Tumwater, Olympia, North Thurston get ready to launch hybrid learning for all grades
Thurston County’s biggest school districts are preparing to send all grades back to classrooms part time within the next six weeks.
North Thurston Public Schools announced late Friday that all K-12 grades will return for hybrid learning by April 21. All Tumwater School District grades are set to start hybrid learning by March 15 and the Olympia School District will offer hybrid options to all grade levels by the end of the month.
Parents still will have the option of sticking with 100 percent remote instruction in all three districts.
The hybrid approach, which combines classroom instruction with online learning, has gained momentum in recent weeks due to declining COVID-19 transmission rates, a state-mandated lowering of thresholds to return to school, and recommendations from the county’s health officer for a cautious return to the classroom.
Teachers also were recently added to the current state tier of those who can get a vaccination.
And there’s another reason, area educators say.
Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater teachers and administrators told The Olympian last week that the hybrid learning process has gone smoothly so far. Teachers, initially nervous about returning to classrooms, say they are feeling more comfortable, their students are doing a good job of wearing masks, and schools are cleaning well.
Ashley Locken, who teaches first grade at Black Lake Elementary in the Tumwater district, said she was very nervous about returning to the classroom. But after seeing the mask-wearing and the cleaning, including what she described as an “over the top job” by school janitors, she feels comfortable.
“I really don’t have any of those worries,” she said.
Stephani Charette, who has taught for more than 30 years and who currently teaches second grade at Horizons Elementary in Lacey, acknowledged that the thought of returning to school was scary.
But she said she has been reassured by the school’s support system and safety protocols, and is pleased she is eligible for the vaccine.
More dates
North Thurston says hybrid options will be offered in all K-12 grades by next month. Sixth grade starts March 15, followed by grades 7-8 on March 24, 12th grade March 29, ninth grade April 12, and 10th and 11th grades April 21, the district announced.
High school seniors are starting hybrid learning before other high school grades because of their proximity to graduation.
Olympia School District has a slightly faster timeline, according to an email sent to parents that was shared with The Olympian. Grades 3-5 are set to start Monday and sixth graders on March 15.
“We remain committed to getting all grades in hybrid learning before the end of March,” the district email reads.
Tumwater schools have returned to hybrid learning at an even faster pace. In mid-February, grades 3-6 were welcomed back to school followed by grades 7-8 on March 1. Grades 9-12 are set to return on March 15, according to the district website.
Inside the hybrid model
Not every parent is thrilled with hybrid learning, calling the “return to in-person learning’ a misnomer. An Olympia School District parent, who spoke on condition he could remain anonymous, said he was stunned when he learned his first grader at L.P. Brown Elementary wouldn’t have a teacher on the days he was at home.
The parent, who works full-time for the state, said he would not be able to help his son in an unstructured environment, so he and his wife decided to stick with remote instruction. He also found it “particularly infuriating” to learn that although teachers can now be vaccinated, there wasn’t an immediate plan to fully reopen schools
The Olympia School District said the following in an email to parents:
“While some schools will be able to fully reopen for in-person learning, in most districts, they will need to utilize a hybrid model because they don’t have the physical space necessary to bring all students and staff back and meet the current 6-foot physical distancing requirement,” the email reads. “Olympia is one of those districts that is restricted due to space issues.”
Sherri Russell, who teaches kindergarten at L.P. Brown, said because classroom sizes need to be smaller to meet COVID-19 requirements — in effect creating a second class — there aren’t enough teachers to do both in-person and remote instruction.
However, those days at home aren’t completely unstructured, area teachers said. Some students watch videos of teacher-prepared lessons, or watch a livestream of their teacher in the classroom, although Russell acknowledged she wasn’t able to do both.
And although the student in hybrid learning may not work directly with their main teacher on the days they are at home, they often meet with a specialist for music or art, or have specialized classes in reading and math, area teachers told The Olympian.
Russell has two cohorts of 13 students for her in-person days and teaches all 26 via Zoom once a week, she said.
For kindergartners, some of whom are in a classroom for the first time, they have done a good job of wearing their masks, Russell said. She also wears a mask and face screen and leaves a window open for ventilation.
“It’s not a return to normal, but it’s the new normal,” Russell said. “I like having the kids and being able to interact with them.”
Black Lake Elementary Principal Misty Hinkle said it’s great to hear the “hum” of school again — students talking, laughing, movement within the school and teachers teaching.
“That has been missing since March,” she said. “It’s magic.”
This story was originally published March 8, 2021 at 5:45 AM.
