Center Cass District 66 eases into in-person learning

DOWNERS GROVE – Mary Burland stands in front of her third grade class at Prairieview Elementary School and speaks into a pendant around her neck so students can hear her.

Children in class and children at home are on their computers.

Students in the same class learning together at school and remotely is one of the new normals in a school year that’s anything but normal. Center Cass School District 66, one of the few suburban districts offering in-person instruction right now, is making it work.

The district, which has two elementary schools and one junior high, serves close to 1,100 students from Darien, Woodridge and a small portion of Downers Grove. It is offering a half-day of school and hopes to move toward a full day model after Labor Day.

Superintendent Andrew Wise said 75% of students are in school, with the remaining 25% working remotely.

So far, so good.

A survey of district parents released Aug. 28 showed 97% of the 700 respondents are pleased with in-person or remote learning and are happy with how things are progressing. Additionally, 98.7% of parents said their child has a positive outlook, seems happy with learning and is glad to be back in the classroom.

“I’m impressed with not only our students but also our teachers and support staff,” Wise said. “They don’t have a college class on this. These kids have amazed me at how well they distanced, how cognizant they are of other kids, how well they have stayed in their space inside the classroom, how well they have been doing washing their hands and sanitizing. They’ve adjusted well to wearing a mask in school. I’m proud of them.”

The district surveyed families in July, and 75% said they wanted to come back for in-person learning this school year. On Aug. 6, district officials presented to the school board its plan, which called for daily in-person instruction with a remote option.

The district in the document said it would follow Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois State Board of Education guidelines by reducing class sizes from 19 children to 14, limiting student movement outside the classroom to a few times a day and cohorting students as much as possible to minimize contact in the event of a positive COVID-19 case.

In addition, anyone entering the building must certify that they are free of COVID-19 symptoms. Students riding buses are one to a seat, each class is equipped with hand sanitizer and there is no sharing of school and personal items.

Wise said the plan for what the district calls its Smart Start return was to take things slowly with children in school from 8 to 11 a.m. the first two weeks, get students in routines, and teach them about social distancing and proper ways of using masks.

“I’m a firm believer in in-person learning,” Wise said. “Research will tell you that kids learn best when they are in an environment where they have in-person instruction and that’s important to us. The board of education was all on the same page that if we do this safely, this is what is best for the kids. If the numbers change and things get rough, we can move to a remote model, but at least we have the kids in now and building relationships.”

Those relationships extend beyond the school building. Students taking part in remote learning connect to the classroom via Google Meets. There is a camera on the teacher. On average, there are 14 students in the classroom and four working remotely. Teachers wear a pendant around their necks, which amplifies their voice to students in the back of the room and also connects with the computer the students are using to learn at home.

“It has helped both our sets of learners,” Wise said.

Wise said one of the most difficult challenges has been for children to adjust to being spaced apart. They cannot be on top of each other playing sports on the playground. They can’t even offer a hug or reach out a hand to help.

“Students are social beings,” Wise said. “That social aspect is tough for kids, but they are adapting.”

Wise said if the data allows it, the district will move toward the next step and extend the school day. In a survey of parents, 80% are ready to move forward. The next step would be to have children at school all morning, most likely let them out before lunch, and then be in remote during the afternoon.

Wise talks to county health officials every Monday and sends a letter to parents on Tuesdays to update them.

The district has not had any positive COVID-19 cases, but Wise understand that is not the norm and odds are they will at some point. If and when the district does have a positive case, he will contact the DuPage County Health Department for guidance.

“They’re going to ask me were kids six feet apart, were they masked, did they have lunch together, were they on a bus together,” Wise said. “They’ll ask me all those questions and then make the call.”

It could mean one student may have to quarantine or a whole classroom could have to go remote for two weeks. If a school gets multiple unrelated cases, it may have to take an “adaptive pause” to allow time for contact tracing.

“We will get a positive case. School is a microcosm of society,” Wise said. “No matter the precautions, we will get a case and we will work through it. For now, kudos to kids and employees and parents for doing this safely and giving our kids in-person learning, as well as remote learning for kids at home.”