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BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Officials with the Berkeley County School District say three of their schools will transition to virtual learning for two weeks.
Those schools are Berkeley Middle, Cross High and St. Stephen Middle. Beginning Tuesday, September 7, students at those schools will learn from home and return to the in-person school setting on Tuesday, September 21, according to BCSD.
District officials said athletic and extracurricular activities at these three schools will be suspended until Tuesday, September 21.
“The decision to transition these three schools to a distance learning platform for the next two weeks was not made lightly,” said Deon Jackson, BCSD Superintendent. “We understand the burden this places on our students, staff and families as our shared goal is to provide quality instruction to our students in our buildings; however, the impact of COVID-19 related reports in these schools necessitated this difficult decision. We look forward to the return of these students on Tuesday, September 21.”
The district released the following information Thursday afternoon.
In consultation with SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) and the South Carolina Department of Education, Berkeley County School District leadership announced today that three schools in the District will temporarily transition to a distance learning model for two weeks. Beginning Tuesday, September 7, students at Berkeley Middle, Cross High and St. Stephen Middle will learn from home and return to the in-person school setting on Tuesday, September 21. Athletic and extracurricular activities at these three schools will be suspended until Tuesday, September 21.
“The decision to transition these three schools to a distance learning platform for the next two weeks was not made lightly,” said Deon Jackson, BCSD Superintendent. “We understand the burden this places on our students, staff and families as our shared goal is to provide quality instruction to our students in our buildings; however, the impact of COVID-19 related reports in these schools necessitated this difficult decision. We look forward to the return of these students on Tuesday, September 21.”
Schools will work with staff and families to ensure that each student has received their Chromebook. Information concerning access to assignments and livestream instruction schedules will be provided to students and/or parents by principals and teachers.
BCSD will continue to provide breakfast and lunch at no cost to students at these three schools during this temporary transition to a distance learning platform. Meals will be distributed Monday through Friday of both weeks by a drive-through pick up service.
Berkeley Middle, Cross High and St. Stephen Middle students can pick-up breakfast and lunch (10 a.m. to 12 p.m.) from the following locations:
- Berkeley Middle School located at 320 N Live Oak Dr, Moncks Corner, SC 29461
- Cross High School located at 1293 Old Hwy 6, Cross, SC 29436
- St. Stephen Middle School located at 225 Carolina Dr, St Stephen, SC 29479
Students will not be permitted to enter the buildings or eat on-site. Child Nutrition will be using the “roster system” so the names of the students will need to be provided by the person(s) picking up the meals.
“We need the support and cooperation of our families and communities to ensure that these students return to school healthy and that our remaining schools stay open,” Jackson continued. “Our schools mirror their communities, so we ask that our families and communities follow SC DHEC guidelines, maintain physical distancing in group settings, practice good hygiene, limit unnecessary interactions and gatherings, and wear a mask when physical distancing cannot be achieved or is not practical.”
All other BCSD schools will continue to operate in-person following their normal schedules.
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