Latest Update:

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release

February 25, 2021

GCS Welcomes Middle & High Students Back to Five-Day In-Person Instruction on

March 1

Following West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) guidance, Greenbrier County Schools will welcome in-person middle and high school learners back to the classroom five days a week with a ninety-minute early release beginning Monday, March 1.

In keeping with WVDE guidance, high schools will continue full-time in-person learning through the end of the school year, returning to fully remote learning only if the county is in the red category on the WVDHHR County Alert Map.  Elementary and middle school learners will continue full-time attendance with a 90-minute early release for the remainder of the school year regardless of map status.  Pre-K will attend 4 days/week. The ninety-minute early dismissal for all grades allows time for daily sanitization protocols and remote learning duties.

“We have been looking forward to this opportunity with great anticipation,” states Greenbrier County Superintendent Jeff Bryant. “Our community has moved in a positive direction with regard to the COVID-19 infection rate, making it possible for our middle and high school students to return to our classrooms for in-person instruction five days a week.  We can’t wait to welcome them back on Monday,” continues Bryant.

While remote learning will continue to be an option for families, the school system encourages remote students, especially those who are failing, to return to in-person learning. Remote students who want to transition back to in-person instruction may contact their school principal to coordinate their return.  West Virginia Virtual students will complete the semester virtually.

All schools in the county will continue to exercise the recommended mitigation strategies, including mandatory mask-wearing for all staff and students, handwashing, social distancing measures, limiting visitors, and sanitizing daily.  In positive COVID-19 case identification instances, Greenbrier County Schools will continue its current practice of contact tracing, quarantining, and closing classrooms and schools as needed.

“We appreciate the ongoing support from our students, families, and staff as we have made necessary scheduling adjustments throughout the school year. We understand that it has been challenging and we want our school community to know that we appreciate their patience and flexibility.  We all continue to have the best interest of students at heart,” concluded Superintendent Jeff Bryant.

The school system has also announced adjustments to the school calendar.  March 29, 30, 31, and April 1 will now be in-person learning days.  These dates were previously listed on the calendar as remote learning days.

END

Another schedule change!

Posted 2/19

There is now another schedule change which is adding another day for us to go to school.
So for example, one week A Group will go Monday, Wednesday and Thursday whilst B Group
will go Tuesday and Friday. The next week, A Group will go Monday and Thursday while B
Group goes Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. This current schedule will continue if Greenbrier
County is Gold, Yellow or Green according to the COVID MAP. If we change to Orange or Red,
we will revert back to the GCS’s Return to Learn Plan. So if we are Orange, all students will be
remote on Wednesday. If we are Red all students are fully remote until the color changes to
Orange or above. I talked to Mrs. Mooney and asked her what she thinks of the new schedule.
She replied, “I wish we could go five days but it’s better than no days.” This year has been
difficult and weird for us all but hopefully this new schedule can give us all a routine and a little
bit of normalcy. On 2/19 Governor Justice held a press conference and has made it mandatory
for grades Pre-K through 8 go back to school full time.

Update:

Posted 2/24

We officially know that Pre-K through 8 is going back full time starting no later than March 3rd but will Greenbrier West be going back to full time? As of right now Governor Jim Justice is encouraging high schools to go back to in-person instruction five days a week as long as their county color is not red. The West Virginia Department of Education has adopted the motion for high schools to go back five days a week regarding the color of the county like Governor Justice said previously. They are still giving parents and students the option to be remote. It is becoming more uncommon than not for high schools in West Virginia to choose blended learning. 18 counties are going five days, 23 are going four days a week and only 14 counties are blended. There are a variety of options from the blended learning we are in now, going five days a week with the early out, going four days a week with no early out and having one day dedicated to cleaning and sanitizing, four days a week that would be block days meaning Monday and Thursday would consist of the first four classes while Tuesday and Friday consisted of the last four classes, etc. There are many options for the State and County to choose from and we should have an answer soon.