'This Is A Wonderful Day': Some Elk Grove Unified Elementary Students Return To Classrooms
ELK GROVE (CBS13) — Teachers and staff in Elk Grove welcomed elementary school students back on Tuesday after a year away due to the pandemic.
"It's exciting to go to school in real life," said one young boy.
Students and their families alike were happy to be face-to-face with teachers again.
"Drop the kid at the front and then stay on the outside," said a security guard who was guiding cars in. "You have a fantastic amazing rest of your day."
One by one, parents pulled up to drop students off - all in protective gear or masks and maintaining physical distancing protocols.
School leaders say just over one-third are returning for in-person instruction two days a week.
"There is a Wednesday-Friday group and then there is a Tuesday-Thursday group. Monday is distance learning," said Xanthi Pinkerton, the public information officer for the school district.
"What that enables us to do is to be able to keep the students with their teacher and at the same school site without having to switch them to a different teacher," she added.
The goal is to keep students connected with their teachers and their school so there is less of a transition when they go back to full in-person learning five days a week.
"This is a wonderful day," said mother Sharronda Johnson.
A return to full-time classroom instruction can't happen soon enough for pandemic-weary parents.
"I think this was the worst thing that could have happened. I think they are missing out on so much. More of the social than academic," Johnson said.
Middle and secondary students are slated to go back to school the final week of March.
