Students arriving on campus were given a warm welcome and a few requests: "Good morning everyone. Welcome back to school! Please form a line on the painted dots and sanitize your hands upon entering the building. We want to ensure that everyone stays healthy so your temperature will be taken before you head on to class. Give me a thumbs up if you understand!" Thumbs went up - and the students were true to their word, dutifully following these safety protocols.
Safety is on everyone's mind at HHES as K-3 staff and students return to the classroom for the first time in nearly nine months. "Our students were amazing. They were excited to be back in school and were so cooperative and careful," said Josh Robertson, HHES Principal. "We have been preparing for this day for weeks, months really. But we could not have done it without our students watching the safety videos, wearing their masks, and understanding that they play a big role in making in-person learning possible."
If all goes according to plan, students in Grades 4 and 5 will also have the opportunity return to school on February 1. Like their counterparts in K-3, they also have the choice of staying in Remote Learning or Hockinson Virtual Academy.
In-person learning is not full-day. As with Remote Learning, students will receive 10 hours of live instruction, which will be complemented with asynchronous instruction and activities. Students attend school in either an AM (8-10:30 am) Session or PM (Noon-2:30 pm) Session. Although there is no recess or lunch, the students do not seem to mind. They are happy to see their teacher, their friends, and to get back in the routine of physically "going to school."