HomeSchools & YouthNo Foolin’ – Schools to Open April 1

No Foolin’ – Schools to Open April 1

The district will follow a hybrid educational model for Huntington Middle School and San Marino High School, which employs a combination of in-person and remote instruction. Students will be included in one of three groups: A, B or C. Students in groups A and B will attend courses in-person on assigned days and will partake in two days of synchronous online instruction each week. Students in group C will continue to attend school virtually.
Ryan praised the San Marino Teachers Association (SMTA) and California School Employees Association (CSEA) — the unions for the district’s certificated and classified employees, respectively — for quickly negotiating memorandums of understanding to return to work in-person.
“Our teachers are very professional and they know how to provide a quality education,” Ryan said.
The SMUSD had been considering a return to school on Monday, April 12, which follows the district’s Spring Break from April 5-9. The proposed arrangement would allow educators for a two-day primer.
The district has circulated surveys among parents and guardians to gauge their preference for in-person or virtual learning. Superintendent Jeff Wilson said Monday that the early returns stated that the majority of Huntington Middle School families were leaning toward returning to the campus while high schoolers were “50/50.”
“I couldn’t be more excited,” added Wilson. “It was such a boost to all of us to see those elementary school kids come back to school. They are doing a wonderful job of naturally following the protocols and I am sure the older students will follow suit.”
Wilson said he is looking forward to seeing “a lot of smiling eyes” on April 1.
“Due to their masks, we can’t see their faces, but we sure can see their eyes,” he said.
The SMUSD has installed Plexiglas partitions to help with social distancing and the California Department of Public Health recently halved the required minimum spacing between students from six feet to three feet. The order reiterated “a focus on high mask adherence.”
“Initially I thought it would be much more challenging, but moving it down to three-feet spacing will be a lot easier,” Ryan said.

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