The start of this school year is shaping up like no other in our area’s history. Considering a stoplight color-coded metric map based on the spread of a virus to determine whether school will take place in classrooms or from a remote location, this year’s back-to-school necessity will most likely be a computer, laptop or electronic tablet and an internet connection.
Many students in the Greenbrier Valley live without reliable internet access, either because of personal finances or the lack of broadband capability.
For those people dealing with an economic situation, “There are both government subsidies and low-income internet programs from internet service providers (ISPs) that can help with your internet bill. These inexpensive internet plans, income-based programs, and low-income family plans help reduce the cost of staying connected,” according to Rebecca Lee Armstrong with HighSpeedInternet.com. To learn more about low cost internet programs, visit highspeedinternet.com/resources/are-there-government-programs-to-help-me-get-internet-service. There is also a link to this site on the Greenbrier County Schools website. This article lists available programs for low-income internet, deals for internet access for students, as well as, government partnerships like ConnectHome USA and Lifeline.
For folks without internet coverage, local educational facilities are providing WiFi hotspots. Whether school has in-class or remote learning, WiFi will be available around area school buildings beginning September 8.
Participating schools in Greenbrier County include Alderson Elementary, Crichton Elementary, Eastern Greenbrier Middle School, Frankford Elementary, Greenbrier East High School, Greenbrier West High School, Lewisburg Elementary, Rainelle Elementary, Ronceverte Elementary, Rupert Elementary, Smoot Elementary, Western Greenbrier Middle School and White Sulphur Springs Elementary.
The parking lots of all Monroe County Schools, including Mountain View, Peterstown Elementary, Peterstown Middle School, James Monroe High School and Monroe County Technical Center, will also act as WiFi access points.
All Greenbrier and Monroe county students, from kindergarten through 12th-grade, will be issued a Chromebook to participate in remote-learning. Both county school systems are providing them, at no cost, to students who need one. The Chromebooks are a part of West Virginia’s Kids Connect Initiative, which is intended to bring high-speed broadband internet access to every student within the state.
The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) posted the September 5, School Re-entry Metrics and Protocols map as part of the School Alert System. This map determines which counties will open their school year with in-person instruction and it will direct the level of extracurricular activities permitted for the week of September 6 – 12.
Guided by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WVDHHR) County Alert System and vetted by the COVID-19 Data Review Panel, the WVDE Re-entry map provides an objective health measure for determining the safety of in-person instruction and related activities. The weekly updates are posted at https://wvde.us/reentrymetrics.
Counties with higher levels of community spread of COVID-19 will not commence in-person instruction this week and will begin the year with remote learning. Students enrolled in their county’s virtual school option will not be impacted by the map updates. The color-coded updates for local counties are as follows:
Orange (Heightened Community Transmission): Counties that are orange will commence the school year in remote learning mode. Extracurricular practices may occur, however, competitions may not. Staff may report to their schools, as determined by the county. Essential support services, including special education and meals, will continue. Fayette and Monroe are in the Orange range.
Green (Minimal Community Transmission): Counties that are green will commence the school year with in-person instruction. Extracurricular practices and competitions may occur. Health and safety precautions include, at a minimum, face coverings in grades three and above when students are outside of core groups and in congregant settings and on school buses. Please refer to your county for specific face covering requirements. Counties in green include: Greenbrier, Pocahontas and Summers are in the Green.
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