By Simon Albaugh – Yemeni American News
HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – Back to school prep is in full-swing at Hamtramck Public Schools, with summer events winding to an end and teachers back in their classrooms preparing for the students.
The summer was full of activities meant to bring students back into the fold of the HPS Community, including a number of carnivals and back-to-school events.
“Despite COVID, there is a feeling of renewed hope and synergy between people united in the idea to serve our diverse student population,” said Nabil Nagi, English Language Development Director for Hamtramck Public schools.
The latest event held was a Family Fun Fair held on Aug. 17. Students and parents could meet their principals for the schoolyear, along with the chance to meet police and firefighters.
With the past year being almost exclusively virtual-learning, students are going to be getting back into the full-swing of school. HPS plans to provide cleaning for all portions of the school day, including sanitization of buses after morning and afternoon routes.
“We are still in a pandemic, so we will continue to follow the CDC and MDHHS guidelines. Currently, the CDC guidelines recommend that masks are worn indoors regardless of vaccination,” said Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed in a letter to the district.
“We will have in-person teaching and learning and continue with the extracurricular activities based on the current safety and health guidelines. As you know, change may occur depending on the spread of the virus and the recommendations from public health officials.”
For this school year, HPS will also be offering a virtual option for any families who are nervous about their students going back to in-person learning. The virtual option will follow state and national standards, even offering elective courses meant to challenge students’ ability to reason, resilience, and responsibility to their own learning.
“Today, as the COVID-Delta numbers grow and the health community prepares for a possible surge, we have the ability to keep our schools open with options for our students and families,” Nagi said. “We respect the wishes of our families and community by providing face-to-face and a virtual option.
