Class is in session: Volusia County students return to school

Despite the worries caused by another school year impacted by COVID-19, local principals remained optimistic and excited.

By Jarleene Almenas
| 5:50 p.m. August 16, 2021

Students walk hand-in-hand into Ormond Beach Elementary on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 16. Photo courtesy of Jerry Orzel/Volusia County Schools

A teacher at Ormond Beach Middle School welcomes students on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 16. Photo courtesy of Jerry Orzel/Volusia County Schools

Volusia County Schools reported almost 60,000 students were enrolled in brick-and-mortar for the 2021-2022 school year. Photo courtesy of Jerry Orzel/Volusia County Schools

Students walk into Ormond Beach Middle School on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 16. Photo courtesy of Jerry Orzel/Volusia County Schools

Students cross the quad at Seabreeze High School on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 16. Photo courtesy of Jerry Orzel/Volusia County Schools

Calvin is ready for his first day of second grade. Courtesy photo

Scottie celebrated his first day of first grade on Monday, Aug. 16. Courtesy photo

Carson and Ryder wave for their first days of third and fifth grade. Courtesy photo

Dominic is ready for his first day of third grade. Courtesy photo

Alexia is ready for her first day of eighth grade. Courtesy photo

Roseanna is a freshman this year. Courtesy photo

Emma is a senior this year. Go class of 2022! Courtesy photo

Ginger is ready for her first day of seventh grade. Courtesy photo

Even the little ones are excited for school. Linda celebrated her first day of VPK. Courtesy photo

Ormond Beach Observer
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Ormond Beach Middle School welcomed its students back to school on Monday, Aug. 16, with fanfare: music, balloons, a red carpet and an appearance from their Panthers mascot.

“Teachers made some signs and were standing at various locations, just welcoming them back — letting them know how happy we are to have them back on campus, and that we’re kicking things off positively and a good start for the school year," OBMS Principal Susan Tuten said.

Overall, kids were happy to be back, she said. There were a lot of smiles present, and many students were looking for their friends, some of whom they hadn't seen in over a year due to the virtual learning options chosen by parents in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just like during the 2020-2021 school year, OBMS is doing its best to make sure the students are safe. In a pandemic school year, that translates to plenty of hand sanitizer being made available, social distancing when possible and keeping classrooms clean.

Masks for students remain optional; however, all district staff and adults visiting any Volusia County Schools campus or facility must wear a face covering.

OBMS saw a large number of students who were previously enrolled in virtual learning return to campus, Tuten said. Seeing them again was exhilarating.

“To see their energy, it just kind of transposed itself on me as well," Tuten said. "So a lot of smiles. Even though I had my mask on, I was smiling behind my mask."

'This is what we live for'

At Ormond Beach Elementary School, Principal Shannon Hay tries to do something different every year to greet students on the first day of school. This year, they placed yard art to welcome them back to campus.

Everyone — students, teachers and parents — were excited to begin the 2021-2022 school year, she said. Like OBMS, OBE is taking the necessary steps to make sure students can learn in a safe environment, and Hay said they are doing so while balancing a "welcoming environment." Every year, the kids come back taller and with more confidence, she said, and seeing that is one of her favorite moments during the first days of school.

COVID-19 and learning loss

The first day of school is normally an exciting time. But the added worry of COVID-19 has put a cloud over it, said School Board member Carl Persis, who represents District 4.

“Unfortunately, we have to start the year being as concerned about not spreading COVID as we are concerned about making sure our students have all of the instructional materials that they need, and that the teachers are ready and prepared so we can start the year off with a very smooth start," he said.

Five principals have tested positive for COVID-19 so far, and the district is still gathering numbers regarding students who may have tested positive, he said, citing information provided to him by Volusia County Schools Superintendent Scott Fritz.

Mask or no mask, Persis hopes parents have engaged their children in conversations on the topic to avoid bullying problems or other distractions in the classroom. As of now, while VCS employees and all adults have a mandatory mask policy in place, Persis hopes that won't be extended for the full school year. Perhaps the district could reevaluate at the end of October, based on COVID-19 trends at the time.

“Everybody’s got to do what they think s in the best interest of keeping themselves safe," Persis said. "We just hope everyone does that."

While he is cautiously optimistic about the new school year, Persis is fearful about possible quarantines.

“There were students that missed another 30 days because they were quarantined three times," Persis said. "Those students were quarantined while they were supposed to be getting their instruction in other ways, either with the Live option or other ways. That was not smooth, and I think we lost a lot with that because when they were quarantined, that put an extra burden on the parents.”

The district began addressing learning loss over the summer with its summer school, and Persis said they are grateful to the parents who were able to send their children. The district knows which students need extra help, and bridging that gap will be one of the issues he and likely the other school board members will be focused in on.

“We’ll be monitoring them early and often throughout this school year," Persis said. "We’re not going to let that slide and because we have a higher percentage of students that are coming to school that we’ll be much more able to help them when they’re in the classroom with us, than when they’re at home.”

“I don’t think that there’s a principal or an administrator in this district that doesn’t love a building full of children — the laughter, the smiles, the learning," Hay said. "This is what we live for. This is what we want, and this is what we thrive in.”

Hay said she is looking forward for students participating in some of OBE's traditions, which she called the "heart and soul" of the school. These include the Reading Counts program, kindergarten's Polar Express-themed day and fifth grade's annual kickball game.

“I’m very proud of my school and our district because even though we are facing some challenging times as a nation, I think we’ve done a great job of still trying to keep our schools safe and welcoming for students," Hay said. "I think today seeing our students come back to school so happy just proves that we were able to do that balance.”

Looking ahead

The start of the 2021-2022 school year also marked the return of self-expression through clothes.

The Volusia County School Board eliminated its uniform policy on July 27, and Tuten said most of the students were in compliance with the district's new dress code policy on the first day of school. She saw a very small number of students wearing rips or tears in their clothing, and not one pair of flip flops, slides or crocs — footwear that could present a safety hazard due to the school's stairs.

“For the most part, it was just very colorful, very individualized," Tuten said. "We might see some flowers with some plaids, and two different shoes — brand new shoes, but one might be red and one might be yellow — so they definitely were doing their style and that sort of thing.”

Her hope is that with more students returning to brick-and-mortar (Volusia County Schools reported 59,887 students were enrolled in its 92 schools for this school year), the students will be able to redeem some of the learning loss caused by the pandemic. OBMS is setting aside time for all students to either catch up or further enrich their education.

“We’re all looking forward to a very successful school year here and we’re so glad to have the students back on campus with us," tuten said. "The teachers have been planning for a week now some of those engaging activities that will help the students learn at their highest levels.”