St. Edward to reopen for in-person classes Aug. 18

St. Edward Catholic High School in Elgin plans a return to in-person instruction Aug. 18 with a modified schedule.

Students and staff gradually will be acclimated to the changes, including new rules for locker use, wearing masks, and new arrival and dismissal procedures, such as COVID-19 screening. There are also rules for hallway and bathroom use, classroom expectations for social distancing, lunch procedures, use of technology on a single platform while in school and at home, and live-streaming classes.

Re-orientation is scheduled Aug. 18 through 21 for each of the classes to help prepare students for enhanced arrival/departure, health and cleaning, and safety protocols in small groups, officials said.

Officials chose a gradual reopening using a hybrid model based on guidelines from state education and health officials and the Diocese of Rockford, and after surveying parents, teachers, and staff members.

"Our reopening team has meticulously outlined a safe and responsible reopening plan that allows us to maintain the rigorous academic curriculum," Superintendent/Principal Brian Tekampe said in a news release.

A typical school day will run 8:10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Beginning Aug. 24, students will resume learning under the new hybrid model with half the population in classrooms and the other half learning remotely via live stream from their laptops using Microsoft Teams.

Teachers will be provided with a new classroom device to film all classes. Students learning from home will be able to participate in group discussions, ask questions through video or chat, and engage with their peers on their remote learning days.

Officials anticipate returning to full in-person instruction for all students Sept. 21. They also are prepared to switch to remote learning should the state revert to Phase 3 of its Restore Illinois plan if COVID-19 cases spike.

Updates on co-curricular and athletic activities will be available in the coming weeks.

To view the full reopening plan, visit https://stedhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/St.-Edward-CCHS-Reopening-Plan-Part-I-FINAL.pdf.