NAhtAsuutaak’a now in session
Four-day school week, masks at White Shield School
By JAMES C. FALCON
editors@bhgnews.com
Students celebrated their first day of school this year at White Shield School in the classroom, rather than through distance learning, Monday.
This year will also mark the beginning of a full school year in which students will attend classes Monday through Thursday.
The four-day week was implemented in January 2021, when students returned to the classrooms for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, explained White Shield School superintendent Wayne Fox.
“We went distance learning for probably about a year, almost a year,” Fox said. “And then after the second semester of the year, that’s when we returned.”
It was then that the school held a trial run for the four-day week, Fox said, noting that it helped ease the students back into a routine and getting back to normal.
“Hopefully, it does work out,” Fox said. “So far, we have no complaints. Our staff is on board. I think they like the extra day to rest and prepare. We still have students that will be coming in, but at this point right now, through the COVID pandemic, what we’re looking at is fogging on Friday.”
Fogging is the task of disinfecting the school.
“At that time, nobody is allowed in the school because of the fog and chemicals going around, just to be on the safe side,” Fox said.
