DES MOINES, Iowa — Monday, the Des Moines Public School District begins integrating their hybrid learning plan by getting in-person preschool underway.
From this point forward, preschool students will be learning in person four days out of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Wednesdays will have students doing "self-paced activities" in paper/pencil or online formats.
In order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, cohorts of kids will stay together throughout the semester. Class sizes have also been reduced to allow for more social distancing.
Masks will always be worn except during outdoor play, naptime and meal times. All meals will be eaten in the classroom.
The move to in-person preschool is the first in a series of scheduled steps to fully integrate their hybrid learning plan throughout the district. The plan integration schedule is as follows:
- Monday, Oct. 12: Preschool
- Monday, Oct. 19: Elementary school (K-5)
- Monday, Oct. 26: Middle school (6-8)
- Monday, Nov. 10: High school
Those start dates will differ for individual students depending on which cohorts they are in, but all students will start in-person learning (unless in 100% virtual learning plan) during those designated weeks.