By Ally Lanasa, Staff Writer

(Dec. 24, 2020) Students in Worcester County  are getting their winter break before returning to school in person or online in the new year.

Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic School on Racetrack Road in Berlin is following the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington’s direction to return virtually after winter break from Jan. 4-8, 2021.

The private school had a half-day last Friday, as students entered a two-week winter break.

Amanda Evans, director of admissions and advancement at Most Blessed Sacrament, added that the academic calendar originally called for school days on Monday and Tuesday, but students were provided with two extra days to self-isolate before any holiday travel or celebration with relatives.

Dr. John McDonald

Worcester Preparatory School on South Main Street in Berlin began winter break last Friday.

“We were supposed to have a half-day,” said Dr. John McDonald, head of school. “Normally, we have a … holiday celebration, and we couldn’t do it, so we felt we’ll cancel our half day and start our break.”

Students are scheduled to return for in-person instruction on Jan. 4.

“We’re going to be doing another deep cleaning during the break, and we’re going to maintain all the protocols that we’ve had since September, which have been very effective,” McDonald said. “We’ve been complimented by the Worcester County Department of Health on our protocols, so we’re just going to maintain what we’re doing.”

McDonald admitted that he and his Worcester Preparatory faculty and staff are concerned about the rise of covid cases in the county and across the state.

“We just hope people will practice the guidance from the governor and from the department of health and the CDC,” he said.

McDonald added that the school uses desk and teacher dividers, facial coverings and air scrubbers. Students and teachers also maintain a safe distance of six feet apart for in-person instruction.

“Whenever the CDC makes a different recommendation and the Worcester County Department of Health accepts that recommendation, then we communicate that to our families and to our staff,” he said.

In addition, McDonald is proud that Worcester Preparatory has been practicing in-person instruction since September.

“We’ve had very few disruptions. No schoolwide disruptions,” he said of covid cases among the school’s population.

As for Worcester County Public Schools, Superintendent Lou Taylor said at this time about 20 percent of the school population is expected to return to in-person instruction on Jan. 4, 2021.

“We’re going to continue to monitor it on a regular basis over the holidays,” he said. “We’ll continue to watch it. The metrics are one segment of our information to bring kids back.”

Public school students in the county engaged in distance learning until winter break began this Wednesday.

“I strongly believe that we have got to get our kids back in school, but it has to be in a safe environment,” Taylor said. “We want our teachers to be safe. We want our kids to be safe, but I am a

Lou Taylor

strong advocate for our kids being back in the schools, and I think most of our community is saying the same thing.”

For families who are uncomfortable having their students participate in in-person instruction can opt to continue distance learning.

“That’s the unique thing about this,” Taylor added. “We can serve all our kids who either want to be there or don’t want to be there.”

Throughout December and early January, teachers have received almost daily covid-19 training.

“The purpose of the training is to give our educators more information on proper social distancing, on mask wearing, on hand washing – all the protocols that we have in place,” Taylor said. “We want to make sure we review all those protocols with our staff and answer any questions they may have as they prepare for Jan. 4. We just want to make sure we try to keep everyone as safe as possible, share any information that would allow teachers and other personnel to make good decisions as we bring our young people back into our schools.”

In addition, Worcester County Public Schools has received a $218,492 Safe to Learn Grant that can be used to purchase additional PPE and sanitizing materials.

Dr. Abt, the chief safety and human relations officer for the school system, said the notice of the grant award was for the period of July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2020. It has been extended twice because of covid-19. He added that the first extension was Dec. 31, 2020, but it has now been extended to June 30, 2021.

“The committee had not officially requested the grant amendment but has discussed items that would be most beneficial to the district,” Abt said. “Purchasing additional electrostatic sprayers for disinfecting schools and equipment was the consensus of the group.”

On Dec. 15, Maryland Schools Superintendent Dr. Karen B. Salmon asked the Maryland Department of Health to include teachers, school staff and early childcare professionals as the first priority in the plan to start covid-19 vaccinations for essential employees in the state.

In a letter addressed to Dr. Jinlene Chan, Maryland Department of Health Acting Deputy Secretary of Public Health Services, Salmon wrote “the safety and education of our children demand immediate attention.”

Dr. Karen B. Salmon

“It is essential that we return to full or hybrid instructional models for the overall well-being and success of our pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students. Prolonged school closures have resulted in our children experiencing diminished academic achievement and social-emotional distress,” she wrote. “We care about all of our education and childcare professionals, many of whom have continued to work on the frontline throughout the pandemic, and we are requesting that they be prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine in the earliest stages of distribution to essential employees.”

Clarence C. Crawford, president of the Maryland State Board of Education, added that “continued school closings impact all of our children, especially those in underserved communities and vulnerable to abuse. Prioritizing distribution of this vaccine to our teachers and school staff will help expedite the return of full in-person instruction for our students.”

The request includes early childcare workers who are providing critical education and care services.

“Childcare professionals have played a crucial role in the state’s frontline pandemic response and recovery efforts,” Salmon wrote. “The safety of these programs must be maintained to protect childcare staff and the families they serve.”

The Maryland Department of Health submitted its Covid-19 Vaccination Plan to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Oct. 16. The plan includes workers deemed essential in critical industries, including education.