By Staff

Sep. 9, 2020: Usually, at this time of year, the streets of Bronxville are filled in the mornings with school children walking to school for the start of another school year. Yesterday, the Bronxville School opened, but there was no sign of the kids.

The Bronxville School originally planned to start this week with in-school learning for Kindergarten through 8th Grade and a hybrid model for High School. However, on September 1, it was announced that the school would open with remote learning for the first week due to "slight delays in construction projects." It is anticipated that the School will open for in-school and hybrid learning the week of September 14.

In the most recent virtual Bronxville School Board of Education meeting on August 25, Bronxville School Superintendent, Roy Montesano, described the following key elements of the School reopening plan in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.

Kindergarten through Grade 8

-Students in K-8 will have in-person learning.

-Elementary School children will be class pods, and children will stay with their pods throughout the day. There will be some areas set up for outdoor learning.

-Middle School children will be in class pods for core academic classes. Teachers will move from class to class rather than children. When children do have to move, the school will try to limit the traffic flow.

-Lunches are 'grab and go." Children can use the new cafeteria space where tables are six feet apart, and there are also outdoor tables.

High School

-Students in high school will have a hybrid plan, with half of the class in school in the morning and half in the afternoon.

All Students

-All students had the option to do 100% remote learning, and about 10% of students chose this option.

-Everyone must wear masks (there will be mask breaks during the day). 

-Desks are 6 feet apart, and there are desk shields.

-There are staggered start and dismissal times and multiple entrances.

-Temperatures will be taken of individuals entering the building.

-Parents will complete a health screening questionnaire for their students each morning.

In the meeting, Dr. Montensano also thanked the Bronxville School Foundation for funding supplies to create "zoom rooms" so that teachers can live stream from their classrooms to those learning at home. These supplies included 65 inch large-screen TVs, laptops, cameras, microphones, and headsets for teachers. The Foundation also funded supplies for teachers to teach at home, including digital tablets, wireless keyboards, and headsets.

In the same Board meeting on August 25, Arleen Thomas, President of the Bronxville School Board of Education, shared the following quote:

"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new."

Thomas went on to say, 'When I think about the experiences our students are going to have when they go to school, it will be a lot of new."

This will certainly be the case.

Pictured: The Bronxville School on September 8, 2020