THE Department of Education (DepEd) in Bacolod City is optimistic that the limited face-to-face classes (F2F) will soon be opened to other grade levels in the city.
This, after the pilot run of limited F2F classes for Grade 12 students at Alangilan National High School (ANHS) in Barangay Alangilan, Bacolod City officially started Monday, December 6, with 20 students.
Schools Division Superintendent Gladys Amylaine Sales, on the sidelines of the activity, said the pilot run of the F2F classes in the city is composed of two groups with 20 students each group.
Sales said Group A started their classes around 7:30 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. Monday and will run until Thursday, December 9, while Group B will start by next week.
The school along with the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO) will conduct a disinfection inside the campus every Friday, she added.
“The classes will be alternate, one group per week,” the schools division superintendent said, adding that “so the first group will have to rest in their respective homes after this week.”
Officials of the City Government and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) along with those of DepEd-Western Visayas also attended the opening of the limited F2F classes to monitor the situation of the school.
Sales stressed that all students and teachers joining the limited physical classes were already fully vaccinated against coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
In fact, ANHS earlier received its Safety Seal Certification from the Inspection and Certification Team of the city since all of its personnel were already fully vaccinated.
“We want to ensure the safety of everybody here. We require them to wear face mask all the time and we also check their temperature upon entering the school,” she said, adding that students must also present their BacTrac ID.
Those who exhibit Covid-19 symptoms will immediately be isolated, Sales said.
After its evaluation by January 2022, the DepEd will determine if they will allow other Grade 12 students to join the F2F classes until June 2022.
“If we want to add more students for F2F classes, we need to ensure that all of them will be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and they should have consent from their parents,” the official added.
Sales said they are eyeing to open the F2F classes from Grade 12 down to lower grade levels.
“I am thankful for the cooperation of the parents, students and teachers for the resumption of F2F classes. We want our children to develop compassion for others so collaboration and social interaction are very important to them,” she said.
In Bacolod City, only ANHS has been allowed by the DepEd to hold limited F2F classes. There are 177 participating public schools in the country.
Veneranda Ortono, principal of ANHS, said they are hopeful that the pilot run of limited F2F classes will continue to be successful.
Ortono said the school complied with all the requirements from the EOC to ensure the safety of students, teachers and personnel.
“We’re happy that we are part of the pilot run of F2F classes,” the principal said as she thanked students who participated in the program.
Ortono assured that those who are not part of the F2F classes will not be allowed to enter the school.