5th graders at East Side ES to learn remotely until Aug. 23

East Side ES 5th grade remote learning

Fifth-grade students at East Side Elementary School in East Cobb were sent home early on Wednesday and ordered to learn remotely until Aug. 23 due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

In a message sent to the parents of fifth-graders at 9:35 a.m. Wednesday, East Side said the “ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and high positive case numbers” prompted the decision.

Fifth-grade students were to be picked up by 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, and can return to campus on Monday, Aug. 23, according to the message.

“During this time of quarantine, live instruction will occur following your 5th grade student’s normal daily schedule,” the message said. “At this time, ONLY 5th grade classes are moving to remote learning.”

The message did not indicate why only 5th grade classes are affected, nor did it indicate how many COVID-19 cases and close contacts have been determined.

Nor did a Cobb school district spokeswoman, who provided East Cobb News only with the following message:

“Based on our District protocols, fifth-graders at East Side Elementary School will learn virtually August 12-20. When providing high-quality instruction in a classroom is not possible, due to the number of students or staff in quarantine, we look forward to each student receiving a high quality virtual experience through Cobb teachers and the Cobb Teaching and Learning System (CTLS).”

The East Side developments come a week after the district revised its protocols last week to “strongly encourage” mask use, and requires masks for 10 days for asymptomatic people who have been allowed to return to school after being exposed to the virus.

During the first week of classes, Cobb reported 185 COVID-19 cases, including three at East Side.

Cobb remains one of the few school districts in metro Atlanta without a mask mandate.

Some parents have scheduled a rally at Cobb school district headquarters Thursday afternoon demanding a mask mandate.

Transmission rates of COVID-19 in Cobb County have risen rapidly over the last month, well past the “high community spread” threshold of a 14-day average of 100 cases per 100,000 people.

Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, told Cobb commissioners Tuesday that figure is approaching 500 cases per 100,000, both PCR and Antigen tests combined.