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Students, Teachers Return To Rural EUSD Campuses
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First-year teacher Brooke Silva settles in to read to her socially distanced class of first grade students at Farmington Elementary. Students returned to the rural Farmington and Collegeville schools, TK through fifth grade, on Oct. 8. Marg Jackson/The Times
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Second grade teacher Lisa Ferroni at Farmington Elementary uses a mask and students have shields to protect them as a small group gathered for reading. Other students in the class were at their desks doing work independently. Marg Jackson/The Times

Thursday, Oct. 8 – about two months after the start of the new ‘virtual’ school year – students in TK through fifth grades made their return to the Farmington and Collegeville elementary campuses.

Teachers, who have primarily been teaching from their classrooms via the online format since school resumed in August, were able to welcome the students on to campus. They go just in the morning, so as not to have to gather in the cafeteria for a meal, but take the ‘grab and go’ lunch home with them, as well as breakfast for the next morning.

Some students have opted to stay home and are continuing the online learning, but many were eager to return to desks and classrooms, albeit with large plastic shields, face coverings, hand sanitizer and social distancing.

“The opening of school went very well for my students, and myself. Everyone was very excited and happy to be at school,” explained second grade teacher Lisa Ferroni, who has been at Farmington for seven years. “As a teacher it was so nice to be able to connect with my students face to face and get to see their smiling faces! My classroom may look different, but the students don’t seem to mind. I even had a couple students who didn’t want school to end.”

With a successful opening at both Farmington and Collegeville, the opening of Van Allen Elementary is on target for Thursday, Oct. 15.

“The reopening at Farmington and Collegeville went very smoothly due to the preparation and hard work of the school staffs,” added EUSD Superintendent Ron Costa. “Students and parents seemed very excited to have the schools reopen.”