Raised in the Rockies
“Let’s Not Waste a Crisis” Area private and charter schools roll out phased plans for 2020-21 school year. BY SARAH HUBER for Raised in the Rockies
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olorado private and charter schools are launching a buffet of phased plans to get students back in school, and while the plans differ in details, they each aim to provide an enriching education remotely or in a safe, socially distanced classroom. Here’s a look at how several local schools will open this fall. BIXBY SCHOOL Nina Lopez, head of school at Bixby School in Boulder, said this is a “time to come together and to get clear about what matters. As the saying goes, let’s not waste a crisis.” Bixby, a small school by design with about 60 preschool through fifth grade students, plans to provide instruction five days a week per student unless prohibited by a government mandate. “Elementary students will be grouped into cohorts of 10 students and will be assigned a bathroom,” Lopez said. The school will
FALL 2020
Bixby school will provide students with lap desks to tout outdoors, where much of the instruction will occur. (Photos courtesy: Bixby School).
provide students with lap desks to tout outdoors, where much of the instruction will occur. Teachers, instead of students, will rotate between classes, and music class will focus more on theory than on the usual signing (guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest limiting singing to prevent spreading airborne COVID-19 particles). Lopez has been surveying parents and teachers to gauge their comfort levels with in-person and virtual education. She said, “There’s clearly a preference to return to in-person instruction, and we’re fortunate that we have huge windows we can keep open and outdoor space to make this happen.” Lopez cited
the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation that to support student mental, social and emotional health, schools open with scrupulous safety precautions. “We are prepared to implement the best practice around minimizing or mitigating disease and feel confident with kids in-person for a full and rich curriculum,” she said. Some students with immunocompromised or older family members will virtually join Bixby this year, and if necessary, the entire school will move between in-person and remote learning throughout the academic year. “There was a point last spring when I was working 14 hours a day, seven days a week,” Lopez recalled. “I was blown RAISED IN THE ROCKIES
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