TORRANCE, Calif. — Distance learning hasn’t been a breeze for many students during the pandemic. While one fourth grader continues her education online, her sister Juliet, a first grader, is heading back to school — in person. As a parent, Krista Chaison has mixed feelings about her daughter's first day back right after the holidays.
“We’re a little nervous. But, we’re excited,” Chaison said.
Monday is Juliet’s first day back to school and as she prepares, Chaison is hopeful that Torrance Unified School District’s safety precautions will help first graders like Juliet learn safely in the classroom.
“My biggest concern is that we’re coming right off of Christmas break with the highest numbers that Los Angeles has been experiencing. People aren’t supposed to come back to school after they’ve been traveling but I don’t know if they really will or not,” Chaison said.
While Chaison is hopeful that parents will follow the mandatory 10-day travel quarantine set by L.A. County officials, she also feels confident in the District’s safety protocols that outline limited class sizes, a mask requirement, plexiglass, and physical distancing on campus. The reopening comes at a time when other districts within SoCal are contemplating when and how to safely reopen schools and as L.A. County sees a surge in COVID cases from holiday travel.
In a statement a spokesperson for the district stated in part “Since September, we have been engaged in a phased reopening of our schools, with thousands of students receiving in-person instruction across all of our campuses. Our layered health and safety procedures have proved effective in helping us protect our students and staff. We hope to continue to cautiously welcome back more students this school year, as health conditions allow.”
As a parent, Chaison is happy to have her child regain a sense of normalcy.
“She’s excited to see some friends. She was really sad yesterday missing her friends and even though she won’t get to see everybody that she wants, she’ll at least get a few familiar faces and meet her teacher in person,” Chaison said.
Another school district, Corona-Norco Unified, was set to reopen about 30 of its elementary schools on Tuesday. However, after some pushback from parents, the school board held a special meeting over the weekend to reconsider the decision. The board ultimately voted 3-2 to have the reopening postponed to a future date.
While this first day of school might not be like years past, Chaison is hopeful that returning to campus will be a step in the right direction for her daughter.
Full statement from TUSD:
"It was wonderful to see our first graders today for the first time this school year! They were full of excitement to meet their teachers and see their classmates.
Since September, we have been engaged in a phased reopening of our schools, with thousands of students receiving in-person instruction across all of our campuses. Our layered health and safety procedures have proved effective in helping us protect our students and staff. We hope to continue to cautiously welcome back more students this school year, as health conditions allow."