SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Students from 10 Poway elementary schools were back in class Thursday for in-person learning. That’s nearly one-third of Poway Unified’s 36,000 students.
It was treated as a day of celebration at Canyon View Elementary School Thursday morning as kids walked in. There were balloons and smiling faces under masks as parents who opted in to in-person instruction made their way through the drop off line.
"We’ve been waiting for this day since Friday, March 13 -- so we planned to make sure it’s safe, smooth and successful. We’re so happy that kids are back in the classroom," Jill Halsey, Canyon View Principal said.
Parents and staff alike said this is a big step to getting their kids back in a normal, social environment after several months of virtual learning.
"It's really important for them to be social. We can't stay cooped up forever," said parent Ian Brown.
It's part of the Poway Unified School District’s phased approach to reopening for families who chose in-person learning for their elementary aged children (TK-5th grades). The district says this is being done to keep the number of children in the classroom at any given time to a minimum.
The following 10 elementary schools reopened with an AM/PM schedule:
- Canyon View Elementary School
- Highland Ranch Elementary School
- Morning Creek Elementary School
- Painted Rock Elementary School
- Pomerado Elementary School
- Shoal Creek Elementary School
- Sundance Elementary School
- Sunset Hills Elementary School
- Turtleback Elementary
- Westwood Elementary School
The AM/PM schedule consists of students being divided into two separate 2 hour 35 minute oncampus learning sessions, five days a week, with 100 minutes of virtual and asynchronous learning at home, for a total of 250 instructional minutes per day.
The remaining 16 elementary schools will open on Monday, Oct. 12, also with an AM/PM schedule. Those schools include:
- Adobe Bluffs Elementary School
- Chaparral Elementary School
- Creekside Elementary School
- Design39Campus
- Deer Canyon Elementary School
- Del Sur Elementary School
- Garden Road Elementary School
- Los Penasquitos Elementary School
- Midland Elementary School
- Monterey Ridge Elementary School
- Park Village Elementary School
- Rolling Hills Elementary School
- Stone Ranch Elementary School
- Tierra Bonita Elementary School
- Valley Elementary School
- Willow Grove Elementary School
The district confirmed that any family who opted for the virtual learning option will remain fully virtual.
Secondary schools in the district, with the exception of Abraxas, will also remain in virtual learning at least through November. Abraxas High School will open on Thursday, Oct. 8.
The District is also maintaining a COVID-19 Dashboard on their website, where all confirmed cases of COVID-19 will be posted, to provide the public with the most up-to-date information.