ISLE OF WIGHT, Va. (WAVY) — Isle of Wight County Schools confirmed in a letter Wednesday that the students will return to the temporary remote learning model for the two weeks following winter break.

The remote schedule will begin January 4 and last through January 15. The letter says the switch to will allow the division and community time to “ride-out any spikes in cases from holiday travel and gatherings.”

Students on the in-person continuum will return to in-person hybrid learning on Tuesday, January 19, since January 18, 2021, is the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

Elementary School Students (PreK — 3rd Grade)

● Virtual Students — No change to the child’s schedule or routine.
● In-Person Continuum Students — Students will have the same teacher they have now and will
continue learning with them remotely. Students will follow the same daily learning schedule as their virtual learning peers. For students in grades Prek-3, this includes a minimum of 6 hours per
week of direct, interactive learning with their teacher as well as 2 days per week of asynchronous
learning experiences. Students will participate in “live” instruction with their teacher from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Elementary School Students (4th and 5th Grade, 6th grade at Westside Elementary)

● Virtual Students — No change to the student’s schedule or routine.
● In-Person Continuum Students — A temporary remote learning schedule will reflect a minimum of 9 hours of direct, interactive instruction with their teachers as well as 2 days per week of asynchronous learning experiences. Students will have the same teacher they have now and will continue learning with them remotely.

Middle and High School Students (6th — 12th)

● Virtual Students — No change to the student’s schedule or routine.
● In-Person Continuum Students — Students will shift to the temporary remote schedule while teachers and class start times will remain the same.
● Remediation sessions scheduled for Friday, January 8, or January 15 will take place virtually.

Athletics

Isle of Wight County Schools will pause all athletic activities until January 19. During this time, the
division will monitor updates from the Virginia High School League (VHSL) that may impact athletic programs at both high schools.

The pause will allow IWCS to review mitigation strategies and reassess its plans. High schools will share information with student-athletes and their parents as additional information is available.

Meal Distribution

IWCS has been granted the ability to continue distributing free meals to all students, regardless of
financial situation. The division will resume Friday meal distribution beginning January 8, 2021, at
Smithfield High School, Georgie Tyler Middle School, and Carrsville Elementary School, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Each meal kit will contain 5 days of breakfasts and lunches for each student.

YMCA Child Care

The YMCA will continue to provide child care for students who are currently enrolled in the program. The YMCA will share additional information directly with parents of participating students.

Read the full letter here.