From masks to bell schedules and pep rallies, a Fort Mill game plan for back to school
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Back to school in York, Lancaster and Chester counties
From COVID precautions to academic schedules, there’s a lot to keep up with when it comes to sending the kids back to school. The Herald has you covered with stories answering questions you have about this upcoming school year.
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School starts back Aug. 16 in the Fort Mill School District. With the addition of Forest Creek Middle School, teachers and students will head off to a record 20 elementary, middle and high school sites. Most of them on different schedules than last school year when COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the early months of the school year.
This year more students are back to full-time, in-person learning. Some pandemic precautions remain, from suggested mask usage to the installation of air purification systems aimed at killing the virus. Other school events and gatherings will return after a year hiatus.
District public information officer Joe Burke answered a few questions to help parents and students prepare for the new school year:
Who has to wear masks, where and when?
“While the CDC and SC DHEC currently recommend the use of masks indoors for all persons regardless of vaccination status, mask use will be optional for students and staff in school buildings, facilities and buses without the need for an opt-out form per the Governor’s order, along with Proviso 1.108 adopted by the General Assembly and recent information from the South Carolina Department of Education.”
(Click here to read the S.C. Department of Education memo provided to school districts regarding mask use)
What would it take for classes to have to go virtual for any length of time? How likely is it that might happen this school year?
“The Fort Mill School District will have plans in place to address student learning should the district have to transition to virtual learning for individual classrooms, schools or across the district at any point during the school year due to COVID-19. The decision to transition to a fully virtual program would be made in conjunction with SC DHEC and the SC Department of Education. Finalized plans for any such transition would largely depend upon what point we are at in the school year, number of schools impacted and requirements in place by our governing agencies at that time.”
What changes are new this year for bell schedules, buses, lunch or other activities parents need to know?
“The elementary school day has been modified to end at 2 p.m. this year. All school times are listed below:
Elementary schools 7:35 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; middle schools 8:10 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.; high schools 8:40 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.”
Are extracurricular activities that were lost last year like education nights, fun runs, school festivals, dances and parent visits in schools back this year?
“Schools hope to return to as many ‘normal’ events as in the past including events such as pep rallies held during the day and after school events. Schools and PTA/PTOs may hold events such as Kindergarten Gingerbread Houses, Literacy Night and PTA/PTO family events, but they will plan accordingly for the space and not overcrowd indoor facilities.
Individual schools will determine when to resume clubs and activities.”
How have the addition of a new middle school, the return of fully virtual students from last year and the ongoing pandemic impacted class size? How many students should parents expect their kids to have in a class?
“Class sizes remain at the levels set prior to COVID-19. Class sizes vary by grade level and course.”
Are there any decisions related to school operations this year, particularly related to COVID, that haven’t been decided yet? If so, when will they be decided?
“Not at this time. We have released information regarding safety protocols. That information can be found on our website here.”
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