BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – Students in Brunswick County have a chance to change their learning plan for the second semester of the school year.
From Monday, Nov. 9 through Monday, Nov. 16 parents, guardians, and students can change how they want to participate in school starting in January.
“We can go ahead and get all that information in and get the process started,” said Daniel Seamans, the Communications Director for Brunswick County Schools. “That way, we can be prepared for the changes and [teachers] can also be prepared and know what they’re going to be doing, what their child’s going to be doing for the second part of the school year.”
Grades K-5 students can choose between 100% remote or 100% in-person learning. Grades 6-12 can choose between 100% remote or the A/B rotating plan which is a mix of remote learning and face-to-face instruction.
As of this semester, Seamans says around 3,000 of the school system’s 12,500 students are participating in 100% remote learning. With the number of COVID-19 cases and with students following guidelines well, Seamans says the second semester should go smoother now that everyone has had a chance to figure out what works and what doesn’t for school during a pandemic.
“The knowledge that has been learned from the first day of school, all the way through the end of this year, is going to make it to where that second semester is much easier because it is work in progress and you’re rolling with the punches,” said Seamans. “And from the district level down to the individual schools, everybody’s taking notes and everybody’s adapting. And that should be some peace of mind for everybody at home.”
Since the Brunswick school system began tracking COVID cases on Sept. 21, when students began face-to-face learning in some capacity, there have been 37 cases. As of Monday, 29 of those have recovered.
“I don’t know if you ever want to classify something as a good number, because when we’re talking about COVID numbers, it’s always…it’s a bad thing,” said Seamans. “But the numbers have been low enough to where it is proof that the protocols in place…when they’re followed, they are working. There’s no way you can expect for that number to stay at zero.”
For those students who are going to stay with their current plan, no action needs to be taken. This is just for those who want to change their way of learning in the new year.
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