Sisters middle and high school students began in-person learning in late January under Oregons “hybrid model,” while Sisters Elementary School has been operating largely in person since September.

For many citizens of Sisters Country, confusion and some frustration remains regarding the variations in the “hybrid” schedule among the three schools and the reasons for the differences.

The key reasons for the variations in the three schools’ plans stem from the limiting factor of physical space in relation to the number of students enrolled. The current requirement for schools in Oregon is to provide 35 square feet per individual in the classroom. Until that requirement is changed or lifted, schedule adaptations will remain.

At Sisters Elementary School (SES), students are self-contained and stay with their cohort and even eat lunch in their classrooms. At the middle and high schools, zones are set up for lunch by cohort groups. Students at both the elementary and middle schools are restricted to “zones” with their cohorts for recess as well.

Fridays are set aside at each school for a variety of purposes. As SES Principal Joan Warburg explained, “Fridays we have staff meetings, professional development, grade-level collaboration and unit planning, and deep data discussions about grade-level trends and needs, as well as individual student needs and plans to meet those needs.”

The other schools use Fridays similarly, which has been vital, according to Superintendent Curt Scholl, considering all the added challenges and tasks brought on by the pandemic — not to mention a loss of preparation time on a daily basis.

At the school board meeting March 3, Scholl acknowledged the challenges and frustrations brought on by the guidelines for Oregon’s “Ready Schools, Safe Learners” and the “hybrid” schedule, but also remarked that compared to most of Oregon, Sisters has been able to do more in-person learning for a longer period of time and that he remains hopeful that with vaccination rates picking up, schools will be back to normal sooner than originally predicted.

Some families have chosen to have their students continue doing school full time at home through Sisters Educational Options or are registered in the regional home-school program. A few families in the district transferred to on-line charter schools due to the pandemic. Scholl expects the majority of those students to return to “regular” school once the pandemic is over.

Following is a snapshot of each school’s schedule under the current hybrid model.

Sisters Elementary School:

Kindergarten-Grade 4

In class Monday-Thursday full days with staggered start and dismissal times between 8:35 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Friday: Hybrid learning at home. Limited in-person instruction. Teachers plan, do professional development, collaborate, grade, and communicate with families.

Explanation: The elementary is able to accommodate regular classrooms daily due to the ability to currently meet space requirements outlined by the Oregon Health Authority. If COVID-19 restrictions remain into the next school year, adjustments will need to occur.

Students remain with their cohort throughout the day, including lunch and recess.

Sisters Middle School:

Grades: 5-8

Students with last names starting with A-L attend Monday and Wednesday 8:32 a.m. to 3:14 p.m.

Students with last names starting with M-Z attend Tuesday and Thursday 8:32 a.m. to 3:14 p.m.

Fridays most students work from home, but some limited in-person instruction is available.

When not at school students are “applying and extending knowledge” from home.

Friday: Teachers plan, do professional development, collaborate, grade, and communicate with families.

The school day is divided into six periods. Students remain with their cohort throughout the day, including lunch and recess. Students move from class to class following protocols for social distancing.

Explanation: The dimensions of most of the middle-school classrooms do not make it possible to have all the students in attendance at one time based on the current enrollment numbers.

Sisters High School

Grades 9-12

Students in grades 9 and 10 attend Monday and Wednesdays 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Students in grades 11 and 12 attend Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Some students are served in person more than two days a week for special services and other support.

Fridays most students work from home, but some limited in-person instruction is available.

Friday: Teachers plan, do professional development, collaborate, grade, and communicate with families.

Students remain with their cohort throughout the day, including lunch. Students do move from class to class following protocols for social distancing. For the most part, students carry three classes over a six-week term, which are about two hours in length each.

Explanation: Like the middle school, Sisters High School does not have adequate room to accommodate the entire population at one time. According to Principal Joe Hosang, carrying only two or three classes for a six-week term has allowed students to focus and succeed, versus trying to do a schedule with longer terms and seven classes.