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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Buhler USD 313 plans to start school in person September 2, but they know that the plans they are making will require adjustment once everyone gets into the buildings."We're doing what we call a slow start," said USD 313 Superintendent Cindy Couchman. "September 2, we're just going to have 1st grade through 5th grade and 6th grade in our middle school and 9th grade in our high school. Then, the 2nd day, we're going to do everybody 1st through 12th. Our kindergarteners don't come for another week, due to testing. We're going to take a look at doing just a two-hour early dismissal the 3rd. Then, on Friday, we're going to take a half day of professional development and a half-day workday with our staff and say, hey, let's reevaluate, what worked and what didn't work?"Parents and stakeholders in the district should expect communication in the days immediately following that meeting on any changes that are deemed neccessary."We'll have then Friday to Monday, that's a holiday weekend in there, to communicate, if there are some shifts that are going to have to happen. We will do that through probably our all alert email if there's something that needs to be changed. Flexibility is going to be key this year. I think that we're going to learn to adapt very quickly. The state likes to use the word pivot. I think we're going to have to be ready to pivot on a dime."Kids need love and encouragement from their educators and that is something Couchman looks forward to providing, while still keeping them safe."That's one of the reasons we're excited and ready to have our kids back in wearing facemasks," Couchman said. "With a facemask, you can get a hug in occasionally and you can get closer than your six feet away. That's the advantage of having a facemask on. We are going to be within six feet. That's just going to have to happen in a school setting. That's one of the advantages of being on site is, I think kids need that physical interaction and so do our staff."Couchman said one thing parents can do to help is really teach and stress the importance of handwashing along with mask wearing as they prepare kids for school.

Couchman: USD 313 will slow start, then pivot quickly if necessary