Jackson-Madison County schools prep for return of in-person learning

JACKSON, Tenn. — Walking into the school building for Jackson-Madison County Schools is going to look a lot different this year.

The first thing you need to know — you’ve got to wear a mask.

“Students should be familiar with wearing masks already,” said Ramonica Dorsey, principal of Andrew Jackson Elementary.

Your student also needs to be prepared for a lot of temperature checks.

Principal Dorsey went over these new rules with us, such as only two students at a time inside the bathroom and at lockers, and you have to sit six feet apart in the cafeteria.

“We have about 143 students in person, but we’ll have about half of that each day on the hybrid, 70 plus students on the hybrid model next week,” Dorsey said.

Because there are so few students inside the school at any given time, it’ll be easy for them to socially distance inside the classroom. But the minute they leave, they’re practicing a new motto called ‘Mask on the Move.’

“They will be in their cohorts this year, traveling around the building in cohorts, that means their classroom, that small setting,” Dorsey said. “They will not leave their cohorts, and that means we can pretty much keep them together throughout the day, wherever they travel throughout the building.”

And Mrs. Dorsey wants to remind you that they will be going over all of this with your student when they’re back in the classroom on Monday.

School starts Monday, but students will be on a hybrid schedule. That means half will go to school on Monday and Wednesday, and half will go Tuesday and Thursday.