Providence Elementary Schools to Adopt Staggered Reopening

Providence Elementary Schools to Adopt Staggered Reopening

In a statement issued by Providence Public Schools on Wednesday announced that “in order to help our youngest learners adjust to new habits that protect their health, Providence Public Schools have decided to stagger the in-person reopening dates for elementary students.”

Providence Schools students enrolled in prekindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade will begin in-person learning on Monday, September. 14.

Students enrolled in second and third grades will return to in-person learning on Thursday, Sept. 17. For these elementary students, Sept. 14, 15, and 16 will be distance learning days.

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Students enrolled in fourth and fifth grades will return to in-person learning on Monday, Sept. 21. For these elementary students, Sept. 14-18 will be a week of distance learning.

Providence Superintendent Harrison Peters said in a statement, "By implementing a staggered opening, we are intentionally limiting the number of elementary school students in our buildings for the first week of school, so that the school community can better focus on helping our youngest students adjust to returning to school, some for the first time ever and some after a sixth-month absence.”

This decision, made possible after the RI Dept. of Education confirmed that the school district could have more latitude in their reopening dates, also addresses family concerns about their children’s ability to follow some of the health guidance for returning to school. “This allows our teachers to set routines with their youngest learners around mask-wearing and social distancing before the full school population returns for the year,” said Susan Chin, network superintendent for Providence’s elementary schools.