September 27, 2021
Claude O. Markoe Elementary Reverts to Virtual Learning Sept. 27 Due to COVID-19 Exposure On Campus

ST. CROIX, USVI – Claude O. Markoe Elementary School will be closed to in-person learning beginning Sept. 27, due to COVID-19 exposure impacting several classrooms. All in-person classes will revert to virtual learning until further notice.

As part of the Virgin Islands Department of Education’s COVID-19 protocols, the Department’s COVID-19 Taskforce and the Virgin Islands Department of Health were notified and have begun contact tracing.

Meal distribution will also be suspended at the Claude O. Markoe campus during the closure; however, families may pick up breakfast and lunch at the Arthur A. Richards modular campus from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., Monday through Friday.

The affected areas of the campus will be thoroughly sanitized using CDC-approved products before the school reopens to in-person learning.

The Department of Education reminds employees that if they are sick, they must remain at home and seek guidance from the Virgin Islands Department of Health or a private healthcare provider. If anyone within a household has tested positive for COVID-19 or has COVID-19-releated symptoms, children in that household should not attend in-person classes. All members of the household must remain in quarantine until negative COVID-19 test results are received or all members have been cleared by the Department of Health.

To knowingly expose others to COVID-19 is punishable by fines and imprisonment.

For more information about symptoms and what to do if exposed to COVID-19, visit www.cdc.gov.

The Bryan-Roach Administration is investing in the Territory’s people, infrastructure and future through transparency, stabilizing the economy, restoring trust in the government, and ensuring that recovery projects are completed as quickly as possible. Visit www.transparency.vi.gov.

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Claude O. Markoe Elementary Reverts to Virtual Learning Sept. 27 Due to COVID-19 Exposure On Campus 

September 27, 2021
Juanita Gardine Begins Half-Day Schedule for In-Person Learning

The remainder of the school day is to be conducted virtually

ST. CROIX, USVI – On Sept. 27, Juanita Gardine K-8 School will begin a half-day schedule for students in grades K-3rd attending in-person classes due to elevated classroom temperatures this time of year. In-person classes will be held from 8:15 a.m. to 12:10 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the remainder of the school day conducted virtually. Students will continue to receive breakfast and lunch while on campus.

The school’s faculty, staff, parents, and students were informed of the new schedule last week.

St. Croix District Insular Superintendent Carlos McGregor said the decision to shorten the in-person school day at Gardine was made in the best interests of students and staff.

“We have met with the unions and are committed to ensuring that our teachers and students have optimal classroom environments in which to teach and learn,” McGregor said. “While classrooms have natural air ventilation through their windows and doors, the added COVID-19 safety requirements of facial masks and desk shields have contributed to higher-than-normal indoor temperatures in classrooms that do not yet have air conditioning.”

The installation of air conditioning units is planned for all Gardine classrooms and is being purchased through the Education Stabilization Fund (CARES Act II). Special education self-contained students are not affected, as air conditioning units were previously installed in those classrooms.

The half-day schedule will remain in effect through the remainder of the First Semester, which ends on Dec. 23.

The Bryan-Roach Administration is investing in the Territory’s people, infrastructure, and future through transparency, stabilizing the economy, restoring trust in the government, and ensuring that recovery projects are completed as quickly as possible. Visit www.transparency.vi.gov.

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Juanita Gardine Begins Half-Day Schedule for In-Person Learning On Sept. 27