It’s a Great Day to be a Tiger! We are excited to announce our plans for the 2020-2021 school year. We also know that you will still have many questions, and we will continue to provide information as it becomes available.
WMCSD plans to reopen with a traditional schedule which requires students to be physically present in school with scheduling modifications to take into consideration recommendations from the CDC and the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH). Plans for reopening may change at any time and with very little notice based on state or local guidelines/regulations.
Parents have the option of choosing traditional schedule or at-home learning at the beginning of the school year and once again near the end of the first semester. Parents must notify the district of their choice no later than July 15, 2020, for the first semester. Parents can notify the district of their choice by using the survey link found HERE.
Traditional Schedule - PreK-12th grade teachers and students will attend face-to-face classes at Winona Elementary and Winona Secondary School 5 days a week.
At-Home Learning - Students whose parents choose not to send them to school on location have the option of participating in an at-home learning program. Both the district and parent acknowledge that the at-home learning program is not comparable to face-to-face instruction of the traditional schedule. Students who participate in at-home learning are not eligible to participate in extracurricular activities.
Requirements for WMCSD At-Home Learning Program
Parent/guardian must be able to provide the student(s) in the household with the following:
- Computer/device
- Internet access adequate for live streaming
- Transportation to and from the student’s assigned school on scheduled days to complete tests and other graded assignments as needed
- Parents and students must complete training for the online learning programs used such as Google Classroom and all assigned curriculum programs used by student(s).
Face Coverings will be required of students and employees.
- Students will be provided with one washable mask.
- Employees will be provided with one washable mask and one clear face shield.
- Students and employees may wear a mask, neck gaiter, or face shield of their choice that meet the requirements of covering the mouth and nose and being one solid color (no logos or emblems).
We are developing plans for all areas of school life and those will be released regularly and can be found on our website after their release. Some of the plans being developed include:
- Cleaning - Our custodial service company, ABM, will provide a detailed plan including daily sanitizing and disinfecting of highly touchable surfaces and fogging areas that have been affected.
- Transportation - Students and employees on buses and at bus stops will be required to wear a face covering. Students will be spread out as far as possible on the bus; however, social distancing of 6 feet will not be possible. Parents are encouraged to provide transportation for their students.
- Food service - Meals may be delivered to classrooms for some grades and all students will eat in safer areas such as a classroom or outdoor area.
- Technology - We will provide ongoing support for school-issued devices once they are available which could be quite some time.
- Educating Families - We will be providing information/training about reducing the spread of COVID-19, how to use school-issued devices, and online learning programs and practices.
- Professional Development - Training begins in July, and all employees will be required to complete professional development in the areas of reducing the spread of COVID-19, cultural sensitivity, social emotional learning, suicide prevention, and online learning.
Please check our website at winonamontgomerycsd.com and social media pages often for the most current information and use the COVID-19 email hotline at tigertalk@winonaschools.net to ask questions or share concerns.