WEST NEWBURY – Superintendent Justin Bartholomew and Principal Jonathan Seymour announce that Pentucket Regional High School will return to fully in-person learning through a phased plan later this month.
“We’re very excited to bring students back into the building. There are so many benefits to in-person learning that we know our students have missed — not only academically, but in building a rapport with their teachers and spending time with their peers as well,” Principal Seymour said. “We’re well prepared for a safe and needed return to a normal schedule.”
The transition will be staggered over three days. Attending fully in-person classes on Tuesday, April 27, are:
All freshmen and seniors
All sophomores and juniors in Cohort A, approximately half of both grades
Cohort C, students who have been attending school fully in-person for student support services.
Attending fully in-person classes on Wednesday, April 28, are:
All freshmen and seniors
All sophomores and juniors in Cohort B, approximately half of both grades
Cohort C
All students are scheduled to attend classes in person on Thursday, April 29. Thursday’s plan for a full return for the entire high school is pending the success of the two preceding days and any potential adjustments that may be needed.
Pentucket Regional High School’s return to fully in-person learning will complete a district-wide transition that began this spring. Elementary school students throughout the district returned to fully in-person learning through a phased plan from March 23-29 and middle school students returned on April 5.
“After a year of incredible challenges and hardships, this is such a very happy moment for our district. Pentucket has unique challenges that we’ve overcome as a community to get to this point — and we want to sincerely thank and recognize our school principals, facilities staff, teachers and the 100% Pentucket Working Group for the significant time and energy they have put into this return to in-person learning districtwide,” Superintendent Bartholomew said. “I’d also like to recognize students and their families, who have been flexible, cooperative and patient as we’ve navigated entirely new ways of teaching, new schedules, public health expectations and more — thank you.”
The high school’s staggered return will allow the district to ensure all its public health protocols and expectations continue to be followed, including mask wearing, and also to pivot to address any challenges that may arise.
Specifically, the district is asking high school students and their families to consider utilizing buses for transportation if they are not doing so. Space is limited at high school’s parking and drop-off areas due to the ongoing construction for the new middle-high school building. Parents and guardians who will continue driving their high school student to and from school are advised to drop off and pick up at the middle school to reduce traffic.
District facilities staff will be bringing additional furniture into the high school building on Tuesday, April 20, to facilitate the transition to fully in-person learning.
Students and their families who wish to continue to pursue fully remote learning have been given the option to do so.
