FORT IRWIN, Calif. — On Oct. 28, the Silver Valley Unified School District notified teachers and families that a waiver has been approved for elementary and intermediate students to return to in-person instruction in a hybrid model.

“We anticipate Monday, Nov. 9 as the first day back for students,” the flier states.

The district has completed 13 weeks in a Distance Learning model and the district superintendent is praising everyone for their hard work.

“I am proud of our students, staff, and our community for persevering through this difficult time,” SVUSD superintendent, Jesse Najera said. “The percentage of students that are consistently engaging in our program is very high.”

On Oct. 8, Najera announced that although the district does not meet the requirements to bring back all students full-time, SVUSD has already invited small cohorts of students with specific needs for in-person instruction.

Schools are not permitted to open for full, in-person instruction until they’re in the red tier for 14 days, with no increase in COVID-19 cases or positivity rates.

With the waiver approval, 7th through 12th graders must continue distance learning but the introduction of small groups returning to campuses would continue over several weeks, following strict health protocols to ensure the safety of students and staff.

Teachers, parents and students will receive more detailed information about what the hybrid model of in-person elementary classes will look like soon.

A reminder that Silver Valley High School conducts live updates on their Facebook page each Monday at 12:30 p.m. on Facebook.com/SilverValleyHS. During the Oct. 19 update, 1st Quarter PBIS Golden Ticket winners were announced and prizes included a 15-inch HP Laptop, two Chromebooks and two $50 dollar gift cards.