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‘Great to have the kids back’: Peters Township students return to schools

By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 2 min read
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Face coverings and social distancing are part of the protocols in Peters Township schools to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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Courtesy of Peters Township School District

Students report to Peters Township’s Bower Hill Elementary School.

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A clear partition separates Bower Hill Elementary School students on the first day of class.

When Peters Township students returned to school Monday, the majority of them actually returned to school, for the first time since March 13.

“Everywhere I went, everybody just kept saying, ‘It’s so great to have the kids back,'” said Shelly Belcher, school district communications coordinator, after making the rounds to visit each of the five academic buildings. “It was very normal from that standpoint.”

Peters students whose families have chosen for them to attend school in person are doing so five days a week. Because of concerns related to COVID-19, a fully remote learning option also is available.

District officials have implemented measures as called for in a health and safety plan that was approved by the school board and submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The plan includes procedures for “limiting congestion and large group gatherings,” such as marking clear traffic patterns in hallways, with corresponding directional signs.

“We had a lot of staff out in the hallways helping our kids get where they needed to go,” Belcher said. “It’s always a little slower on the first day of school than it is normally, so we expected that. And we expected it to be a little worse today, but I would say that it wasn’t.”

Staff members reported to work Aug. 14 and had the opportunity for considerable training in new procedures and with using tools for remote instruction.

“I will say that this is still brand new for them, and so there are some technical glitches today,” Belcher said. “But our staff is working through it.”

Under the circumstances, she deemed the reopening of schools after more than five months to be a success.

“I think our parents have been very patient. Our teachers have been very patient,” she said. “And it’s not perfect today, but we’ll get there.”

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