Cosmopolis School District. Superintendent and Principal Cherie Patterson said all but a handful of students were back in class at the elementary school this week, with preparations in place for a complete conversion to remote learning again if they need it.

The students are not in a hybrid class setup right now Patterson explained. They are at the school nearly all-day, from 8:20 a.m. to 1:20 p.m. Monday through Friday. Their classes wrap up daily about an hour early so the students have time with their teachers, and the kids have some at-home activities assigned like music class and physical education.

She said they brought back the first round of students, about 40 of them, in the fall before the school board determined they would permit full grades to return to classes. A letter to parents in early January explained that students are required to arrive with a face mask and completed health screening form each day. Students can then enter the building for a temperature check and if they display COVID-19 symptoms, they will be sent home.

Kindergarten through first grade slowly started back on Jan. 19. Patterson said after asking parents to declare whether they would choose on-site or remote learning they found most all parents opted for full-time, on-site learning, which began for all classes on March 1. She added that a week later the last few parents said they were ready, and by this week the rest were coming to school.

“The good thing about this system is they can go remote if we need to,” says Patterson, who adds that the few kids who remain on remote-learning programs are using an at-home curriculum that works with the school to keep them on track.

All staff who requested have been vaccinated, with the teachers receiving their first dose last week. Patterson said parents have also been notified that April 1, the school may be using the all-remote option because a good portion of the staff who get vaccinated may need a day or two to recover.