East Allen County students are back in class

A number of safeguards are in place throughout East Allen County Schools district buildings to help limit the spread of COVID-19, while still providing an in-person education for those families who chose it.

Retention and graduation rates.

With covid-19 guidelines in place, east allen county students and staff went back this morning for their first day caleb ning.fox 55 saylor spoke with district staff about their first day experience.

East allen county schools is adjusting to new covid-19 guidelines for schools.

Superintendent marilyn hissong says they e implemented a number of changes east allen county schools is no stranger to using tece ology.

They had ipads for students for the last 9 years, but with new covid guidelines in place, students and staff are adjusting to virtual classrooms. e we definitely spread the desks out in the classrooms, we have students that are spread out in our cafeteria.

Some of our buildings have created another lunch period so it would mean less students, some of our elementary buildings, some students are having recess before lunch and some are having it after lunch.

Other thing some in person students are having to get used to are plexiglass barriers between students.

Students and teacher working virtually are having to adjust as well berry ehle, a biology teacher at woodlan junior senior high has been a teacher for thirty five years.

He says the first day being both an in person and virtual teacher went pretty well, but there was conc n e wouldn don really have a whole lo of experience with doing both at t e same time, so it obviously going to evolve as we go through this and we get better at it.

The first week is probably going to be a little less exciting for the virtual kids, but wel get there.

Is teaching 15 students, all virtual.

She says a lot of her day was giving out technology instructions, but she was able to do a oday n or two i actually just did a read aloud with the students.

I asked them questions along the way.

We make things super extensive just because it brand new, so i did a read aloud with them and then i introduced them to one of their first that they could get on and try tonight with parents.

Hissong says the plan is to impact as few students as poss district if it wide, she hopes their elearning will help them.

But as they learn how to navigate new teaching methods, hissong is ae ing foe patience.

Need some grace along the way as we start up with the digital, the virtual learning and e going to continue to get better ae told d i parents just as students learn, our teachers are learning right now, but overe off to a great start.

Saylor fox 55 news hissong said that students did great with wearing masks today and she heard no reports of