LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The last time students walked through the doors at Bowen Elementary was March 13, 2020. On March 17, 2021, more than a year later, kids are final back in the school building.
Kindergarten through second grade students in Group A arrived at school on buses or by car, and got their temperature checked before heading inside. Unlike a typical first day of school, parents could not walk their student into the building.
Charlita Hicks’s second grade twins woke up Wednesday morning at 6 a.m., ready to go back to school.
“I was running late this morning and my daughter kept going, ‘Mom its 8:50 we’re late for school,’ Hicks said.
Even though it’s March and the school year is nearing its end, there were some first day jitters from students and teachers. Hicks’s daughter was concerned she did not know where her classroom is this year.
But that is the kind of learning that was the focus Wednesday at JCPS elementary schools — learning where they are going in the hallways, how to distance in the lunchroom, what new protocols are in place. It was also a day to celebrate being together.
“There's so many things that they can't learn just on a computer, they need that social interaction with each other,” said kindergarten teacher Tracy Kuhn. “We're excited that they're going to be able to get to see each other and be able to really work together.”
Teachers are focusing on relationships and social emotional learning. They’ve been talking over a computer and kept up the academic side of learning, but now students and teachers have the chance to get to spend all day together and learn more about each other.
“They've had curriculum all year long, we've done a knockout job on NTI giving kids lots of assignments and standards-based learning,” second grade teacher Sara Hayden said. “But they haven't had each other. So I think that is our main focus for everybody.”
It wasn’t an easy time for teachers, students, or parents. Wednesday's return to class was a much welcomed and joyous occasion.
“I think the kids and teachers and everybody persevered and normalcy is coming back,” Hicks said.
Thursday kindergarten through fifth grade students in Group B, plus all elementary special education students, will be back in school.
According to JCPS, more than 7,000 Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) students stepped into a classroom Wednesday kicking off the district’s rolling, hybrid in-person learning schedule after the pandemic sent students home to learn virtually last March.
Schools reported no major issues, with many saying it went much smoother than expected.
Buses transported the majority of students to schools – 4,000, delivered to schools by more than 700 buses. By 5:55 p.m., all students had returned home.
Schedule for the other returning students
Thursday, March 18: Kindergarten – fifth-grade students Group B (last name starts with L-Z) and elementary students receiving special education services (ECE)
Monday, March 22: Kindergarten – fifth-grade students Group A (last name starts with A-K), elementary students receiving special education services (ECE) and Early Childhood students Group A (last name starts with A-K)
Wednesday, March 24: Virtual learning day for all students
Thursday, March 25: Kindergarten – fifth-grade students Group B (last name starts with L-Z), elementary students receiving special education services (ECE) and Early Childhood students Group B (last name starts with L-Z)
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