Covington County School Superintendent Babette Duty is excited about the upcoming classes, and she is glad to see the teachers hopeful as they attend the schools Thursday.
“The excitement of what is to come is tempered by the new circumstances brought on by the pandemic,” she said. “However, teachers have been working for weeks on their rooms and their distance learning lessons. I am both inspired and encouraged by the level of professionalism I have seen among our teachers, staff, and administrators.”
Duty said staff members have been working hard.
“The custodians and lunchroom staff have been planning and envisioning how their role will fit into the new situation,” she said. “They have all been in meetings and worked to learn the new protocols for teaching, cleaning, and serving food. Every year we all come back and expect something wonderful to happen. Guess what? It always does.”
Teachers will participate in seven days of professional learning where they will design and plan lessons for students on campus as well as those distance learning from home.
“The morning and daily routines are going to be very different,” Duty said. “We all will need a lot of practice so we can keep each other safe. To give everyone the time to become acclimated to all of the changes, students will return to school with a rolling start.”
The schedule for returning students will be:
• Aug. 31 – Grades 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, and 10.
• Sept. 1 – Grades 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, and 12.
• Sept. 2 – Grades 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, and 10
• Sept. 3 – Grades 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, and 12
• Sept. 4 – Only Pre-K and Kindergarten attend school
• Sept. 8 and after – All students attend school every day
According to the Executive Order, masks must be worn by all students and teachers at school. To decrease possible exposure, all water fountains have been changed to bottle fillers. Students will need to bring a water bottle with their name on it.
High school football is by far one of our community’s favorite pastimes and one of the reasons many students love school. In his remarks Friday, Gov. Tate Reeves issued Executive Order 1518 that outlined the regulations for stadium capacity for high school football games that will occur through the Aug. 31. Reeves said he would reevaluate the situation after that date.
The regulations that pertain to fans are:
• Attendance is limited to two attendees per participant in the event. (participant-football team members, cheerleaders, and band members)
• Face coverings are required of all anyone enters the gate
• Attendees must at all times try to maintain at least six feet of separation from anyone not in their household.
Duty said she believes the 2020-21 school year could be “the best school year we have ever had.”