Beverly Hills Middle & High Schoolers Will Return April 8

Beverly Hills CA

15 March, 2021

11:01 PM

Description

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — Beverly Hills students in grades 6-12 will return to in-campus instruction on April 8, the district announced Monday. This comes just a week after students in grades TK-5 re-entered campus on a hybrid learning schedule that has students on campus for a total of 11.5 hours a week. Although the move has not yet been approved by the school board or the teachers union and schedules for middle and high schoolers have not yet been released, the district anticipates that students will return to school after a week of preparation, and a week of spring break. Sixth and ninth graders will venture onto campus next Tuesday, March 23, for an in-person student orientation, according to a preliminary schedule released by the district. On Wednesday and Thursday, they will continue their current virtual LIVE@BHUSD schedule, except for various blocks of asynchronous learning. The asynchronous learning blocks will vary by student, and take place if their teachers opt to participate in various professional development workshops preparing them for the students' return. Grades seven, eight, ten, eleven, and twelve will follow a similar schedule, but will not attend an in-person orientation. All 6-12 students will continue with their current schedules on April 6 and 7, the two days following spring recess, before returning to campus full-time. Though schedules have not yet been finalized, the school said that they will be released by April 6, though district spokesperson Rebecca Starkins said she anticipates they'll be released much sooner. Students in the Independent Learning Center will continue to learn online for the remainder of the year. The school board and the union will likely call special sessions this week to vote on this change, Starkins told Patch. Starkins also confirmed that when secondary students return to campus, all of the existing protocols will be in effect. Students will need to fill out a health screening every day, and show the screening to staff in order to be admitted to campus. Thermal scanners also take student temperatures. If any students show one or more symptoms of COVID-19, they will be sent home and asked to consult with their doctor. If students test positive, they must stay home for at least 10 days after the onset of symptoms, and remain home until after they're fever free for 24 hours. Students are asked to bring two masks and stay six feet away from each other at all times. Each classroom is equipped with bags of PPE and cleaning supplies like face shields, disposable masks, vinyl gloves, different size masks for adults and children, tissues, and sanitizers. Each classroom will get a mid-day cleaning, and a deep cleaning at the end of the day. "We are aware that COVID-19 has impacted our families, our employees, and our community significantly. We recognize that our families have taken on new roles and responsibilities, juggling many commitments and supporting children at home through virtual learning. We must also applaud our employees who have shown dedication, loyalty, and extraordinary skills, reimagining education to fulfill their responsibilities for an entire year," the district said in an email. "There will be continued pressures as we move forward in our reopening efforts. Each member of our community faces different challenges and holds different opinions on how reopening should take place. We commit to you that we will listen and work together with our leadership as we navigate this time."