Westside Schools Plans to Reopen, Five Days a Week Starting in August

What Westside has planned for students and staff returning to school in August.

CLASS WILL LOOK LIKETHIS FALL.TODAY - WESTSIDECOMMUNIY SCHOOLSANNOUNCED INITIALPLANS...WHICH INCLUDE ALLSTUDENTS TO RETURNIN-PERSON..AND GO TO SCHOOL FIVEDAYS A WEEK.MASKS WILL LIKELY BEREQUIRED.REPORTER JON KIPPERDOVE INTO THE PLANAND TELLS US WHYDISTRICT OFFICIALSWANT TO OPEN UP THEIRBUILDINGS.STUDENTS HAVE NOTREGULARLY BEENWALKING THROUGHTHESE DOORS SINCEMID-MARCH.WESTSIDE SCHOOLSANNOUNCED TODAY, THEDOORS WILL BE OPENFOR STUDENTS ANDSTAFF, FIVE DAYS AWEEK, COME MIDAUGUST."WE FEEL LIKE WE CANDO THIS, "MANYCHILDREN FUNCTIONBETTER, WHEN THEY'REIN A SCHOOL SETTING.WHEN THEY INTERACTWITH THEIRCLASSMATES, WHENTHEY HAVE HANDS ONEXPERIENCES, WHENTHEY SEE AND INTERACTWITH THEIR TEACHER."WESTSIDE SCHOOLSDIRECTOR OFCOMMUNICATIONSBRANDI PAUL SAYSTHESE PLANS ONLYCOVER AUGUST ANDSEPTEMBER...AND ATANYTIME THEY COULDSWITCH TO GOING TOSCHOOL JUST A FEWDAYS A WEEK, OR FULLREMOTE LEARNING LIKETHEY HAD IN THESPRING."REALLY FEELING ALLTHESE DIFFERENTFACTORS, TO SEE, IS THISSTART PLAN WORKING,DO WE NEED TO CHANGEIT, WHAT SHOULD WEDO?

THE CURRENTPLANS FOR PARENTS TOPRE-SCREEN THEIR KIDSBEFORE SCHOOL.FOR KIDS TO USE HANDSANITIZER UPONENTERING, TO SOCIALLYDISTANCE IN THECLASSROOM-USING TAPEAND PLEXIGLASS WHENNEEDED.AND TO REQUIRE MASKSFOR ALL STUDENTS ANDSTAFF."OVERWHELMINGLY,WHAT WE'RE HEARINGFROM THOSE PUBLICHEALTH EXPERTS, MASKSARE STRONGLYRECOMMENDED,ESPECIALLY CLOSEDSETTINGS LIKE ACLASSROOM OR ASCHOOL.PAUL SAYS THE MASKREQUIREMENT COULDCHANGE IF HEALTHOFFICIALS SAY IT'S OKAY.AND THAT SOME KIDSWITH HEALTH ISSUESWILL BE OFFEREDALTERNATIVES.AS FOR PARENTREACTIONS..MULTIPLE PARENTSEXPRESSED GRATITUDEON FACEBOOK FOR THECOMPREHENSIVE PLAN.A WESTSIDE SURVEYFROM MID JUNE SHOWED12 PERCENT OF PARENTSWEREN'T COMFORTABLESENDING THEIR KIDSBACK.THAT ALSO SHOWED ONFACEBOOK - WITHPARENTS SAYING "WENEED TO WAIT", THAT"WE'RE JUMPING IN TOOSOON" AND THEY'RE"TRULY DISAPPOINTED INYOUR PLAN." PAUL SAYSTHEY'LL WORK WITHEVERY STUDENT."OUR PARENTS OURTHEIR CHILD'S BESTDECISION MAKER, ANDWE WANT TO WORK WITHYOU TO MAKE SURE THATYOU'RE COMFORTABLEAND BOTTOM LINEEVERYONE HAS A GREATYEAR."JON LL TAG"WESTSIDE IS HOPING TOBRING BACK CLASSES,LIKE MUSIC, BAND ANDPE COME FALL.BUT INSTEAD OF DOINGTHAT INSIDE, THEIRHOPING TO BRING THECLASSES OUTSIDE, ASMUCH AS POSSIBLE.TO PLACES LIKE THEFIELD BEHIND ME INORDER TO MAINTAINSOCIAL DISTANCING ANDBE ABLE TO PERFORMTHOSE CLASSES ASSAFELY AS POSSIBLE."STUDENTS WILL BEGIVEN THREE CLOTHMASKS AND DISPOSABLEMASKS WILL ALSO BEAVAILABLE AT ALL THESCHOOLS.