Back to school for some

After being away for eight weeks, thousands of excited Class 4 students returned to a changed school campus where they were greeted by the strict entry protocols thanks to COVID-19.

At the gates, students had temperature checks and had their hands and bags sanitised by teachers and other school personnel.

Around the school, new signs were posted reminding students to stay six-feet apart and to wear face masks correctly.

Principals at schools Barbados TODAY visited reported that the students had settled in well and were ready for four weeks of face-to-face instruction as they prepare for the upcoming Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination (BSSEE).

At Hindsbury Primary, Principal Jennifer Jordan reported, “We had absolutely no issues this morning. Actually, we told the students to come for 8:30 a.m. and many of them got here before that time,” Jordan said.

Dr Monica Walton, Principal of Charles F Broome Memorial said the 100 Class 4 students will be allocated ten students to a classroom.

She said her students were working with the teachers to adhere to the protocols.

“Yesterday I sent a reminder of the guidelines for the safe reopening to the parents through the students’ emails and I also sent it to our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) president and he posted it on Facebook.

Dr Walton said through a meeting last week, parents were asked to wait at the gate to ensure their children did not have an elevated temperature that would prevent them from entering the school.

Charles F Broome teacher, Stephan Walker said it was great to stand before his students once again, noting that nothing could replace face-to-face instruction.

“It is one thing to impart knowledge through an online setting, however, to see the children in a physical setting is also a different experience because at the end of the day, we want to ensure that these children are fully prepared for what is ahead.

“I know that parents are a little hesitant or they have their fears but I have assured my parents that we are going to do our best to ensure that they are safe and that we will exercise all the protocols that have been established to ensure that these children just do their best in the right setting. So far, no one has complained, they are quite comfortable,” Walker said.

The students at the privately-run St Ursula’s Primary were welcomed back to their Collymore Rock institution with a Welcome Back We Missed You sign along with others with words of encouragement strategically placed around the auditorium.

Administrative Assistant for the neighbouring Ursuline Convent School, Suzan Borely, said students entered in alphabetical order while having their temperatures checked before heading to their numbered, assigned desks.

“We are really happy to see them. So we had to put up some inspirational signs for them to know that it has been a long haul here without them because our days are usually very busy with them around.

“They are really excited to be back. They are only going to be here for three hours and our intention is that they will be here for three days a week so they can have one-on-one sessions with their teacher and the other two days a week online.

“Fortunate enough we were able to fit them in one area, which is our hall, and they are spaced six feet apart. We have asked the parents to drive in and drop off. If they have any business to do at the office, which some of them do, they would park in a designated area,” Borely said.

The students of Blackman and Gollop School which was used as an Isolation Centre for COVID-19 patients, reported for classes at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic Institute, instead of their Christ Church-based school plant.

Barbados TODAY understands that the move was made to relocate the classes after several parents voiced concerns that the school plant may not be safe for their children because it was used as a centre for patients.

In spite of this several parents questioned why classes had to be shifted to the polytechnic, considering that the officials insisted the school had been thoroughly sanitized. Alternately, others were adamant that nobody would want their child in an environment where COVID-19 patients had been kept.

Government primary schools will be in session from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Students will be provided with a complimentary snack and drink from the School Meals Service.

Tuesday July 14 is the new date for the BSSEE, also known as the Common Entrance, which was originally set for May 5 but was postponed due to the ongoing pandemic. anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb