CHS transitions to hybrid learning

CLOVIS - As Clovis High transitioned to hybrid learning for the first time this school year, Principal Jay Brady was asked the No. 1 school function he took for granted before COVID-safe protocols changed so many operations.

"Lunch and breakfast," Brady said without hesitation Friday morning at his office, right after making morning announcements to the small group of students getting their first taste of CHS in-person learning.

Beginning this week, the district is starting hybrid education in grades 6-12 with three cohorts:

• Students in Cohort A will attend school in person Mondays and Tuesdays and learn remotely the rest of the week. Cohort A's first day on campus will be Tuesday, due to the Presidents Day holiday.

• Students in Cohort B will go remotely Monday through Wednesday, and attend school in person Thursdays and Fridays. Cohort B's first day on campus will be Friday, due to the possibility of absences following COVID-19 vaccinations Wednesday of roughly 300 district employees.

• Cohort C remains in virtual learning every day.

Clovis High has more than 1,500 students, with between 200 and 225 in the Cohort C. The in-person cohorts are nearly a 50-50 split, allowing the district to house fewer than 50% of its students on campus as required by the Public Education Department.

This past week featured transition days, specifically for sophomores who spent last year at the CHS Freshman Academy and juniors and seniors transferring from other school districts. Normally, Brady said, CHSFA kids get a few transition days in April and May to familiarize themselves with the CHS campus that encompasses two city blocks, but remote learning last year eliminated that opportunity. The district's three middle schools had similar transition days for its sixth-graders.

The transition days have also helped faculty and staff get acclimated before all grades return, as countless COVID-safe procedures are required. Students must wear face coverings and have temperature checks upon entry, and they'll get a few reminders to socially distance. Brady said regardless of age, kids want to be around each other, but the high school students understand the challenges and haven't raised major issues.

"Our kids are doing exactly what we're asking them to do," Brady said. "They're amazing. This has been a great week of school."

David Fredericks, assistant principal for the junior class, took The News on a tour of the CHS campus - it's divided into 10 zones with seven to 13 classrooms per zone.

Some facilities without a current use, like the CHS Lecture Hall, became classrooms. Some classrooms are temporarily retired because their spaces do not allow for PED requirements - all desks must face the same way and all seating must be 6 feet apart in all directions. Each classroom in use has that, along with plenty of hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and backup masks. A seating chart is also required by the PED, mainly for contact tracing purposes.

When possible in buildings, foot traffic goes clockwise, and areas where two-way traffic flow is necessary (i.e. restrooms) have a red-tape dividing line with arrows to indicate direction.

"We can't guarantee safety," Fredericks said, "but we can minimize risk."

Employees known as SELs (social, emotional, learning) monitor the traffic. The school hired about half a dozen SELs for the year to handle myriad non-teaching tasks, such as making the phone calls to check in on families throughout the week. Glenda De La Rosa, an SEL assigned to Building A on Friday, said she appreciates the role she can bring as a bridge for bilingual families.

Another goal was to eliminate CHS' traditional common areas. The assistant principal and guidance counselor offices that are right in the middle of Building A are in most years constantly full of students, but now those employees go to the students whenever possible. Any business remaining in those offices is handled face-to-face with Plexiglas shields; "We're in the people business and we're putting up walls," Fredericks said in mild frustration.

The obvious common area, the CHS cafeteria, requires the school's most elaborate workaround.

Breakfast stations are set up at four entrance points on the campus, where students can gather in socially distanced lines and grab a bite on their way to class.

Lunch is more involved. The CHS cafeteria prepares all of its meals the same way, whether kids are picking them up in the rear entrance for grab and go service or they're delivered to kids in classrooms. Each meal is two bags, one for hot items and one for cold items like juice and milk.

"The brown bags don't look great," Fredericks said, "but trust me, it is delicious."

For on-campus meals, a van normally driven by Brady carries 10 sets of insulated bags for each zone. Staff waiting at each zone's entrance grab a hot insulated bag and a cool insulated bag and place them on a cart. Each teacher is asked to put a sticky-note on the door by 11:20 with the number of meals needed. The corresponding meals are placed on a cart or table outside each room, and the kids grab the food once staff is clear.

Fredericks said adversity shows what people are made of, and that staff and students are rising to the challenges.

"We ask for a van, and 24 hours later it's here," Fredericks said. "You need custodians, they show up smiling."

Contingency plans are built onto contingency plans, and Brady listed nearly a dozen staffers by name who made key contributions. Additionally, Clovis staff had numerous meetings with similar-sized districts including Rio Rancho, Hobbs and Onate for challenges unique to their campuses.

"It was nice to get some reassurances," Brady said of those meetings with other schools. "We implemented some of what they suggested, and we're sure they implemented some of what we suggested."