High schools of the CNMI Public School System with 70% of its eligible students already vaccinated against COVID-19 will resume in-person classes on Jan. 3, 2022. <\/p>\n
In a memorandum dated Dec. 21, Education Commissioner Dr. Alfred B. Ada said the CNMI\u2019s high vaccination rate\u2014which stood at 92.7% yesterday\u2014\u201cmakes it safe for PSS to transition back to full in-person learning for secondary schools at a 70% vaccination rate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ada wrote that PSS\u2019 Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. partners have concurred with these findings.<\/p>\n
PSS posted Ada\u2019s memorandum on its social media pages yesterday. <\/p>\n
As of writing the memorandum, Ada listed six PSS schools that have reached or surpassed the 70% vaccination threshold and thus will resume full in-person classes come Jan. 3: <\/p>\n
-Marianas High School<\/p>\n
-Saipan Southern High School<\/p>\n
-Kagman High School<\/p>\n
-Tinian Jr.\/ Sr. High School on Tinian<\/p>\n
-Dr. Rita H. Inos Jr.\/ Sr. High School on Rota<\/p>\n
-Da\u2019Ok Academy<\/p>\n
Ada also listed six schools below or nearing 70%. If these schools reach 70% before Jan. 3, they will open for full in-person classes as well. Otherwise, the schools will continue on with cohorting schedules that were in place before the transition to online instruction on Oct. 29. The schools are:<\/p>\n
-Hopwood Middle School at 69% <\/p>\n
-Tanapag Middle School at 66%<\/p>\n
-Francisco M. Sablan Middle School at 62%<\/p>\n
-Dandan Middle School at 59%<\/p>\n
-Chacha Oceanview Middle School at 56%<\/p>\n
PSS\u2019s elementary schools on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota \u201cwill continue with full in-person learning as scheduled prior to Oct. 29,\u201d Ada wrote, and PSS\u2019 Early Head Start\/ Head Start Programs on Tinian and Rota will \u201ccontinue to operate full face-to-face as usual.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Saipan, the Early Head Start\/ Head Start program will offer \u201chome-based and center-based services for families until further notice,\u201d Ada added.<\/p>\n
He wrote that \u201call PSS elementary, middle, and high schools are ready to welcome back students with a high standard of safety and care\u201d and listed several safety and protection measures that all schools have been doing and will continue to do. <\/p>\n
These measures include promoting COVID-19 vaccines for those eligible; ensuring that the \u201c3 W\u2019s\u201d are observed and enforced; scheduling regular deep cleaning and sanitizing of all campuses and facilities; conducting daily routine temperature checks; and ventilating classrooms and offices before, during, and after school hours.<\/p>\n
Deferring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ada wrote that the CDC continues to emphasize that \u201cvaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic.\u201d Ada added that PSS will continue to work closely with its CHCC partners on upcoming plans for school-based screening\/testing. <\/p>\n
The resumption of full in-person classes on Jan. 3, 2022, came after several CNMI Board of Education meetings to reschedule the reopening date.<\/p>\n
The board met on Nov. 12 to discuss the original resumption date, Nov. 15. The board on Nov. 12 voted unanimously to move the reopening date to Nov. 29. <\/p>\n
PSS then announced on Nov. 28 that it opted to go with a staggered return to in-person classes based on schools\u2019 COVID-19 screening\/testing schedule. <\/p>\n
The board most recently met on Dec. 7 and unanimously voted to set the full in-person reopening to Jan. 3, 2022.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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