5 Things To Know About Back To School In Waltham

WALTHAM, MA — With the twists and turns and hardship the pandemic has thrown our way, it seems everything has become a little uncertain. As the school year rounds the bend, Patch asked Superintendent Brian Reagan for a list of five things we can be certain about the start of school.

Amid unprecedented and uncertain times, parents can count on these five things, he said:

1. The first day of instruction for students in grades 1-12 will be Sept. 16. And like every year, the younger students, pre-k and kindergarten will start the following week. The way it plays out will be a little different, with some students beginning online while others start in school, but school begins Sept. 16.

2. Students in pre-k, kindergarten and first grade will start the year in-person at school. Other grades will begin the year remote, learning online for the first two months of school. That won't change, said Reagan, unless something major happens with the pandemic. In October, the district will regroup, and discuss and plan what learning will look like for November and December.

3. The structure of school will be divided into two week "chunks," said Reagan. Parents can count on this cycle of teacher directed learning one week, followed by a week of student directed learning, even for in-person learning, he said. "We wanted to keep that model for consistency," Reagan told Patch.

4. Teachers are excited to see their students again. "I've had multiple staff members express a genuine enthusiasm to see their kids again," said Reagan.

5. The quality of learning will be different from what it was in the spring at the beginning of the pandemic. "One concern we've had, was that remote learning wasn't as high quality as [parents/students] wanted it back in the spring," said Reagan. "You're guaranteed to come back to a different remote learning experience than the spring." Reagan said the district has learned from its experiences. "It's more rigorous and more consistent and more engaging, we have schedules that will put teachers live in front of students multiple times a day."

Reagan said he knows there's a lot of anxiety in the community around the return to school, and that there are plenty of unanswered questions.

"My team and I are acutely aware of how frustrating that is," he told Patch in a phone interview.

Reagan said he wanted to reassure families and teachers that he feels confident that the buildings are in excellent condition after they've been checked both internally, by the two HVAC specialists the district employs, and by external venders.

"We're not going to put teachers or students in a room that's unsafe," he said, noting there are a few windowless rooms that won't be used this year.

Reagan said his team is planning to be communicative, making sure the school community is aware of any changes, as the pandemic shifts.

"If a parent or teacher have any question reach out to a principal or even my office before making assumptions, go to the source and ask and we'll make sure you get the answers you need," said the superintendent. "This team is committed to making sure families and teachers are feeling supported and getting the answers that we have at the moment."

Read more:

Waltham To Start School Mostly Online

Got a tip? Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a press release you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how to post a press release, a column, event or opinion piece.