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Helena elementary students returning to 5-day weeks

Helena Schools COVID reopening
Posted at 6:29 PM, Apr 06, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-06 20:29:09-04

HELENA — The Helena School District will be returning to a full five-day school week for elementary schools and will host a modified Vigilante Day Parade this year.

The full week of in-person learning for elementary students will begin Monday, April 12.

Elementary school students transitioned to a four-day, in-person week back in February and early March, starting with kindergartners through second graders.

For now, middle and high school students will remain on a four-day, in-person week with Wednesdays as distance learning days. While instruction will remain remote on Wednesdays, designated students will have the opportunity to attend in-person and engage in needed intervention and/or credit recovery opportunities.

The district will discontinue the use of partitions between students within classrooms. Masks will continue to be required for now, especially when social distancing cannot be maintained.

Plans have also been announced for a modified Vigilante Day Parade.

The “reverse parade” will have students setting up floats on school grounds that the public can then drive by to enjoy.

The parade is scheduled for Friday, May 7. Elementary students will have in-person learning on Friday but will be dismissed at 12:00 p.m. This will allow the reverse parade to be available for viewing that afternoon from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at both Helena High and Capital High.

Additional information will be provided by the school district once it is finalized.

Last year, the Vigilante Day Parade was canceled by the school district due to COVID concerns. A community organized "Vigilante Cruise"was held for students that wanted to participate in honor of the canceled parade while still social distancing.