By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph school officials insist they are ready for the opening of school, whether in class or online.
Edison Elementary Principal Tabitha Blevins tells reporters during a tour of the school building everything has been done to make a smooth transition back into the classroom for St. Joseph elementary school children.
“We have had the best minds in our district working together to problem solve and to trouble shoot scenarios that may or may not happen,” Blevins tells the reporters. “So, as far as it goes, we are ready.”
Signs urging students to wash their hands, keep their social distance, and fill up water bottles at the fountains are posted throughout Edison and all school buildings in the district.
Edison is one of the oldest school buildings in the St. Joseph School District. It has undergone a deep cleaning from top to bottom.
Facilities Supervisor Casey Housman says it is sparkling.
“We’ve had a lot of extra time to clean the buildings,” Housman says. “We’ve been in the buildings all summer long, deep cleaning and you can see, we’ve got a 100-year-old building here that really shines.”
Also ready for the start of school is the Virtual Academy, housed in the former Noyes School building, which will deliver instruction online to more than 2,800 students. The St. Joseph School District has approximately 10,800 students.
Assistant Superintendent of Academic Services, Marlie Williams, says much work has been put in to making the Virtual Academy a success.
“We have 95 people here full-time and very few of them worked together last year. So, forming up our own bonds and relationships has really been the focus,” Williams tells reporters after giving them a tour of the repurposed Noyes School.
Williams says school officials didn’t think they needed an entire building until enrollment kept growing and plans had to shift.
Teachers who are veterans of the classroom now find themselves as online rookies.
First Grade teacher Erin Wilkinson admits she will miss the bustle of the classroom.
“You know, I’m going to miss the hugs in the morning that I get from my students,” Wilkinson says. “We’re all going to work really hard on establishing relationships through those Zoom meetings and those contacts and those phone calls, just making the kids know that they are loved, they are cared for, and that we are excited that they’re here.”
Third Grade teacher Jennifer Shoeberl says she’s excited to try something new.
“This is my 24th year of teaching in the St. Joseph School District and I think with every career you kind of ebb and flow and you kind of get to a point where to you need something that is stimulating and maybe more adventurous and so I was really looking forward to taking this on and learning new things and making a difference to our families,” Shoebrel says.
St. Joseph school officials say everything has been done to prepare for the return of school children on Monday, whether in the classroom or online through the Virtual Academy.