Half of school shows up on Fairfield’s first day

FAIRFIELD - Monday was the first day of school in the Fairfield Community School District, but less than half the students reported to class.

That's because the district is doing hybrid learning, where the student body has been divided into two groups, which will attend in-person classes on different days of the week.

When they're not in class, they will be doing online instruction. It's a way to minimize the number of people each student and teacher comes in contact with. Some parents, about a quarter of them, are having their children do fully online learning.

At Washington Elementary School, parents dropped off their kids on the east side of the building, where several teachers were waiting to escort them in. The teachers made sure every student was wearing a mask, since face coverings are mandatory for students of all ages and for staff and faculty.

If the student didn't have a mask, one was given to them. Teacher Roxie Kuehl stood inside the front door holding a big dispenser of hand sanitizer, and gave each student a squirt before they could go to their classroom. She said that will be a new normal this year, one of the many ways the district is fighting the coronavirus.

Teachers demonstrated the various styles of face coverings available. Some teachers wore the common fabric masks that cling tightly around the nose and mouth, while others wore a transparent face shield. Some face shields are worn around the forehead and hang down, while others are worn around the collar and come up to cover the face. Maria Jimenez, a Talented and Gifted associate at Washington Elementary, said she's glad to have a choice in face coverings, and that she chose a transparent face shield because it's important for the children to see her facial expressions.

Washington Elementary School children are given lanyards to attach their masks to when they're not wearing them such as during lunch or out at recess. By wearing the lanyard, it ensures the students never lose their masks.

Parents in the district are divided on whether the school board made the right choice in pursuing a hybrid model without providing a fully in-person option like many surrounding districts are doing. Some say the board made the right call, like Charles Brader, whose son Seth is entering his junior year of high school.

'I, along with others, want interaction in a school setting, but are conscious of the risks surrounding COVID-19,” Brader said. 'A full five-day schedule, and full student attendance, does not seem safe, and I am happy the school board made this decision. I am happy they erred on the side of caution.”

Brader said he thinks most kids will be able to learn reasonably well in an online setting, though it will be an adjustment. He worries that many people are still dismissive of the virus, and continue to compare it to the flu without taking into account the long-term effects.

Seth normally goes out for basketball, though Charles said the family will wait to see what the winter brings before committing.

Jason Strong said he and his wife, Larissa, planned to keep their kids home this year and do the fully online option. Larissa runs a daycare out of their home, which gives them that flexibility.

But their kids, seventh-grader Gabriel and sophomore Felicia, insisted on at least some face-to-face time with teachers and some degree of peer socialization.

'So when we found out we were starting out on a hybrid model, we were actually very pleased,” Jason said. 'It's the best of both worlds for our situation. It allows us to more safely ‘test the waters,' so to speak.”

Jason said he worries about the virus, especially because he's in a high-risk category due to his diabetes. His kids will be taking all the necessary precautions such as wearing face coverings, washing their hands frequently, social distancing whenever possible and not sharing supplies.

He added that he's glad the high school set up a block schedule with only two courses to study each term.

'It's a very outside-the-box solution that we think will be beneficial, and possibly more effective to use even after COVID dies down,” he said.

Some parents wish the school board had given them the choice of 100 percent in-person learning. Angela Bloomquist, whose daughter Malena is a freshman, would have preferred that option, but she believes the teachers and staff will do the best they can for each student in the hybrid model.

'Malena is going to miss attending school with her classmates,” Bloomquist said. 'She has friends that are on opposite school days of her. I think at this point, we would all like for things to get back to normal.”

Summer Lisk feels the same way. Lisk is the mother of three high school students, senior Autumn and sophomore twins Ashlyn and Austin. She's excited for their school year to start. She just wishes they were going back to five-day face-to-face learning.

'I feel it's important for their education and for their mental health, but we will take what we can get,” she said. 'I'm more worried about the kids' mental health and well-being than I am about them being exposed to COVID.”

On the days her kids are not in class, they will be completing their online assignments and working for the family business, which makes pull pins for weight machines.

'They help in the manufacturing part, actually putting the pins together,” Lisk said.

Melanie Carlson has children in preschool, first grade and sixth grade. Carlson said she and her husband are lucky to have understanding employers that will allow them to stay home with their kids on days they're not in a school building.

'We know not everyone has that flexibility, so we are greatly appreciative of our situation,” she said.

Carlson was asked how her little ones would fare having to wear a mask most of the day.

'I'm not worried about them wearing a mask because they so desperately want to be in school they will follow the rules,” she said.

Carlson remarked that, as she watched her kids spend Sunday fighting over the sprinkler, she said to herself, 'Will someone please let them go back to school.”