Rose Hill students return with in-person staggered schedules

JACKSON, Tenn. — At Rose Hill School, students are beginning their staggered schedule.

“Monday, Wednesday is A through H. Tuesday and Thursday is I through Z. Friday is a virtual learning day,” Rose Hill principal Mia Moore said.

Principal Moore says the school has one-third of its students in person. The other two-thirds are either attending virtually or through CyberSchool.

Rose Hill normally has more than 600 students enrolled.

Moore says there are some benefits with the reduced class sizes, including more one-on-one time with students.

“There has been a gap in learning since we’ve been out of school in March, so we want to make sure we’re giving the students the attention that they need,” she said.

Teachers doing virtual lessons are still in the building alongside teachers in traditional, in-person classes.

Students must wear their masks and are required to social distance wherever they go inside the school. School leaders are also trying to assess where their students are academically.

“We’re doing what we call AIMES web testing, which gives us an idea of where the student is, academically, so we’ll be able to meet their needs academically,” Moore said.

Teachers also have an extra planning period on Fridays.

“That day, they will do a virtual lesson with kids, and then they will prepare and grade work and get things done so that they’re prepared for the next week,” Moore said.

For now, the school plans to keep the current schedule for the next three weeks, and then they hope to swap to a five-day week.

“Students wanted to hug and hug their teachers. They were happy to see them, so just that sense of belonging was first,” Moore said.

Moore said students are focusing on reading in all their classes.