Kearsarge Regional School District Shares Fall Reopening Plan

NEW LONDON, N.H. — Superintendent Winfried Feneberg reports that students will follow an at-school and at-home remote learning model this fall for the start of the 2020-21 school year.

The plan was presented and approved by the School Board at their Thursday, Aug. 6 meeting.

Students will be separated into two groups where they will participate in live, remote classes either at school or at home. As a result, all students will participate, whether in a school facility or at home, in synchronous learning with their teachers and peers. Students were informed of their groups this week. 

The model also allows the district to fluidly transition to fully at-home remote learning should local and regional COVID-19 cases rise. Kearsarge Regional High School students will rotate every two days between attending school in-person and virtually, unless they receive permission from school administrators to participate in full-time remote learning from home. Approximately 75% of students will participate in remote learning at school, with the remainder learning remotely from home. 

Students will be required to participate in the virtual classroom activities and complete independent work using either Google Classroom or another method arranged by teachers. All students will follow a revised school day schedule and shortened school day. The exact schedule is expected to be finalized in the coming days and information will be sent to families.

The first day of school will be Monday, Aug. 31.

“As we worked to build and develop this plan over the last couple of months, we’ve made it our top priority to protect the health and safety of our students, staff and their families,” Superintendent Feneberg said. “This has always been and will continue to be our primary concern and we will shift and modify the plan based on any additional guidance from local, state and federal public health officials in order to meet this goal. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding, and will continue to provide you with regular updates.”

Students and staff will follow multiple health and safety measures to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19, including:

• Masks will be required for students in grades two through 12 and all staff members. Students in preschool, kindergarten and grade one are encouraged to wear mask as developmentally appropriate. Individuals can either bring in their own masks from home or the school will be able to provide them one. Students will be given two cloth masks from the school. Mask breaks will be incorporated throughout the day, including during meals.
• Students and staff are required to perform a self-assessment before coming to school each day. Should they show any symptoms related to COVID-19, they will be asked to stay home and contact the school and families should contact the school if their child is symptomatic.
• Student desks will be placed three to six feet apart to promote social distancing in classrooms. When possible, classes with more than 12 students will be broken into learning cohorts and receive remote instruction led by the classroom teachers from other areas of the school. Support staff will assist these students while watching the live feed.
• All classrooms will have hand sanitizing stations.
• Buildings will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected each day, and high touch surfaces, such as door knobs and tables, will be frequently cleaned throughout the school day.
• Masks will be required while students ride the bus to school and assigned seating will be used to promote social distancing on the buses. Parents are encouraged to drive their students to school if possible.
• The district is committed to providing athletic activities for its student athletes. However, due to the need for maintaining safety protocols for staff and students, athletic and co-curricular activities may need to be significantly modified.
• All in-person, non-school related evening events and activities will be prohibited until further notice.

The plan will be flexible in order to adapt to any changes that may need to be made as the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic changes.

To view the full plan, click here.

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