by Katie Barton & Lauryn Chavez | staff report
Phase 3 is starting on Monday Oct. 5 and in an email sent to all Johnson families Principal Gary Comalander detailed the expectations for on-campus students.
Moving into phase 3 means that there can now be up to 15 students in a classroom for instructional learning. Students will be able to rotate through the classrooms on their schedule in contrast to staying in the same classroom for all class periods. Students are still expected to use electronic devices for their classes as teaching will still be done primarily online.
Over a thousand students have said that they would like to come back in phase 3 – however, because of the 15 person-per-class limit only 90 percent of students will be able to return to campus. Who will be coming back to campus will be chosen by a lottery. The students who aren’t picked will be placed on a waiting list. Roughly 1100 students total will be returning for phase 3.
The phase in plan is for all current Phase 1 and Phase 2 students as well as invited freshmen will come back to campus Monday Oct. 5. On Tuesday Oct. 6 invited sophomores will join them on campus. On Wednesday Oct. 7 invited juniors will return to campus. On Thursday Oct. 8 invited seniors will come back to campus. This phase in plan allows for the number of students to increase each day leading up to Thursday Oct. 8 when all phase 3 students will be on campus.
Students that were sent with a follow up email affirming their scheduled return for Oct. 5 were also given information about the phase 3 expectations that will possibly be in effect all year long.
Class hours are from 10 a.m. to 3:25 p.m.. School gates will open at 9 a.m.. Because of this the school requests that students do not arrive at school before 9 a.m. It is recommended that students arrive at school closer 9:45 a.m.. However tutoring will be available from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. When students arrive at school they should wait outside in the courtyard until 9:45 a.m. when the school doors will open. Breakfast will be available as grab and go products from 9 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.. Students must wear a mask while on campus. The exception is when students are in the cafeteria or courtyard eating.
Students should bring a water bottle headphones and a computer for doing online work with them to school. Students will be able to fill up their water bottles, but will not be able to drink from the water fountains.
By 10 a.m. students should be in their assigned classes. At lunch students will go to the courtyard or cafeteria. Students can bring their lunch or buy from the cafeteria. However, the cafeteria does have a smaller menu. At 3:25 p.m. classes are over all students except for bus riders will be picked up in the students parking lot or they will drive themselves home if they have a parking pass. After school tutoring is available from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. but it is only available online.
The buses will not leave the school until at least 4:30 p.m., so bus riders must stay at least an hour in school before the buses will start arriving. Students will be escorted to the buses by staff members. With that time in between the end of school and the bus arrivals, students are expected to go to the cafeteria to work on homework, tutoring, or do something quietly. They can use their devices during this time.
The district wants everyone to remember that students and employees should always self screen before coming upto campus.
If you show up to school with any of these symptoms you will be sent home and either have to quarantine for 10 days or provide a negative COVID test or see a doctor for an alternative diagnosis.
NEISD has also created a video to help better explain these guidelines. https://youtu.be/5L54__E63ps