Together again
Belleview Elementary students participate in jump rope activity - together - for ‘Heart Healthy’ month
Students at Belleview Elementary School in Sonora participated in a jump rope activity on March 4 — while masked up and socially distanced — to culminate February’s “Heart Healthy” month.
Carla Haakma, superintendent-principal of the Belleview School District, said it was the first time all students have been able to participate in the same activity together since the school reopened for in-person learning on Oct. 12.
“They practiced different jumps at recess and during P.E. all month, then we brought them out to the parking lot so everyone could jump rope together,” she said. “We emptied the parking lot for the day to make sure we could it.”
Brian Thomas, technology coordinator for the Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools Office, captured the moment in an aerial photo he took with his drone.
Haakma said the activity was also a warm-up for the school’s “bike day” on March 25, when they will again empty the
parking lot so each gradelevel student cohort can take turns riding around on their bicycles on a specially designed course from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
The school has 158 children enrolled from kindergarten through eighth grade who come to school Monday through Thursday, though about 20 have chosen to remain on long-term independent study out of concern for COVID-19. Friday is distance learning for all students.
Students who attend on campus are separated into cohorts of about 40 to 50 each combining two grade levels, who participate in each day’s activities together.
“We only have one class per grade level,” she said. “They go to their own recess, have their own instructional aide, own equipment, and in the cafeteria they are spaced apart six feet with four kids per large table.”
Haakma said all students are also required to wear masks throughout the day at all times except when eating lunch.
The safety measures have proven to be successful as there have not been any cases of in-school transmission of COVID-19.
Students benefit in multiple ways from being on campus for in-person learning with one other, Haakma said.
“There’s a huge benefit, not just educationally, but socially and emotionally,” she said. “The kids really need to be with their peers and socialize. It’s depressing staying at home. Academic learning is also, of course, always better when they are in front of a live teacher.”