BATESBURG-LEESVILLE, S.C. — Students were able to experience what in-person learning at Batesburg-Leesville Elementary School will look like this year as LEAP Days have begun.
For the past few months, school districts across South Carolina have been submitting their plans for the year to the South Carolina Department of Education.
Districts came up with plans on how they will be handling both in-person and virtual learning.
Lexington Three has three different options for the 2020-2021 school year.
Kindergarten through fifth graders are able to choose a five-day in-person option called the "Pride" model. Sixth through twelfth graders are able to participate in a hybrid schedule with two days of face to face instruction. All students also had the option to learn virtually.
Matt Velasquez, the Principal at Batesburg-Leesville Elementary School, said they've been working for months to prepare for the return of students.
"We, right now, are using our LEAP Days that we're given to us by the state. Today we have 52 kids in our building," said Velasquez. "We're using that to practice some safety protocols and to also get some reading levels and math levels to see what has happened with our kids since we shut down in March."
With this school year being unlike any other, Velasquez said they've been adjusting to the new normal in the classroom.
"It's been a little difficult just because we pride ourselves in schools on routines, procedures and just being consistent. We have to adapt and change on the fly," explained Velasquez. "It's been great to see the kids. It's certainly kind of a surreal moment to see the kids all wearing masks and having to be told not be around each other."
The principal and district have been working on ways to keep both students and staff safe while learning face-to-face.
"Together we can put our heads together and use the input from our faculty, our parents, just to make the best decisions for our students and for the safety of those families they're going to go home too," said Velasquez.
If a student happens to test positive for the coronavirus or somebody in their family has COVID-19, the school will be looking at several different factors and treat it as a case by case basis to figure out how they will handle the situation.
The district has a flowchart they will use if a child tests positive for the virus. School nurses have also been working closely with DHEC.
The district says they'll also be following DHEC guidelines when it comes to coronavirus cases. For more information on those guidelines, click here.
The enrollment at Batesburg-Leesville Elementary is around 500. There will be about 300 students who will be learning face-to-face. Around 200 students will be learning virtually.
Class sizes have been made smaller to help with social distancing.
Students are having their temperatures checked when they get dropped off at school in the mornings. Teachers and kids are wearing masks. Students are also walking on one side of the hallway while practicing social distancing.
When students are not in close contact, they will be able to take off their masks. This includes when they are sitting at their desk since they are spaced out and are practicing social distancing. In the hallways, masks are required.
"Our playground, we've designated areas on our playground that are basically outdoor classrooms so that our students can go outside and play and follow the procedures in their classroom and just translate those outside," explained Velasquez.
Batesburg-Leesville Elementary is using guidelines from the South Carolina High School League with cleaning equipment so kids can still throw around a football or baseball.
Students are eating inside their classrooms. Breakfast is delivered. There are tables located outside the classroom where staff can place meals on the table. During lunch, students walk to the cafeteria but do not eat there. Kids will pick up their meals and head back to the classroom.
"There has been a lot of work and through all the works, student safety and the safety of everyone, but student safety in particular, has been the number one focus," said Velasquez.
One teacher who will be teaching both virtually and in-person will be Ashley Bouknight. She teaches the fourth grade.
"I'm in a little, I guess you could say, unique situation. I'm actually a virtual teacher but thanks to my principal, I was going to have a very hard time not having kids in front of me, so I'm actually co-teaching with another fourth grade teacher and we will video ourselves each day. It's kind of like we're going to be a tag team," said Bouknight.
It's been difficult not being able to teach her students in the classroom the last few months so Bouknight is ready to get back to teaching in-person.
"It's been very emotional for me. My principal knows that I've struggled being at home this whole time," explained Bouknight. "There have been times that I've questioned myself about, 'Should I really be a teacher or not,' even though I'm in my 20th year, but when I actually got to do a lesson on lemons with them, it assured me that this is where I'm supposed to be. This is my calling."
For Bouknight, there was never any doubt that she wanted to be back in the classroom doing in-person teaching.
"It was a no-brainer for me. From the get-go, I'm 100 percent for coming back. I chose to not live in fear. I know it's real and I know there's risk but I think our mindset determines how others around us react and I think if we're panicked, we're going to cause the parents to be panicked or the kids," said Bouknight. "Faith over fear is what I've said."
The fourth grade teacher believes the kids understand the new normal everyone is experiencing and they'll be able to follow the rules.
"Just like during the LEAP Days, the kids that we've been in contact with, not once have we had to tell them to put their mask on going other places," explained Bouknight. "I think they're well trained and they know the expectations and they just do the right thing."
The first day for the school district will be August 31.
For more information on Lexington Three's plans, click here.
