Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Finding the right level of excitement
Children hear what’s going on around them and how their parents talk about in-person classes, Lee said, noting it’s important for parents to sound excited, “but not to the point that kids are jumping up and down.”
Lee, a licensed psychologist and school psychologist, added that many of the children will already know their teachers and have been in communication with them remotely for months, so there won’t be fears about “Who’s this new person?” when they enter the classroom. That won’t be the case for all students, however, as some schools are switching kids to a new teacher depending on how many students are coming back in person versus continuing with distance learning.
Children at a young age benefit from structure, rules, schedules and consistency, Lee said, and they will be fine if adults around them make the return to classrooms a positive experience.
At Tate Elementary School in the northeast valley, school counselor Dawn Harris said the main mental health impact she has noticed
among her students during the pandemic is they’re missing socialization and friendships and after-school programs.
She said she hasn’t seen students internalizing family stressors such as a parent’s job loss but has talked with parents about their COVID-19-related needs and provided them with resources such as how to get help with paying utility bills.
Counseling for parents as well as students
Harris said parents have been good about reaching out to the school for help. She also provides techniques to parents about ways to “decrease kids from even knowing certain things are going on” — such as parents experiencing financial issues — to avoid raising a child’s anxiety level.
Harris said she plans to use the same techniques she used during distance learning to help students with their social-emotional health, including deep breathing, using an hourglass and counting to 10 as ways to calm down.
From a school perspective, preparing to transition to a hybrid model involves “a lot of preparation from all different angles,” said Jennifer Furman-Born, principal at McCaw STEAM Academy, a Clark County School District magnet school in downtown Henderson. That includes preparing facilities and classrooms, “culture climate rebuilding” and re-energizing staff, she said.
About 55 percent of McCaw’s preschool through third grade students are opting to come back under the hybrid model, close to the percentage districtwide, Furman-Born said.
The school will help children find their classrooms, which they’ve never seen in person, and have demonstrated what their teacher will look like while wearing a face mask, Furman-Born said. And families have had a chance to see what their child’s classroom looks like via Google Meet before their child’s return.
The school doesn’t want to make it scary for children to wear face masks and practice social distancing, Furman-Born said. Instead, staff will strive to make it fun and have games to go along with having proper spacing.
Instead of focusing on what students can’t do, she said, “we’ll focus on what we can.”
‘We really don’t know what to expect’
Molly Wood, a kindergarten teacher at McCaw, has researched how other school districts across the nation have handled transitioning children to in-person classes during the pandemic. She said she expects the first few days of in-person classes will be different.
It will be important for educators to set the tone to make it fun and engaging and explain the reasons why students need to do certain things, such as wear a face mask, said Wood, who is in her fourth year with the school district.
But it’s still a new experience for all involved, and there are unknowns.
“We really don’t know what to expect,” said Sarah Popek, principal at Tate Elementary School. “Obviously, we have this idea that kids will be so excited to be back in person, but we know that some of our students will have some difficulties with this transition.”
Only 33 percent of Tate’s students are returning to the classroom, with the rest opting for distance learning.
There will be a school counselor, and specialists from Boys Town Nevada and Communities In Schools on site, Popek said.
Tate Elementary is occupying portable classrooms temporarily this school year at Heard Elementary School, so students attending in person will face an added challenge: They’ve never set foot on this particular campus. Open houses were held last week to help orient parents and students to their new surroundings.
Tate’s original building, which opened in 1971, was demolished and is being replaced. The new facility is slated for completion on Aug. 1.
The school schedule includes “brain breaks” where students can go outside. Because playground equipment will be off limits, the school has created a recess pack for every child, including sidewalk chalk, a jump rope and a miniature ball of string.
Virginia Mosier, a kindergarten teacher at Tate and 20-year classroom veteran, is teaching the in-person part of the hybrid model. Last week, she had a presentation for students about how things are going to work in classes, including their “ninja rules” like wearing a face mask, keeping their distance and regularly washing their hands.
“I think the biggest problem is just going to be keeping everybody separated into their own space and to keep their own distance,” she said.
McCaw STEAM Academy doesn’t want to make it scary for children to wear face masks and practice social distancing, Principal Jennifer Furman-Born said. Instead, staff will strive to make it fun and have games to go along with having proper spacing. Instead of focusing on what students can’t do, she said, “we’ll focus on what we can.”