Oakwood Schools to return to full-day instruction for grades 1-12 today

OAKWOOD — Oakwood City Schools announced Sunday they will be returning to full-day instruction for students grades 1-12 starting today, March 15th.

>>West Carrollton School board votes to return to a five-day school week

Kindergarten students will continue to be scheduled as half days for the rest of the school year with intentions to return to full-day kindergarten in August for the 2021-2022 school year.

The new information was shared with staff and families today in a release from Oakwood Schools Superintendent, Dr. Kyle Ramey.

Ramey said in the release that not everyone may agree with the decisions made for the schools, but that they came after careful consideration and discussions.

“As we have approached each challenge, we have attempted to make the right decisions for the District in a timely manner, based on what we knew at any given time and what we believed was best for all concerned,” said Oakwood Schools Superintendent, Dr. KyleRamey earlier this month. “We have not wanted to get too far ahead due to the constantly changing situation we have all been living in the past year. Just in the last week, quarantine restrictions have been changed again and we were informed schools will be required to conduct the full series of state testing. These are just two of the recent elements we have considered when making this decision.”

Ramey listed a number of reasons he believes it is in the students’ best interest to make the change in classroom structure now:

• Infection and quarantine numbers in the District, city, county and state continue to trend down
• Recent loosening of quarantine restrictions by Public Health Dayton & Montgomery County
• Improved social-emotional wellbeing of students, families and community when students are in school full time
• Although most students have done well academically in the current half-day model, more time with our outstanding teachers is better for student growth
• A number of students and families have struggled to be successful for a variety of reasons in the half-day model
• All staff members who wanted to and were able to be vaccinated are now vaccinated
• Layers of protection will continue
• Wearing a mask at all times - this will mean all day, except for lunch
• Social distancing as best as possible
• Regularly washing hands
• Proper sneeze and cough etiquette
• Regular disinfecting

“The Board of Education, District leadership team and staff’s goal and desire has always been to have our students back in class full time as soon as safe and practical,” said Ramey.

Cox Media Group