Mask info and movement in the schools

Students including kindergarten thru the second grade this year in Oconee schools will be required to wear masks on buses, during arrival and dismissal, using the restroom, during transitions and in all common areas.  But not inside the classrooms for students of those ages.  The Oconee School District is making known mask and other requirements for the year to start on Monday, August 24.  For students in grades three through 12, students will be required to wear masks on buses, during arrival and dismissal, using the restroom, during transitions and in all common areas.  However, if social distancing can be accomplished inside the classroom, students may be allowed to remove their masks.  The original plan to allow students to wear a face shield in place of a mask has been scrapped, as the result of medical guidance from the state Department of Education.  Parents are encouraged to provide masks for their students.  The district will have at least two masks for students unable to provide their own.  Any visitor to a school building must wear a face mask.  Jennifer Dodd, district spokeswoman, has provided the following information about which grades will remain in one classroom during the day and which may change classrooms.  Fifth graders will remain in one classroom.  Sixth graders will have limited movement; for seventh graders through the 12^th grade, students will move classroom-to-classroom as normal.