Kids are Back in School....Kind-of

Six months after schools closed up in mid March due to COVID-19, they cautiously reopened again.  They were delayed a week, but after multiple meetings with administrators, Homewood City Schools rolled out a wonderful, detailed plan on how they were going to protect our children.  Since all of our kids were ready to return, and see their friends again, we got ready!

We learned that Walker (like all elementary-aged kids) gets to attend school 5 days a week, but he has to wear a mask all day.  The big kids have a different situation.  Their school was split in half by last name, and each half only goes two days.  They learn virtually the other three days.  Of course some families elected to do virtual learning for the first half of the year, so all class sizes are smaller. 

Walker's class has about 15 students (compared to the usual 20), but Bennett and Preston only have 9-10 kids (less than half their usual).   No dressing out for P.E., all cafeteria meals are pre-packaged and the same for the entire week, and the students can only sit 3 students to a table, and sometimes eat outside or in their classroom.  Lots of little changes, but they can adapt thanks to their resiliency.

Since only Walker attended in-person school on the first day, the whole family went to see him off.  He was a little nervous walking back into the school without Preston.  The anxiety was exacerbated by the fact that he also didn't know where his new classroom was located (and no one could enter the building to help guide him). However, he had a terrific first day, and loves his teacher - Ms. Werner (who was also Bennett's 1st grade teacher). 

Bennett picked out her outfit to showcase how much she has changed the past 6 months.  She has grown taller, gotten more fit, got her gums lasered to expose more of her pretty smile and she was proud.  As expected, she looked beautiful!  Preston was a little nervous about what to expect at HMS.  He walked in with Bennett, and waited to meet his teachers in person (he was sent videos earlier in the week where they introduced themselves).  He sadly found out that he didn't have anyone he knew in his class (there are only 9 children), but he likes all of his teachers.

Time will tell how all of this pans out, but we are off to a good start....nice teachers and everyone is healthy!