Classrooms:

Students desks will be spaced throughout classrooms for maximum physical distancing.  All desks will face in the same direction.  Depending on the number of students who opt to learn remotely, some classrooms may be relocated.  Exhaust fans and open classroom windows will be used for ventilation.  Unnecessary furniture, rugs, and items that cannot be easily sanitized will be removed from all classrooms.

Shared supplies and materials among students will be limited.  Any shared items will be disinfected regularly.  

Following guidelines from OEEC, our Preschool class sizes will not exceed 14 students.  Furniture and tables will be spaced throughout the classrooms for maximum physical distancing,  

Cohorts:

The Connecticut State Department of Education recommends utilizing cohorts to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19.  Each grade will be considered a cohort for recess, busing purposes, and in the After-Care Program.  Students will be kept together by homeroom as much as possible.  Teachers will rotate to the various classrooms.  The only exception is for leveled math classes in grades 7 – 8.  Every effort will be made to use these spaces solely for each math cohort, but if that cannot be maintained at any given time, desks will be sanitized between occupants.

We will have one PK3 cohort.  Our PK4 students will be divided into two cohorts, due to the high enrollment numbers.  Our Preschool will remain open during yellow/hybrid and red/distance learning phases, if the school can continue to meet health and safety guidelines at that time.

Face Coverings:

All students in grades K – 8, faculty, and staff will be required to wear a cloth mask or face covering that covers their mouth and nose while in the building.  Determined by health and safety guidelines, there may be times when it will be safe and appropriate for masks to be lowered while in the building.  Daily schedules will provide opportunities for mask breaks.

Preschool students may choose, but are not required, to wear a mask while together in their classroom.  Preschool students are required to wear a mask when they enter the building in the morning and at select

times throughout the day when distancing from a teacher or group of students may not be feasible.  All Preschool faculty and staff will be required to wear a mask when in the building.  The staff will assist in accommodating your wishes.  

All face coverings should be appropriate for school.  Masks may include pictures, but no writing or slogans please.  

CHECK OUR PLAN HERE

This option is available for families who do not choose in-person instruction or for students who May have to remain at home because of COVID-19 related restrictions.  Remote learning will take place daily during regular school hours.  This model will incorporate live streaming of classroom instruction, discussions with teachers, supplemental lessons as needed, and  independent assignments.  

If this option is selected, students will remain in remote learning from the first day of school through at least January 4, 2021 with the potential to continue through the end of the school year.  If the need arises for a student to move from in-person instruction to remote learning, the school will work with the student and his/her family to make the transition as smooth as possible. 

If there is a spike in the positive COVID-19 cases in Connecticut and the Governor mandates a reduction in the number of people in the building, Saint Bridget School will implement a hybrid model of instruction.  The in-person student population in kindergarten through 8^th grade will be split into two groups - Group A and group B – according to families’ last names.  Students in Group A will attend school on Mondays and Tuesdays.  Students in Group B will attend school on Thursdays and Fridays.  Neither group will attend school in-person on Wednesdays, allowing for deep cleaning of the school facility.  In this model, students will attend in-person instruction two days a week and remote learning three days a week, following the expectations listed above.

In this phase, the Governor mandates that the school is closed for in-person instruction. Instruction will be provided through remote learning using digital and non-digital platforms. Students in every grade will have live whole group instruction at least four days a week. Generally, live instruction per day will be as follows: 

Kindergarten – Grade 2:  60 – 90 minutes (not necessarily consecutive)

Grades 3 – 5:  120 – 180 minutes (not necessarily consecutive)

Grades 6 – 8:  4 – 5 hours

Not all subjects will be taught daily, but rather a rotating schedule will be provided.  Teachers will provide schedules to be adhered to during remote learning.