By Ta’Leah Van Sistine, Community Reporter
This is the fourth week of classes for many schools throughout the Chippewa Valley, and both private institutions and public districts remain open.
Superintendents and teachers still appear hopeful about the academic year, based on interviews with the CVPost.
They are “pleasantly surprised” by how compliant students have been to follow mask-wearing, hand-washing and social-distancing rules.
Some districts are offering a hybrid model of learning where students have a mixture of in-person and virtual school days throughout the week, and others are providing students with the option to be in school, in person for five days a week.
Despite positive COVID-19 cases appearing in a couple of Chippewa Valley schools, several school administrators said they believe teachers and students are happy to be back in school and want to stay in school.
Communication is key within public school districts
Heidi Eliopoulos, the Altoona School District superintendent, and Michael Johnson, the Eau Claire Area School District’s superintendent, both said there have been “very few” incidences of students not adhering to COVID-19 safety precautions. This was echoed in two other school systems.
Johnson said families were messaged in late July and early August so parents and students would know that a mask-wearing policy would be in place.
Communication has been something the Altoona district has relied on as well, Eliopoulos said, since families and school administrators alike are all experiencing — for the first time — what it’s like to live during a pandemic.
“We’ve (been) letting them know what procedures we have in place, what we need them to do and what we’re going to do at school as well,” Eliopoulos said. “I think that has been key to it.”
The Altoona district has also asked families to call their child’s school to let them know ahead of any absences, Eliopoulos said. After calling, families are requested to leave a message explaining the reason for their child’s absence and listing any COVID-19 symptoms the child may have.
Eliopoulos said the school nurse, Anita Schubring, then does a follow-up call to families whose children are absent because of experiencing COVID-like symptoms.
“If somebody’s home because they have a funeral to go to, we don’t follow up with those calls, but if somebody’s home with COVID-like symptoms, our school nurse will follow up with them,” Eliopoulos said. “There’s so much information out there — it can be overwhelming. Our school nurse knows where the testing centers are and how to make a decision about whether your child goes to school.”
Working with younger students
Altoona and Eau Claire teachers have developed ways to remind and work with younger students regarding mask and social-distancing requirements.
Eliopoulos said teachers use strategies that are developmentally appropriate for younger students’ levels since they don’t always understand the need for six feet of distancing.
She said teachers use the idea of “airplane arms,” which encourages every student to hold out their arms, so that no one’s arms touch each other.
“This comes with more verbal prompts like ‘remember airplane arms!’ but they’re doing a good job of this,” Eliopoulos said.
Jennifer Bain, a fifth-grade teacher at Altoona Intermediate School, said she is “amazed” by how well the students have adapted to sanitizing their hands when they enter the classroom, cough or sneeze and go to play outside.
“I thought it would take a lot more training and practice,” Bain said. “I think they’re just happy to be back at school.”
Both the Altoona and the Eau Claire Area districts offer an all virtual learning option and a hybrid learning option for kindergarten through 12th grade students.
Some schools offer a completely in-person option
Jeff Holmes, the superintendent of the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District, said it chose not to offer a hybrid model because it’s “less cost-effective,” puts “teachers in a position where they’re having to provide both in-person and remote learning for students” and places a burden “on the parents that would have to provide daycare in those settings as well.”
In addition to a complete in-person option, Holmes said having a virtual option was also necessary for those who were not yet comfortable with sending their kids to school.
Holmes said even when the Wisconsin mask mandate expires (on Nov. 21, after Gov. Tony Evers extended it on Tuesday), the Chippewa Falls district will continue to require staff and students to wear face coverings. He said he has not been made aware of any students or staff who have failed to comply with that requirement.
Dana Fullarton, a second-grade teacher at Southview Elementary School in Chippewa Falls, explained that every year she teaches her students how to follow routines and expectations — only this year, there are new expectations.
“By no means do I feel the kids are being enforced to do this,” Fullarton said, “it’s just that those are the expectations, and they should follow them and learn why they’re important.”
Immanuel Lutheran’s experience
Dan Schierenbeck, who is the president of, and an instructor at, Immanuel Lutheran in Eau Claire, said the high school, college and seminary departments are set up for face-to-face instruction five days a week.
Students have not been defiant about the rule to wear masks whenever they are inside, Schierenbeck said. College and seminary students, faculty and staff screen themselves every day for their temperature and other COVID-like symptoms.
For the high school students, their parents are responsible for screening them for symptoms every day before they send them to school, Schierenbeck said.
The high school classrooms are set up with six feet of physical-distancing, Schierenbeck said, and they transformed the library and the dining hall into classroom spaces.
Superintendents remain hopeful about the school year
A positive COVID-19 case has been confirmed at South Middle School in Eau Claire and two such cases have been confirmed at Meadowview Elementary School since the school year has started.
However, Johnson said he “absolutely” still feels hopeful about the school year.
“While we have endured some difficulties in all pieces of the organization, I think as educators we constantly strive for perfection, and at some point, it’s an unrealistic pursuit,” Johnson said. “What we need to do is embrace the smallest opportunities to learn and innovate every day, and I find strength in working with colleagues to create that enriching, engaging environment.”
The Chippewa Falls district has had four positive COVID-19 cases at the high school, Holmes said.
These cases, which led to the quarantining of 44 students, have not prompted the district to shut down its buildings, Holmes said.
“I always hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” Holmes said. “Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District is hopeful that we’re able to remain in session, and I would encourage the community to help us in that regard.”
NOTE: This story contains no information about the situation at Regis High School because two email attempts to contact its principal and one email to the communications director of Regis Catholic Schools went unanswered.
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