Julie M. Cohen Newton Tab Schools moved one step closer to pre-COVID normalcy as Jeffrey Riley, commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), announced that students in grades 6 to 8 must return to full-time, in-person classes by April 28. The move essentially eliminates the hybrid model for children in elementary and middle school. The Wellesley Board of Health issued a statement in support of the return that read in part: "Our stance, as outlined above, considers the profound and growing negative impact on the mental health, emotional wellbeing, development, and education of our town’s youth. Now, nearly one year since schools were first closed due to the pandemic, we believe the growing risk of this negative impact far exceeds the threat from the virus."