NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio — Teachers are back in the school building preparing for a new academic year. In the North Ridgeville City School District that includes a hybrid model of educating most students.
“We feel that students and teachers need that interaction, they need to be able to build those relationships and that’s hard to do when you’re a hundred percent online from the get go,” explains Director of Curriculum and Instruction, David Pritt.
The hybrid model will include a split schedule with elementary and middle school aged children learning virtually three days each week and in-person twice a week. High School students will spend one day in the classroom each week.
“We’re fortunate that we can put six feet of distance between our students in our classrooms which is something a lot of places can’t do,” says Pritt. “We felt [hybrid learning] gave us the best of both worlds so if we do get to a point where things get worse later on and we do have to shutdown the students are already in that mode of online learning as well.”
Capacity has been reduced to about half the size of the building and classrooms. To lessen exposure and interaction in hallways, specialists including music and art teachers, will go to the students. Students will also eat lunch at their desks not the cafeteria.
The first half of the school year, physical education will be limited to individual activities, like walking.
For the most part, student schedules are split along geographic boundaries in the city but familial groups and parent requests are also taken into consideration.
“[We are] excited to see the kids, obviously there’s a little apprehension, still that we know that we have work to do,” he says.
“It’ll be some long nights between now and the time that the students show up but I think that once they finally walk-through the door and we’re able to get settled in, I think we’ll be in great shape.”
Some teachers and students have chosen to continue with virtual only learning. Classes start next week.
Photos: A look inside North Ridgeville hybrid learning classrooms
