Students Head Back To Class In Salt Lake City School District
Feb 8, 2021, 12:39 PM | Updated: 12:49 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – It’s back to the classroom for middle and high school in the Salt Lake City School District, and the buildings are officially open for those choosing to resume in-person learning.
Salt Lake City was the only district in the state that had students learning entirely online. Monday was the first time teachers and students were back in the physical classroom in 11 months.
“Remote homework was so hard,” said East High sophomore Yuritci Cortez. “It kills me, to be honest.”
She said she’s prepared to learn in the classroom again – and to be around people once more.
“Seeing my friends, you know?” Cortez said. “And hoping everything goes back to normal.”
It’s a critical time for children developing social skills and their education, and principal Greg Maughan said he recognizes the importance of face-to-face learning.
📚Big day!🚍 @slcschools Middle and High School students have the option to return to in-person learning.
Masks are being handed out by school board members. The East High principal had some really thoughtful words to share. Watch it on @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/G1vNYVLNa1
— Morgan Wolfe (@MorganWolfeKSL) February 8, 2021
“A lot of work went into getting our students back here safely,” he said.
Maughan said the school has swapped out drinking fountains for re-fillable water stations, and students have been provided with water bottles and masks.
Most of the physical changes to the building were completed over the summer, but logistics for class sizes and schedules were recently completed.
Salt Lake City School District To Begin Returning Elementary Students To Classrooms
Some teachers are still instructing students online, and Maughan said every faculty member understands the great importance in helping children during the pandemic.
“Getting to help them have a high school experience – learn, grow, and all the above,” he said.
Approximately 70% of East High School students returned to socially-distanced classrooms on Monday.
The students won’t be in the building five days a week, though. They’ll have distance learning days on Wednesdays, and they’ll return to full online learning temporarily if the number of COVID-19 cases increase at the school.
