On a first day unlike any other, Evansville's children pour back into EVSC classrooms
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The first day of school always feels like a leap of faith, even in the best of circumstances.
In neighborhoods across the country, hundreds of children pour into buildings short on funding and long on need, looking to come out the other side better educated and ready to move on to bigger things.
So it's understandable that Wednesday morning felt like a hail mary.
Five months after the coronavirus pandemic shut down Evansville schools — turning spring break into a 150-plus-day recess — some of the community's children finally returned to their desks.
The school dress code now includes a face mask. Hand sanitizer is as important as a No. 2 pencil. And recess looks different now that social distancing is the rule.
It was a trying day for all those involved.
"It's not only stressful for her but me, too," Noella Ngizulu said after dropping off her daughter. "It's her first time at school, and she has to adapt to every situation without her dad, brothers and sisters."
As she walked her daughter Hope Diawa, 5, to Caze Elementary School, Ngizulu could tell the young scholar was anxious for her first day of kindergarten.
"She's a pretty shy kid," Ngizulu said. But once Hope gets to know the other children and her teachers, she'll be fine, her mother said.
"I know it's going to be hard on her, but I know there are plenty of excellent teachers here, and they're going to take great care of her," Ngizulu said. "We're going to see what happens next."
At Cynthia Heights Elementary School, a circular row of vehicles dropped off masked children, who were greeted by the school’s Wildcat mascot and EVSC Superintendent David Smith before walking in the front door.
“It’s definitely different,” Sarah Brinkmeyer said as she dropped off her daughter, a third-grader. “We’re just hoping everything runs smoothly. We’re staying positive for the kids.”
Brinkmeyer said she’s had conversations about masks with both of her kids. Her son started sixth grade Wednesday. A retail manager, Brinkmeyer has worn a mask at work for weeks, so her kids know it’s important.
“We’re just trying to take it one day at a time,” Brinkmeyer said of the start of school. “I think everybody’s a little bit nervous. But both of my kids do better in front of teachers, so we’re going to try it and see what happens.”
Smith, who decided to delay the start of school by two weeks amid a spike in local COVID-19 cases, said the district is prepared to open the new year under these unprecedented circumstances.
He pointed to the emphasis on masks and social distancing. The EVSC relocated some grade levels into new buildings and organized a staggered reopening plan in order to space out students.
Smith said the EVSC is prepared to shut down schools and return to an all-virtual environment if a surge of COVID-19 cases makes that necessary.
“We are absolutely prepared to do that,” he said. “We’ve been one-to-one with devices for a number of years now. We clearly have devices for all our students. In terms of accessibility, we also put things in place so that our students regardless of where they live, regardless of whether or not they have access to internet, they will have because of the efforts of our folks. We’re ready. Our teachers have spent the last five months understanding and learning the technology necessary to deliver virtual instruction.
“If we have to go virtually, it will not be what people experienced last spring when that was a pretty abrupt stop due to the governor’s order. But we’re more prepared than back in the spring, without any doubt.”
Smith, wearing a black mask with an EVSC logo as he greeted Cynthia Heights students arriving for Day One, said there’s always apprehension about the start of a new year.
“This year, that’s ramped up with the pandemic,” he said. “But our folks, by and large, the vast, vast majority, are ready to get back and see our kids. Because they know how important they are in the lives of each and every child.”
Despite her own hesitation, Ngizulu said the district made a bevy of information available for families as they prepared for Wednesday's reopening. She's confident, under EVSC's supervision, that Caze and other schools will follow safety protocols and make the best decisions for students.
"They gave us all the information on their website, so we basically know what's going to happen next," Ngizulu said. "Just in case it gets worse, we know they're going to send students back home and do the virtual sessions, but it's going to be great, I think."