EDUCATION CORNER
RCS braces for fall return amid continuing pandemic
S
ummer time for a school system tends to be a bit more relaxed, even though we have administrators, staff and teachers who have duties and responsibilities they still have to attend to in the summer months. This summer, however, similar to this past spring, has been a lot different than in years past thanks to the ongoing pandemic our country is still experiencing. We know many parents and students have concerns about what the upcoming school year will look like, and we still don’t have all those answers. While we are waiting on official word from our state superintendent, Dr. Eric Mackey, on guidelines for our schools, we want to make sure we let our parents, students, teachers and staff know that we are working hard on plans to return to school in August at our regularly scheduled time with as much normalcy as possible. Obviously, when we receive our official guidelines from the state, some adjustments to current plans might have to be made. As of now, though, our district has been working on ways to keep our students and staff safe while still providing a nurturing learning environment that resembles what our “normal” usually is. We know as we move into the fall months and information about the virus changes, we will have to adapt accordingly. There might be periods of time when we will move to a blended education model of in-person and virtual learning. There might also be times we have to move to a completely virtual
model for brief periods this next school year. There are many variables that are all dependent on everchanging information about this virus, but we are diligently working to make sure we have all that we need in place to make these multiple scenarios possible if and when they become a reality. For in-person learning, RCS will practice social distancing as much as possible, and there are plans to limit intermingling and large group gatherings, although the specifics for how to implement those plans won’t be finalized until we receive official guidelines from the state. Masks will be permitted for those who choose to wear one, and we also have plans to offer completely virtual options for those who feel it is unsafe to return. A lot is up in the air right now, and this has been an uncertain time for all of us. But the things that remain constant are our dedication to our students, teachers and staff and our desire to provide the best education possible at all of our schools. We are already getting excited about all the things that make up our fall semester, like Friday Night Lights in the stadium with our football team, cheerleaders and Marching Hundred; volleyball games; cross-country meets; extracurricular activities; and just being together again on our school campuses. We hope and pray all of this will be a reality, but we know that whatever the school year brings, we will face it together. As always, it’s GREAT to be a Golden Tiger!
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256-331-0208 Jackson Avenue • Downtown Russellville
Heath Grimes is the superintendent of Russellville City Schools. He and his wife Amy have three daughters: Leah, Halle and Erin.
Franklin Living
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