D25 students return to school amid pandemic “went really well”
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Students and teachers are back in the classroom after a long hiatus from the coronavirus.
School District 25 started the school year on Monday.
“It’s been 6 months, so we’re excited to have (learners) back,” said Chubbuck Elementary School Principal, AJ Watson.
First day jitters were amplified for staff because of the many changes COVID-19 brought to the schools. All students, staff and visitors are required to wear a face mask in the building. Students are more spaced out than ever before to accommodate for social distancing. The district is also emphasizing online learning, giving each learner a Chromebook to study with.
“We were a little bit nervous about how today was going to start, a lot of unknowns. But it started off pretty smoothly,” said Hawthorne Middle School Principal, Heidi Kessler.
During a typical year, Hawthorne Middle School has about 750 students. About 10 percent of the students chose to learn completely online this year, Kessler said, reducing the number of students physically in school.
Plus, with secondary schools using the hybrid instructional model, half of the middle schoolers are learning from home Monday/Thursday while the other half are in class. That left HMS with only about 300 students in school Monday, which Ellen Laggis, a 6th grade english teacher, said has actually been nice.
“Having very small classes has been awesome. I feel like I can make a connection a lot quicker with my students. I also feel like some people are missing, so as we get through this we’ll get more comfortable,” Laggis said.
Every first day of school is a learning experience for teachers and students, but this year even more so.
“We realize we’re going to have to do some things with schedules, and continue to teach kids what it means to physical distance and stay apart,” Watson said.
But overall, the consensus was positive.
“The learners were all really cooperative, putting their masks on, staying distanced from each other. So it went really well,” Kessler said.
SD25 will reevaluate the district's plan on Sept. 4, two weeks into the school year.
