Bainbridge Island schools continue to work on being prepared for hybrid learning in late January as Winter Break approaches in three weeks.

At Blakely Elementary, for example:

• Hallways have been marked with arrows to note traffic flow to allow for 6 foot social distancing.

• Classrooms are being staged to allow for desks to be 6 feet apart. Spaces on floors will have 6-foot markers for students to sit in order to work in a small group classroom setting.

• Schedules are being created to allow for water and movement breaks in various locations around the school, allowing only one classroom at a time in the same outdoor space.

• Work is being done on arrival and dismissal procedures to allow for safe and efficient dropoff and pick-up traffic flow.

• Four spots around the exterior of the school will be set up for COVID-19 screening and sign-in stations.

Principal Reese Ande in a newsletter to parents says in upcoming weeks teachers will be using Fridays to help prepare for Hybrid reopening planning. That may involve children accessing more asynchronous instruction than previously provided.

The principal also said the school will be administering Fastbridge assessments this month to get a sense of each student’s academic progress as well as ways that students can be supported by their teachers and through support services such as Title/LAP reading.

A Sakai Intermediate School they are doing many of the same things.

As teachers work Fridays on reopening plans, students will have independent time. To help with that, this week’s lesson is on time management and prioritizing assignments. Students also will be given Zoom links so they can work on art, PE, library, academic enrichment or academic support.

Students choosing in-person learning will have four core subjects, along with specialist classes. Sakai also will have four screening areas with the hope of students getting through in 10 seconds or less.

At Ordway Elementary, the student dropoff zone has been changed to the back service road so that students will be able to line up at a monitoring station by the back playshed and gym area.

Teachers have had walkthroughs for updates on classroom furniture layouts, materials and traffic flow. The building itself has many exterior doors so traffic to and from specialist classes will have specific entrances and exits to follow recommended safety guidelines.

“We all have had to educate ourselves on new measures of health this year and it has been difficult, but we have shown over and over again each day that it can be done,” principal Melinda Reynvaan said.