MACON, Ga. — As students get ready for the start of school, Stratford Academy is releasing its guidelines for a return to in-person instruction.
Hollie Cheek has five children heading back to school at Stratford on August 19.
"I feel like Stratford has communicated the whole way through. Mr. Bowlds has let us know exactly what he's thinking, what his intentions are," said Cheek.
She's on board with the school's "rekindling the spark" reopening plan that was mailed out to each family.
"That booklet tells every single possible way of social distancing, keeping the kids safe, if COVID is at school what will happen, and then virtual school so the phases are all in there. It's very in depth," Bowlds said.
Head of School Logan Bowlds says he's kept parents informed over email about all the requirements heading back.
"We've set masks at 3rd through 12th grade, because those are the grades that are most likely going to mix with others because they have to travel because they're going places," Bowlds said.
Their preschool through second graders won't be required to wear masks, but their classroom setup will be different.
"For those grades that are unmasked, because they're going to remain in one room... 99% of the day with teachers traveling to them, the teachers will be masked. If we have a confirmed case there, we can send that entire grade home for x number of days and then bring back the kids once we determine they are not positive," Bowlds said.
Those younger students will work with plexi-glass dividers at each table. Bowlds is also creating one way traffic hallways and adjusting their cafeteria setup.
"They can now go online the week prior, see a menu Monday through Friday, select exactly what they want each of those days, pay with a credit card at checkout and Monday-Friday they'll have a boxed lunch sitting on a table either for a kid to pick up and grab... and we're going to encourage them to eat outside as often as possible, or for the little kids it'll be delivered to their classroom," Bowlds said.
Bowlds says if someone contracts COVID-19 among the students who are masked, they'll alert all parents, identify the people that infected person has been in contact with, and give parents the option to switch to remote learning.
They don't plan to shut down the whole school unless there's a large outbreak and the state department of health requires it.
Stratford students have the option to return in-person or continue online.
Each class will be livestreamed, so students would attend virtually from home at the same time as the students who are inside the classroom.
Bowlds says he consulted with a group of doctors he calls their "Re-Entry Task Force" to come up with their in-person return plan which follows state health department recommendations.
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