SOUTH BEND, IND. – The South Bend Empowerment Zone announced that on March 8th, over 80% of students will return to their elementary and middle schools for in-person learning.

The Empowerment Zone also stated that middle school parents who opted for sheltered elearning will also be welcomed on March 8th.

Connecting with parents of the empowerment zone, the organization found that over 80% of families would like their child to return to in-person learning.

Administration and staff are joyed to accommodate all families decisions, as well as planning an extensive welcome back week that will include celebratory mornings, Washington High School Girl's Basketball Team welcoming students with a Dream Tour, and the organization's #100PercentWinning Campaign designed to celebrate every single child in the Empowerment Zone.

Parents who opted for elearning from home will participate in an asynchronous learning from March 8th through March 19th to ensure a high quality experience for students while a new virtual program is established.

During those next two weeks, until the new virtual model launches March 22nd, parents will receive the following from the student’s current teacher:

• Daily assignments for math, reading, writing, and social studies or science, as well as checks on the student periodically throughout the week.
• Weekly feedback for student’s on assignments and progress.
• Weekly Friday check-ins will be virtually held for students and their parents.
  • Teachers may request more than one check-in but must hold at least one on Fridays.

The South Bend Empowerment Zone is excited to welcome students back in-person and for the redesigned virtual learning program, with the goal to provide robust instruction for both models and ensure that all students have a great experience.

For more information on the in-person and virtual learning model announcements, visit the provided links.