control, Georgia Department of Public Health, the office of Governor Brian Kemp and Georgia’s Path to Recovery for K-12 schools.
There are two instructional models the district is considering for the 2020-2021 school year.
Instructional Model 1- All elementary, middle, and high school students return to school for face-to-face instruction with safety measures in place.
- Dependent upon the number of cases in our community and the recommendations from state agencies, students and employees may be asked to wear face coverings/masks when on campus and on system buses.
- Students will be asked to practice social distancing in hallways and commons areas within the schools. Student movement will be limited as much as possible.
- Staff and students will be discouraged from sharing equipment and supplies within classrooms.
- Non-essential visitors and volunteers will not be allowed on campus.
- System protocols will be in place to ensure buildings and buses are properly sanitized.
- Should the need arise to close a classroom or school due to COVID-19, Instructional Model 2 would be in effect.
- This is not an exhaustive list of modifications.
- In addition, a virtual open house for all levels is under consideration and will be announced in late July based on community health data.
Instructional Model 2- All elementary, middle, and high school students engage in virtual learning from home.
- K-12 students will access instruction through Google Classroom.
- Teachers will post assignments and provide direct instruction through recorded videos, live video chats, and other resources.
- Students will earn grades based on mastery of the material in a specified timeline as issued by their teacher.
- Student attendance will be recorded during virtual learning.
- Chromebooks will be available for checkout based on available inventories.
- A limited number of personal hotspots will be available for checkout to families with no Internet access. A portion of the system’s bus fleet will be smart buses capable of going into the community to support up to 60 devices each.
A final decision on the instructional model for the system will be announced at the end of July based on guidance available at that time from state agencies as well as community data regarding COVID-19.
To assist in our planning efforts, please complete the parent survey regarding face-to-face instruction at https://forms.gle/Za7DJhVqnUdSstm39.