R-I sees emotional return to summer school

The Poplar Bluff R-I school district saw an emotional return to classes this week as summer school kicked off.

Students returned to six of the district’s campuses Monday for the first time since spring break in mid-March.

“It was a little emotional, I think, for a lot of us,” said Dr. Scott Dill, superintendent. “Having the sounds of children in the buildings again, it restored my personal sense of balance about my life and my place in the world.”

Poplar Bluff Middle School summer school students get dismissed after the first day of class Monday.DAR/Michael Shine

Several teachers with the district agreed with Dill that the first few days were emotional and they’re glad to be back in the classroom.

“When it all went away so unexpectedly in March, we just didn’t know,” Dill said. “There were still legitimate question marks through the weekend, but here we are.”

The district put in place new guidelines for social distancing and additional cleaning procedures.

Ryder Alford colors during kindergarten summer school on Wednesday.DAR/Michael Shine

“It looks a lot like school with a lot of extra cleaning thrown in,” Dill said. “We armed teachers with disinfectant; we have stepped up expectations for custodians… A lot of it is subtle and we’re gauging responses from the community and kids.”

Signs now hang in all the buildings reminding students to wash their hands frequently, practice social distancing and stay home when sick.

They encourage students and teachers to wear masks, Dill said, and some are, but it is not a requirement.

Eli Biri colors during his first week of kindergarten summer school.DAR/Michael Shine

“We encourage individual families to make those decisions based on their respective stance on the issues,” Dill said.

The district made adjustments for social distancing, particularly during lunches.

For instance, at the kindergarten center, students are sitting four to a table rather than the eight they would normally hold. Administration placed Xs on the seats not being used and staff wipe tables down between groups of students.

“I was in one of the cafeterias (Monday)… instead of having kids sitting on both sides of the table, they were limiting the number of students and only using half the benches,” Dill said. “It keeps everyone facing the same direction. I think we’ve done that classroom-wise where we can.”

Social distancing on the buses is a challenge, Dill said. Bus drivers are trying to be cognizant of it.

The district purchased foggers to disinfect the buses after use.

It also installed “sanitation stations” on campus. An Elks Lodge Wellness Grant funded supplies.

The Memorial Baptist Church donated reusable water bottles for the elementary school students that can be refilled at stations rather than using the water fountains.

The school board will review the Return to Learn plan at this month’s meeting, which lays out three potential avenues for education in the fall.

Previously, Dill has talked about an A path where things are mostly back to normal with additional cleaning procedures; a B path that is a hybrid of in-person and long-distance teaching; and a C path where students learn online.

“Right now, we’re on the A path,” he said. “This is school with extra precautions. We’re trying various responses right now to determine what works best.”

It’s hard to say where attendance is yet, Dill said, but his instinct is that more first through third graders are coming, but fewer in the other grade levels.

“I don’t have a feel for high school yet,” he said. “When I say down, the numbers are still sustainable. But in one through three, those kids and those parents were ready.”

Part of the benefit of summer school, Dill said, is to see how procedures work and what may need to change before all students return in fall.

“In a lot of ways, it will serve as a barometer for what school will look like in August; not just here, but everywhere,” Dill said.