Remote start to hybrid cohorts, Sizer School releases Return to School Plan 2020
This is an example Sizer School classroom arranged to accommodate hybrid learning while allowing for required social distancing guidelines.
On Monday, Aug. 10, the Sizer School Board of Trustees approved a 2020-2021 Return to School Plan for reopening the school in September.
“The Return to School Plan 2020 is the culmination of an incredible amount of Sizer team work,” according to Sizer School’s new Executive Director Michelle Paranto, Ed.D. “We dedicated ourselves to gathering as much information as possible to make the best decisions for our students, staff, teachers and our community.”
“The plan is focused on creating a strong academic learning environment while meeting all health and safety guidelines,” added Paranto. Sizer School, a North Central Charter Essential School, is a free public charter school located in Fitchburg serving students in grades seven through twelve from 25 local towns and cities. Sizer released their Return Plan on Monday, which outlines a phased-in hybrid model. The Sizer School year will start with remote learning for seven weeks. There will then be three weeks of a phased-in hybrid model of returning students to the building in cohorts by grade level. Seventh grade students will return first, followed by eighth and ninth grade students and finally, 10th, 11th and 12th.
“We decided on a phased-in hybrid model for several reasons,” explained Paranto. “We wanted to establish a robust remote learning foundation upon which to build our hybrid model and to have in place if we should need to return to a remote-only learning model at any time throughout the year. Once we have the remote model in place, we will then be ready to phase-in bringing students into the building and into our classrooms. The phased-in approach allows students and teachers the time needed to establish our ‘new normal’ for going to school.”
According to the outlined plan, Sizer School will begin Remote Learning on September 14, 2020 and run through October 30, when first quarter grades close.
During the Remote Learning Phase:
- Staff will be working from the building.
- Teachers will be encouraged to teach/work from the building with a phased-in hybrid approach to bringing them back to teach in classrooms during Week 11.
- Each Grade Level Team will be designing a plan to best meet the unique needs of their students by grade.
- Teaching will follow a regular school schedule with a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning within a structured remote model.
“Sizer School remains committed to meeting all learning needs during both the remote and hybrid models,” he said. “The building will be accessible as needed by students and staff in accordance with all state safety guidelines.”
On November 2, the hybrid model will begin for students Grade 7, on November 9 hybrid begins for students grade 8 & 9 and on November 16 hybrid begins for students grades 10-12.
Looking beyond November, Sizer plans to continue with the hybrid model with cohorts of students in the building throughout the rest of the school year unless the Massachusetts data on the pandemic indicates a return to full-time remote learning or a move to full-time in-person learning.
Overall, Paranto says, “Our Return to School Plan 2020 is a dynamic plan that will adapt and change as the school year progresses and the pandemic continues to evolve in Massachusetts. We are very much looking forward to the start of the school year and believe our plan provides the guidance needed for Sizer to do school well.”