After the holiday break, all Roanoke Rapids Graded School District students will be learning virtually through Jan 15. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday night to move to online learning from Jan. 6 through Jan. 15 for all students. Staff will also work remotely.
“The plan to remain virtual for the first few weeks of the second semester is a safety issue for our students and staff. We realize people are going to gather and as expected following Thanksgiving, we saw a spike locally. This will ensure ample time for those who may have been exposed to COVID-19 for symptoms to have appeared and hopefully lessen the impact on our campuses,” said Dain Butler, Superintendent.
Schools are closed Monday, January 18 for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. Pre-K and Elementary students will resume their current face-to-face schedule on January 19. Chaloner Middle School will also return on January 19. Students will be divided into two cohort groups and will alternate weeks with Cohort A coming one week and Cohort B coming the second week. When students are not in face-to-face instruction, they will learn virtually.
“Teachers will be notifying our Chaloner families this week of their cohort assignment. Our high school students would also be allowed to return to campus beginning January 19 for remediation, enrichment, and clubs using the high school’s Jacket Time scheduling system,” said Julie Thompson, Assistant Superintendent.
RRGSD will provide Grab & Go meal service on all virtual learning days at both Manning and Belmont Elementary. Families will still have the option of keeping their children completely virtual once students are allowed to return to the buildings. RRGSD will have teachers specifically assigned to teach those students who opt to learn virtually.