Students at Hose Elementary returned to in-person instruction Monday following an unusually long summer due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Before schools closed in March, no one could have foreseen the start of the 2020-21 school year so fraught with questions and concerns, which have prompted unprecedented safety measures to keep children healthy and most importantly, in the classroom, Principal Carol Starlin said.
“We want so badly to be here,” she said. “We just have to be safe.”
Starlin has worked closely with fellow principals, teachers, administrators and numerous health departments since March to create a successful return strategy, and was happy to report smooth conditions Monday as students began making their way back into the classroom.
“We did not have one single mask issue,” she said. “We’re talking to the little ones, (ages) five, six and seven, about how far to stay apart. But if they have their masks on we don’t have to worry about the space so much.”
Developing these plans throughout the long summer, administrators were anxious to see how well they would work once put into practice in an ever-changing environment, she said.
Efforts include keeping children in groups to slow the virus’ spread and improve contact tracing capabilities, and to end the use of shared items. From pencils and laptops to classrooms and hallways, every aspect of a student’s school day has been subject to change.
“Even at recess we’ve laid the playground out, and we have five different stations. We’re not doing indoor recess,” Starlin said. “We’re outside because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Montgomery County Health Department and Dr. (Scott) Douglas have worked closely with us to help us understand these guidelines, especially for our age here with the five-, six- and seven-year olds.”
Water availability — a hot topic early on as administrators worked to overcome concerns — is being provided in the form of bottled water, twice daily, though parents may send bottles to school with their students if they choose. All bottles may be filled at a number of touchless water fountains installed throughout the school.
Breakfast and lunch routines have also been altered to allow the least amount of contact possible between students.
“For now, we’re eating breakfast and lunch in our classrooms,” Starlin said. “As we see how the first couple of weeks play out, we have plans and schedules to rotate two classes; we can fit two classes right now in the cafeteria and still be spread out.”
Desks are spread out, dividers have been installed on tabletops, handwashing is taking place in the classroom rather than public restrooms, sanitizer and masks are available in every classroom, and teachers have been trained in detecting symptoms of COVID-19.
“We’ve spent big bucks on all of these supplies,” Starlin said. “I really want to try to help parents feel comfortable. We’ve worked really hard. The American Pediatric Society said about two weeks ago to the world, ‘Kids need to be back in place.’ And our little ones, they learn from each other so much. In my mind, we can’t give all of that online. It’s not like being in the classroom.”
Starlin also reported only a minor drop in students physically present, with only the kindergarten class seeing any “significant” drop in numbers.
