City schools preparing for classes — in-person and online — to being Aug. 24th

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Wednesday, July 22, 2020 — The first day of school for Bardstown City Schools will be Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, according to Superintendent Ryan Clark.

Clark was the guest this morning on WBRT’s “Bradford & Brooks” radio program and spoke about the work that has been under way to insure students, faculty and staff have a safe return to school when classes resume next month.

The later start for the school year means some changes to the rest of the school calendar, Clark said.

CALENDAR CHANGES. For example, there will be no fall break in October as has been the case in the past. Students will have two days off in November — Monday, Nov. 2nd and Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3rd. Students will also have the last three days of Thanksgiving week off.

There will be two weeks off for winter break around Christmas time. Spring break will be a single week in April, April 5-9, 2020.

The last day of school for students is Friday, May 28, 2020.

Click here to download a copy of the 2020-21 city schools calendar.

IN-PERSON, ONLINE CLASSES. Clark said the school district will offer parents a choice of how they wish their students to attend school — either by traditional in-person classroom instruction, or via online classes.

“We’re committed to offering our families both options,” he said.

Clark said that the Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) of the past was never intended to be used for months at a time; it was designed to allow students to have meaningful coursework when school was closed for a snow day or two.

Taking some lessons for NTI earlier this year, the district’s online learning will include support for students who run into trouble or have questions.

Clark said an initial survey earlier this year indicated that as many as 30 percent of parents may chose the online option this fall. Parents won’t have to make that decision yet, he stressed.

Parents who chose the online option will be asked to commit to that decision for a full 9-week grading period before they consider changing instruction methods, either going back to in-class instruction, or to go from in-class to online instruction.

For in-person learning, Clark said the schools will follow all of the guidelines to be sure students, faculty and staff have a safe learning environment.

Students and faculty will be required to wear masks; anyone who comes to school without a mask will be provided a one-use mask. Hand washing and social distancing will be required in the buildings. Meals will be served and students will be spaced apart. “There won’t be any sitting in a group with your friends at lunch,” he said.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. Clark said that many of the schools usual extra-curricular activities — like clubs and organizations — can probably continue to meet, provided they are able to follow all of the safety guidelines.

Some activities, like marching band, present a problem because some instruments require students to blow to operate the instrument. Clark said they are seeking guidance from the Kentucky Music Educators Association for marching band and in-classroom

SCHOOL CHANGES. Students can expect there to be some significant changes inside the school buildings when classes begin next month, Clark said.

The school system will provide cloth face masks to all students, staff and faculty. These masks will be reusable and washable. Students without a medical condition will be expected to wear face masks any time they cannot keep socially distanced from other students.

Clark said many parents whose children may have ridden a school bus in the past have stated they’ll drop their children off and not use the bus. He expects that the reduced number of bus riders will allow students to be property distanced. The district may check students’ temperatures before they board a bus; students’ temperatures will be checked as they enter buildings, he said.

COVID-19 TESTING AVAILABLE. The school district’s health clinic can offer COVID-19 testing to students and staff who wish to be tested or need to be tested. He said that all the district’s employees will have testing available prior to the start of classes.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL WEBSITE. The district has launched a special website to address parents concerns and questions about the revised school calendar and going back to school next month, www.bcsreopening.com.

Clark welcomed parents questions, particularly those not already present in the website’s list of Frequently Asked Questions.

The district’s goal is to give all of its students the opportunity for a great educational experience no matter if it is classroom instruction or at home online, he explained.

-30-