By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Thomas More Prep-Marian will be moving to a hybrid learning model after the Thanksgiving break.
Principal Chad Meitner said the decision was made to decrease spread of COVID-19 after possible exposures during the holiday.
The school will use the hybrid schedule Monday, Nov. 30, through Thursday, Dec. 3. Half of the student body will attend each day with the groups alternating over the four days.
Meitner said this will allow the school to institute greater social distancing.
The students who are not on site will be remote learning. All students will use remote learning on Friday, Dec. 4, and Monday, Dec. 7. The school has a regularly scheduled religious holiday on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
The school plans to go back to in-person learning on Wednesday, Dec. 9.
“The thought process, the hope, is coming back in those smaller groups inside the building, we can spread people out,” Meitner said. “If there is any spike in cases linked to the Thanksgiving holiday, we will not have repercussions at the school.”
Holy Family Elementary School will return to school in-person after the holiday break. However, the school added Monday, Dec. 7, as a remote learning day. The school already had Friday, Dec. 4, scheduled as a remote day, Meitner said.
This is the first major shift in learning mode at the TMP-M since the beginning of the school year, Meitner said.
“The kids are not scared about it,” he said. “We’ve practiced it. We’ve done it. The parents are not worried about how this is going to look because we’ve been able to practice it and talk about it and educate on it.
“We are hopeful that it is a positive experience and we are still learning and growing spiritually all the way through.”
The revised school schedules were sent to families Wednesday morning.
Thomas More Prep-Marian has averaged about one student or staff member positive for COVID-19 each week, with an additional six to seven students or staff members in quarantine, Meitner said.
However, he said COVID numbers rose to four positive cases as of Tuesday and 26 people in quarantine.
Like the public school, the Catholic schools are practicing social distancing, hand washing and mask wearing.
Meitner said students and staff are not reporting infection at school, but in the community or from a contact within their households.