Students return to school next week
It is back-to-school time and public and private schools throughout Madison County are gearing up for another school year that begins next week.
Schools in the Madison County School District will have a soft start to the 2021-20222 school year with students alternating in-person and distance-learning classes Monday, Aug. 9, through Thursday, Aug. 12.
Students will fully return to campuses on Friday, Aug. 13.
School officials said the reopening is designed to help students and staff return to school with a safe start to the year and that the district is prepared for total distance learning or an altered model of instruction, combining in-person and distance learning, depending on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gene Wright, director of communications for Madison County Schools, said schools in Madison are reopening under a level 2 COVID-19 protocol and a letter dated Aug. 3 was sent to parents explaining the protocols.
“There are a variety of COVID-19 protocol levels,” Wright said. “Each level has different mask requirements. We are starting at level 2. Masks are encouraged if students and staff are more than 3 feet apart, but masks are required if they are less than 3 feet apart. If we see an increased spread of illness, we’ll move up to level 3 protocol, which requires masks on campus at all times.”
Superintendent of Madison County Schools, Charlotte A. Seals said schools are implementing the face-covering measures on an as-needed basis.
“We hope to avoid unnecessary quarantine and keep as many students, faculty, and staff safely in school as possible,” Seals said. “While all schools will begin the year at a Level 2, the specific level at each campus may change over the coming days or weeks based on data-driven analysis of health and safety. I encourage you to visit our website, read the FAQs, and familiarize yourself with the three different levels of Covid protocols available to our schools this year.”
To view dates, COVID-19 guidelines, and protocols for Madison schools, visit their website at https://www.madison-schools.com/madisoncounty.
Madison-Ridgeland
Academy
Madison Ridgeland Academy is scheduled to start with a half-day on Monday, Aug. 9, for orientation with students' first full day on Aug. 10.
“Now the largest independent school in Mississippi,” said Madison Ridgeland Academy Director of Advancement Martha Maxey. “MRA continues a trend of record enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year with a continued commitment to outstanding student-teacher ratios. We look forward to another outstanding year as we strive to fulfill the mission of the school to provide a superior educational experience while encouraging and enabling each student to reach his or her individual potential in mind, body, and spirit.”
Maxey said that the school has spent the summer upgrading its facilities. They have turfed the elementary playground and athletic practice field, added a third-grade classroom, renovated the gym dressing rooms, added a state of the art video scoreboard, and expanded and updated the Administration and High School Student Services office areas.
St. Joseph Catholic School of Madison
St. Joseph Catholic School will return to classes Tuesday, Aug. 10, and school officials are excited about a dual-enrollment program with Mississippi College that is being offered to seniors for the first time this year.
Under the program, seniors at St. Joseph Catholic School can enroll in English and math classes beginning this fall and receive academic credit from their high school as well as college credit from Mississippi College.
Classes available to St. Joseph seniors are English Comp I, English Comp II, College Algebra with Application and College Trigonometry, and each will satisfy academic requirements for high school seniors and also earn the students three hours of college credit.
Tricia Harris, advancement director at St. Joseph Catholic School said several students have already signed up to participate in the dual enrollment.
As the return to school coincides with a rise in COVID-19 cases, school officials are not mandating masks.
“At this time, masks will be worn at the discretion of the students’ families,” the school said in a statement to families of students.
The Office of Catholic Education in the Catholic Diocese of Jackson also sent a statement to families ahead of next week’s school reopening.
“In evaluating the current state of all our communities, schools within the Catholic Diocese of Jackson highly encourage the use of masks and face coverings for all students and staff, especially those who have not been vaccinated,” the letter from the diocese states. “Visitors who enter the school buildings, whose vaccination status is unknown will be required to wear a mask. We will continue to monitor case volume and community transmission throughout the year, and we will adjust our protocols accordingly.”
Tri-County Academy of Flora
Tri-County Academy students will return to classes Monday, Aug. 9, for a half-day and will have their first full-day Tuesday, Aug. 10.
Tri-County Academy Head Master Tom Taylor said teachers have been preparing for the new school year and everyone is excited to begin the private academy’s 51st school year.
During the summer break, Taylor said the school has installed updated technology, including smartboard technology placing 60-to-70-inch touch screen smartboards in each classroom and upgrading the school’s technological infrastructure.
“The one thing we are hoping and praying for is that we can again have some sense of normalcy,” Taylor said about the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have made everything mask optional with families… We will continiue to do things we normally do, sanitizing and washing of hands… We have a patron clientele and have put a lot of the personal responsibility in their court. They understand the risk.”
Canton Public Schools
Canton Public School students will begin the 2021-2022 in-person on Monday, Aug. 9. The Canton Public School District did not respond to messages seeking comment for this story.
Canton Academy
Canton Academy Secondary Principal Ryan Lester said they have a brand new administration with Tripp McCarty taking the reins as headmaster.
“We have a lot of new faces and new curriculum,” Lester said. “We are excited about it and are expecting a great year. We have a lot of superstars in the classroom.”
School starts on Wednesday, Aug. 11, with a half-day and they close their first week with their first football game at Sylva Bay.
As for masking and other protocols, Lester said that they are not requiring masks on campus but will continue to monitor recommendations made by state officials and the Center for Disease Control and make adjustments as needed.
“As of right now we do not require masks on campus though we do support any student or teacher who feels they need to wear one,” Lester said.
Jackson Academy
Jackson Academy's first full day of K3-12 will be Thursday, Aug. 12, following a half-day on Aug. 11. There are also teacher orientations, a new student welcome and a meet the teachers events scheduled for Monday, Aug. 9, and Tuesday, Aug. 10.
JA’s COVID-19 policies for the 2021-22 school year are on their website. The page notes that policies are subject to change, as follows:
JA will encourage but not require vaccines for faculty and staff. Employees will be required to report their vaccination status with the school nurse, Kathy Sheffield. Students will only be required to reveal their status on a “need-to-know basis,” for example if they have made close contact with someone who had the virus they Cana void quarantining if they are vaccinated.
Masks are required for all unvaccinated faculty and staff who are not fully vaccinated during indoor school settings. The same rule applies to parents and visitors. Unvaccinated students are encouraged but not required to wear a mask.
JA states that they will make “every reasonable effort” to maintain a 3-foot distance between students in classrooms.
Their full policy can be found at https://jacksonacademy.org/2021-22-covid-19-policies-and-protocols/
St. Andrew’s
According to St. Andrew’s Episcopal School website their first day of classes is Aug. 12. A representative did not respond to requests for additional information on the opening.
Jackson Preparatory School
Jackson Preparatory School’s first full day is Monday, Aug. 16. A representative did not respond to requests for additional information as of press time.