Students, staff feel sense of relief with school restart
By Mike Ramczyk
Correspondent
There was excitement in the air Monday morning at Waller Elementary School.
Hundreds of students lined up outside the school – which showed off its shiny, new, energy-efficient windows – and teachers made sure they were in single-file lines with each kid was wearing a mask.
Meanwhile, proud parents fought back tears.
There were final goodbyes, including hugs, kisses and first day of school photos.
This one – in the midst of a pandemic – felt just a bit more special, parents said.
After five months of uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus and whether students would be allowed to go back to school, the Burlington Area School District became one the first district in southeastern Wisconsin to have full, five-day in-person instruction Monday.
Judging by the smiles behind the teachers’ masks, everyone was happy to be back at work, a place taken away from them after the state shut down schools in March.
Now, outdoor instruction and learning is being stressed more than ever.
For BASD Superintendent Stephen Plank, it was a victory to be back in school, and he commends the efforts of everyone involved.
“It was a great first day back,” Plank said Tuesday. “You could feel the energy from the students and staff alike. It sure seemed that students were very pleased with being back in school – five months is a long time to not feel connected to your school community and friends.
“It is a terrific feeling to have students back in the buildings,” he continued. “Their presence is the consummate reminder about the service we’ve all chosen. Having a five-month stretch without students is not something that any of us have ever felt and would hope to never again. The kids provide motivation to us all.”
Plank said parents, staff and students have done an amazing job adjusting to increased safety measures, like wearing masks indoors, social distancing more rigorous hand sanitization.
To read the entire story, including additional comments from principals and teachers, see the Aug. 20 edition of the Burlington Standard Press.
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