Portsmouth high school to move to virtual learning due to COVID cases among staff
Churchland High School in Portsmouth will return to virtual learning temporarily due to a rise in COVID-19 cases among staff members at the school.
This shift is for Thursday and Friday, Portsmouth Public School officials announced. Live instruction will take place both days, according to an email sent to parents Wednesday.
All afterschool and extracurricular activities are canceled until Monday, when normal operations are expected to resume.
Chief communications officer Lauren Nolasco said there are seven confirmed COVID-19 cases among staff members. The school administration chose to “proactively” move to virtual learning, given the local health department’s guidance, she said.
Since January, Nolasco said at least eight Portsmouth schools have had temporay returns to virtual learning due to COVID numbers.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, 10 new COVID-19 cases were reported Wednesday in Portsmouth. The city’s seven-day average of daily new cases is 10.3. To date, there have been 21,115 cases.
When cases spike in PPS, Nolasco said the division works with the Portsmouth Health Department on when to go virtual. Returning to the classroom is determined on a case-by-case basis.
While Churchland goes virtual, both breakfast and lunch will be available from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for families to pick up. There will also be a school bus traveling with meals to be picked up in the mornings at the following intersections at these times:
6:30 a.m. : Brandon Lane and Picadilly Lane, Peachtree Lane East and Sugar Creek Circle, Hartford Street and Lanier Crescent
6:40 a.m.: Dogwood Drive and Daisy Drive, Kenny Lane and Tejo Lane, Wesley Street and Maryland Avenue
6:50 a.m.: Riverpointe Drive and Riverpointe Parkway, Hatton Point and Granada Road
More information on the school hours for virtual learning is available on the division’s website.
Kelsey Kendall, kelsey.kendall@virginiamedia.com
