As Covid-19 cases start to decline in California, schools in Long Beach are beginning to get ready to reopen to in-person learning.
According to the Long Beach Unified School District, schools are projected to reopen on March 29th with K-5 grade starting and Middle school and High school following in mid April. According to the board meeting that has taken place on Wednesday, February 17th.
“Schools have started preparing for the return of students and the new protocols,” said Superintendent Jill Baker.
With schools set to reopen soon in the future, some parents have mixed feelings about their children going back into the classroom.
Joanne Freely-Waugh, a mother of two girls shared her thoughts on her kids going back to school, “. . .Excited and nervous. Nervous because they haven’t been back in a classroom in so long so I am afraid they may have fallen behind in learning.”
Waugh said, “I’m hoping the numbers will continue to go down and the school, parents, and students follow health guidelines the best way they can.”
Another parent, Liz Varela, has two sons and has more concerns for them to return to school,
“I feel okay with my older child going back to school since he can follow protocol, but my youngest might not keep his mask on or wash his hands properly. I have a fear of him not following protocol.”
However, Waugh says her daughters are ready to go back to school, “They are ecstatic. They need the social skills to be mentally healthy.”
With schools opening up during the pandemic, there will be new safety protocols being put in place.
Principal Veronica Madrigal, of Grant elementary school said, “Classes will be downsized to 14-18 students per classroom, there will be weekly covid testing for students and school staff, no parents will be on campus at any time, students will be given a weekly questionnaire, some students might be put in to a AM/PM schedule with first group starting at 8AM, and the second group will start at 12PM.”
While going back to school in-person will look different than it did a year ago, it is the beginning of going back to in-person learning.