There was a lot of doubt as to whether schools would be allowed to resume as normal this fall, and even more speculation on what kinds of regulations would be set in place for students to follow. Over the summer, many parents worried that September would resemble the “crisis learning” that occured as the COVID-19 pandemic hit last spring. Fortunately, school staff was able to set plans in motion to make sure students would get the best education available under the circumstances.

Hybrid Learning Model

As previously reported, Big Lake and Becker schools will be following a hybrid learning model. The hybrid model is a compromise between students learning completely at home and completely at school.

For the middle and high-schoolers, this means students attend school in-person two days per week and are at home three days per week. This helps to ensure that there is only about one half of the students physically at school on any given day, except for Wednesdays, which all students will spend at home.

The learning model is different for younger students. Elementary school students will attend school physically every day, but will be encouraged to social-distance, sanitize their hands, and perform other COVID-19 practices whenever possible.

There are several reasons for the difference between older and younger students. Firstly, school staff assumed that elementary school children who were not in school full time would need to be enrolled in a day-care program, which ultimately wouldn’t help the students limit their exposure to their peers. Also, studies across the globe show that young students are not very likely to be good transmitters of the disease, being less likely to spread it among themselves and to adults. Finally, elementary school students are, in most cases, not disciplined enough to follow without plenty of regulation. Students in grades 6-12, however, are seen as mature enough to take charge of their own studies when there is no teacher or parent watching closely. Older students were more likely to spread the disease as well.

COVID-19 Precautions

Some other precautions Big Lake and Becker will be taking will of course include the requirement of masks for students and frequent sanitization of both hands and surfaces. 

Parents, and students who have drivers licenses, are encouraged to drive to school rather than use the bus. To encourage this,  Big Lake schools have decided to waive the usual parking fee for students. Students will, however, still be required to apply for a parking pass as usual. Becker will require students to pay the parking fee as per usual.

Becker will be implementing a new strategy for elementary students entering the school. Sarah Kolbinger, mother to two Becker students, said the school sent out a video explaining how kids would be expected to enter the school building. Kids will go to different doors depending on whom their homeroom teacher is, thus making it so students come in close contact only with the students who are in their own class, and limiting the exposure to the rest of the students in the school. She said that it seemed like the school was really trying to make things work in a difficult situation,

Kolbinger also said she was glad that the bus services would be available for students. She and her husband both work odd hours at their jobs, and trying to find time to drive the girls to school would have been difficult.

Students’ Perspectives

Several students were kind enough to voice an opinion on what they were excited about and not excited about going back to school. Brothers Wyatt (fifth grade) and Marshall Kaproth (second grade) said they were both very excited to go to school. Wyatt, with the memory of last spring still on his mind, said that he was excited to actually be in school, seeing his friends and meeting his new teacher, rather than learning on a computer at home. Marshall said that he was not excited about having to wear a mask all day.

Kolbinger sisters Ava (fifth grade) and Piper (first grade) were also not looking forward to wearing masks all day, but Ava was willing to be optimistic about it. She said that after having to wear the masks out it public for the past couple of months, she has started to get used to them. She is willing to believe wearing a mask all day will be annoying, but doable. Ava is not excited about having to wake up early in the morning again. Piper said she was excited to meet her new teacher and see her friends again, but she was not excited about the loads of homework she would definitely have as a big first grader.