Grades 6 - 12 Returning to In-Person Learning
Returning to In-Person School: Grades 6-12 from Seattle Public Schools (SPSTV) Vimeo.
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Kindergarten - 5th Grade Returning to In-Person Learning
Returning to In-Person Learning at SPS from Seattle Public Schools (SPSTV) Vimeo.
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Cohort Model (Stages 2 and 3)
The Washington Department of Health Decision Making Tree for K-12 Students at Public and Private Schools, recommends phasing in small groups of students, starting with elementary students and students receiving special education services. To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Seattle Public Schools is taking a cohort approach.
A cohort is a small group of students that stay together throughout the school day.
Cohort Models for 6th - 12th Grades
For our students in grades 6-12, there will be two in-person cohorts, Cohort A and Cohort B, and a third Cohort C, which is 100% remote. Cohort A will attend in-person instruction on Mondays and Tuesdays each week, while Cohort B will attend in-person instruction on Thursdays and Fridays. Students attend in-person classes with students from their assigned cohort and receive instructional support from their regular teachers. All cohorts will learn remotely on Wednesdays. Read more about Instructional Models for grades 6 - 12.
Meals
District meal distribution at our 40 meal sites will now be open from 10:45 a.m. -1:15 p.m. Bus routes will deliver meals on Wednesdays only. Wednesday bus routes, times, and stops will remain the same. Grab and go breakfast and lunch will be available for students learning in-person at each school site.
Cohort Models for K - 5th Grades
Teacher-Student Ratios
- K-5 grade classrooms will support up to a 1:15 teacher-student ratio.
- Preschool, including Special Education Preschool, will operate in small subgroups with a maximum group size of 6-10 students.
- Intensive Service Pathway classes (SEL, Moderate Intensive, Focus, Distinct, and Medically Fragile) will meet the cohort ratio of 1:15 or less.
Cohort Zones

Working with five architectural firms, SPS facilities has organized elementary and K-8 schools into "cohort zones" with separate entrances/exits and bathroom facilities to reduce physical interaction between different groups of students.
Recess
Outdoor access and physical movement are important for learning. Students will be released for recess with their cohort zone and will only interact with students from their specific classrooms. The playground structures will be wiped down once a day. Playgrounds will remain closed to the public during non-school hours to support social distancing. Cohorts will have their own playground equipment that can be easily cleaned and disinfected between use.
Meals
Preschool, K-5, and most K-12 students served in Intensive Service pathways will be learning on a 1/2 day schedule or remotely. For those students, meals will be available Monday-Friday by bus route and meal sites across the district. Grab and go lunches will also be available from school sites. Students will not eat meals in the classroom, except in rare cases. For programs that require meals, an outside or large socially distanced space will be used.
School Day Schedules (start and end times)
March 20 New Elementary and K-8 Bell Schedules
Elementary and K-8 schools will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m. for students in both the remote and hybrid, in-person model (part-time in person and part-time remote).
This change is subject to Board approval. This change does not include 6th-8th grade comprehensive middle schools. Comprehensive middle schools will continue to begin at 9 a.m.
Read more about the K-8 school schedules.
Curriculum
Priority Standards
In a typical school year, student learning is aligned to the Washington State Learning Standards. This year, educators across the district, state, and country need to prioritize some of these learning standards to address disruption to instruction in Spring 2020 and the constraints of the remote learning schedule in 2020-21.
The SPS Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction team has selected priority standards from the Washington State Learning Standards for each grade-level and course. Whether students are learning remotely or in-person, they will be supported in mastering these standards.
Grading
At Seattle Public Schools, we are focused on anti-racist, equity-aligned grading practices that support greater accuracy, anti-bias, and student motivation and growth mindset in classroom grading.
On August 12, 2020, the SPS School Board voted to temporarily suspend portions of the district's high school grading policy (Policy 2420
) so that students taking high school or middle school courses will earn "A-C-" or "Incomplete" final grades as measures of their learning progress.
Elementary will be reporting progress toward prioritized standards for the 2020-21 school year.
This revised grading scale, along with associated grading practice guidance given to educators, seeks to minimize harm to students and promote equity during remote learning and our response to the pandemic.
Specialist and Support Services
Students receiving in-person learning will continue to have access to specialists including physical education, arts, music, etc. remotely.
Athletics
As of Monday February 1, 2021, Governor Inslee moved the Puget Sound region into Phase 2, which allows for some sports to be offered in-person.
Middle School
Middle School Athletics Update Spring 2021
The Athletics Department has been working closely with middle school building leaders and staff to determine middle school athletics programming for the remainder of the school year. After extensive consideration, middle school athletics will not be provided this spring. Read more about the middle school athletics update.
High School
In alignment, Seattle Public Schools' high school athletic programming began February 22, 2021. All sports will operate following guidance and protocol from the Governor’s Office, Department of Health (DOH), Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), and school district.
The Metro League adopted a two-season sports model for this year only. This format protects participants’ safety while providing student-athletes the best possible quality athletic experience.
Season 1: Feb. 22 to April 17
- Boys: Football
- Girls: Bowling, Soccer, Slowpitch Softball, Swim and Dive, and Volleyball
- Co-Ed: Cross Country and Golf
Season 2: April 19 – June 12
- Boys: Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Swim and Dive
- Girls: Basketball and Fastpitch Softball
- Co-Ed: Tennis, Track and Field, and Wrestling
Seasons and/or sports may need to be adjusted based on Puget Sound Region's metrics.
Health and Safety Protocols
Reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission is everyone's responsibility. Local, state, and federal health guidelines have informed the development of the SPS COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols
. The district has been using these protocols since the beginning of the pandemic, and while there have been COVID-19 cases at some school sites, they have been isolated and contained.
These health and safety protocols are updated as our understanding of COVID-19 continues to evolve.
To see health and safety in action, watch a Day in the Life of a 6th - 12th Grade Student
Returning to In-Person School, 6th-12th Grade Day in the Life from Seattle Public Schools (SPSTV) Vimeo.
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To see health and safety in action, watch a Day in the Life of a K-5th Grade Student
Returning to In-Person School: PreK - 5th grade Day in the Life from Seattle Public Schools (SPSTV) Vimeo.
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