CCS ‘opens house’ this week

Clinton City Schools is hosting school orientation all this week for students who are about to begin school next week.

CCS has opted to do both virtual learning and a blended format of face-to-face and online instruction. Students were given the option to go completely remote and will be studying in the Dark Horse Virtual only world, an online learning style for CCS students.

The Dark Horse virtual only students at Sampson Middle School (SMS) will have their orientation Tuesday, Aug. 11, from 4 to 7 p.m. The orientation will be a drive through orientation that will pick up at the front of the school.

According to Principal Robert Turlington, stations will be provided for student packet and schedule pick, as well as Chrome Book pick up. There is a $10 technology fee that must be paid for Chrome Book usage for the year. The makeup date is Thursday, Aug. 13.

For the SMS blended learning students both Cohort A & B, the orientation will be Wednesday, Aug. 12, from 2 to 7 p.m. There will be a different location for each grade. Six graders will meet at the front of the SMS drive/parking area. Seventh graders and their parents will meet at the rear of SMS in the bus parking lot. Eighth graders and their parents will meet at the rear of SMS in the teacher parking lot. Parents and students are told to follow the signs.

According to Turlington, stations will be set up at each grade level area for student packets/schedule pickup, Chrome Book pick up, and bus confirmation. Parents will park in the assigned lots and report to the outside stations, maintaining social distancing. There is a $10 technology fee for blended students as well that must be paid for Chrome Book usage for the year. The makeup dates are Thursday, Aug. 13, or Friday, Aug. 14.

Clinton High School’s (CHS) orientation/open house will take place on Thursday, Aug. 13. There will be sporadic times for different grade levels. Seniors will meet from 8 to 10 a.m.; juniors will meet from 10 a.m. to noon; Sophomores will meet from noon to 3 p.m.; and freshmen will meet from 3 to 6 p.m.

According to Superintendent Dr. Wesley Johnson, the open houses will be provided using both driveways for a drive through orientation/open house plan.

“Principal Susan Westerbeek is also working on a virtual tour of campus and options for families via Google Classroom and will be available by Thursday, Aug. 13,” Johnson stated.

Sunset Avenue School will have its open house on Aug. 12 for virtual and Aug. 13 for face-to-face students, from 4 to 7 p.m. on those respective days. The car rider line and front drive will be utilized. Sunset Avenue will have a virtual orientation on Aug. 13 from 5 to 6 p.m. for families who prefer this option/format.

Butler Avenue School will hold their orientation on Aug. 12 from 3 to 6:30 p.m. at the front and back parking lot of schools; Principal Jennifer Pope may also use the bus parking lot. Grade level teams will set up tables for students/parents to visit and meet their teachers and receive back-to-school packets. The school will work with families that want to meet their teachers in a virtual manner through Google Hangout or Zoom on Thursday, Aug. 13.

LC Kerr Elementary will have its orientation on Wednesday, Aug. 12, and Thursday, Aug. 13, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will use several courtyards and open spaces of the school. Pods of teachers will set up in at least three different locations, according to Johnson, and will contact families to set up individual appointments. Virtual options will also be provided for families on both Aug. 12 and 13.

“Under normal circumstances, this is a large gathering held in our schools where parents and students can roam the school freely and meet teachers, as well as gather with their classmates and friends,” Johnson noted. “We have had to alter this due to COVID and the need to limit guests‘ access in our buildings.”