West High will be returning to school virtually this fall

By: Nayely Marquez and Alyssa Hayes

All learning will be online for the first nine weeks of the 2020-21 school year for all USD 259 middle and high school students due to a school board decision on August 20th in order to keep students and faculty safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What you need to know:

*This is a picture of the current plan. Details are likely to change.*

Virtual Classes

• Virtual classes will be held through Microsoft Teams.
• Students will meet at their regularly scheduled class times every day.
• Laptops will be given to students who do not have one or internet access.
• Laptops have insurance fees but the fees vary based on whether a student receives free or reduced lunch.
  • Insurance prices will be $10, $15 or $30.
• Students will now have access to their own district e-mail address.

Moving to a four-by-four schedule 

• 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th hours will be meeting every day for the first semester and 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th hours will meet every day for the second semester. 
• Every nine weeks will be a semester.
  •  There will be finals at the end of every nine-weeks.
  • Students will receive one-year worth of credits for the classes they attend first semester.

Lunch/ Academy Time

• There will be two different lunch times to accommodate for social distancing in the event that we return to in person learning this year.
• After third or fourth hour, freshmen and seniors will attend first lunch and sophomores and juniors will have Academy Time. After first lunch ends sophomores and juniors will go to lunch and freshmen and seniors will attend Academy Time.
• There will be no passing during Academy Time this year. Even if we return to in-person learning.
• Students can meet virtually with their teachers using their laptops.

 Activities 

•  As of right now we are on the orange level of the district’s Future Ready Return to School Plan. This means there will be no sporting events, concerts or any other extracurricular activities.
• If we move to the yellow level of the back to school plan some activities may begin. There will still be no all-school or high-risk activities.
• Band, orchestra, choir and theater classes will continue remotely, but will not host in-person activities such as concerts.