HAMPTON — Superintendent Dr. Lois Costa wishes to provide the community with an update regarding the District’s hybrid learning model.
The School Board voted this week for the District to continue pursuing its hybrid learning model for the foreseeable future.
Through the plan, students have been sorted into two cohorts and no more than 50% of the student body is inside any District school at any given time. Each group attends school in-person twice a week and participates in fully remote learning during the remaining three days.
The District has not experienced any significant outbreaks of COVID-19 at this time. With the holidays on the horizon and the knowledge that some may choose to travel or host small gatherings, the District has decided to continue it’s hybrid model in order to best meet its goal of mitigating the risk of COVID-19 while still providing needed in-person learning opportunities.
The state has lifted the requirement to quarantine for two weeks to those traveling or returning to New Hampshire from states including Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Those traveling to the states from outside of New England are still expected to quarantine for two weeks. Students and staff are also urged to review the travel requirements and guidelines of any states they intend to travel to over the holidays, especially as case numbers fluctuate locally, regionally and nationally.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), traveling increases one’s potential to be exposed to COVID-19 and of potentially spreading it to others. Staying home and observing the holidays with those in your household or hosting a virtual celebration are the best ways to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
“Our hybrid learning model is working– all of our staff and students have been phenomenal this school year,” Dr. Costa said. “Everyone has done such an amazing job wearing their masks, practicing social distancing, and washing their hands. With the holidays coming up, we need everyone to keep taking these precautions. In-person learning is tremendously beneficial for students academically and has social emotional health advantages too, and we can only continue our hybrid plan as long as the majority of our community stays healthy.”
Hampton School District wishes to remind students and staff of the following steps they can take to stay healthy over the holidays:
- Wear a mask around those you do not live with.
- Practice social distancing around those you do not live with, and stay six feet apart.
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, for 20 seconds, and use hand sanitizer when soap and water are not readily available. It is especially important to wash your hands before and after eating, before and after putting on a mask, after blowing your nose and after visiting the restroom.
- Limit social gatherings to those you live with and small groups.
For additional guidance for navigating the holidays amid COVID-19 from the CDC, including additional information on hosting or attending a gathering, food and drinks at small gatherings, travel and overnight stays, and what to do if you’re exposed to COVID-19 at a holiday party, click here.
Parents and guardians are also being encouraged to contact their school principal if they plan to change their current modality of learning during the second trimester of the school year, which begins on Monday, Dec. 7. The District will work to accommodate the preferences of all students and families pertaining to their chosen learning model, as long as staffing permits.
The District has not yet made a decision whether winter sports will take place, and all stakeholders will be notified as soon as more information is available. This decision will be made at the January School Board Meeting.
The Hampton School District will, however, be conducting fully remote learning during all snow days this year, unless power is lost and remote learning is therefore made impossible.
For the latest updates, visit the District’s website by clicking here and its Facebook Page, @HamptonSchoolDistrict, here.
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