Chalky Hill will be ready for face-to-face pilot, says principal

Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer

Preparations are on track to get Chalky Hill Primary and Infant School ready for the face-to-face pilot reopening of schools on Monday, November 9, according to principal, Christine Badal-McBean. 

Chalky Hill was given notice on Tuesday that it had been drafted as a late replacement, as three schools have been taken off the Ministry of Education’s original list of institutions selected under the pilot programme. 

READ: Reservations against full school roll-out as three withdraw from two-week pilot

Badal-McBean said teachers and parents have already been notified of the reopening and that a staff meeting is set for today and then a meeting with parents on Friday, to finalise arrangements and get the support of all stakeholders. 

Indicating that the school has had “tremendous” help from the ministry, Badal-McLean said most of the necessary work has been completed to accommodate the 128 students and seven trained teachers at the institution.  

“Our isolation area is in place, we have begun the spacing and the markings in the classrooms for the seating arrangements; we have protective gear for our staff, we have masks, face shields, we have some signage in place,” she pointed out. 

Hand washing sinks will be in place as the welder is currently making the stands for them, she added.  

“The thing we are working on right now, and this was not because of COVID, we had extended our kitchen and we’re doing some tiling there and that will be completed by Friday.” 

The principal said students will be admitted on a rotation basis.

Grades four to six will attend classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while grades one to three will come to school on  Tuesday and Thursday.

The following week, the schedule will be reversed.

Classes will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

The infant department will not reopen. 

“We are satisfied that we will be ready to open on Monday. The ministry has been giving us tremendous support so I am really looking forward to it and so too most of my staff. We are a little bit timid, but we’re trying to brave it out,” she said. 

The principal is happy that efforts are being made to resume face-to-face teaching, amid new modes of distance learning in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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