When Glenwood Elementary School fifth grade teacher Patricia Salmon greeted her students outside the building she received cheers and applause from the youngsters when she told them to take any desk they wanted when they went into the classroom.
Salmon said greeting students outside the building and ushering them into class the first day is a tradition of sorts for her at the Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 school, though she did not get to do it a year ago because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Waukegan High School seniors Juana Lopez and Alexa Serrano were getting used to the Washington campus for juniors and seniors for the first time in their academic career after learning remotely all last year.
The first day of school for District 60 and Zion-Benton Township High School Thursday offered shades of pre-pandemic normalcy, and adjustments to the continuing spread of the disease, as students returned to classes in Waukegan and Zion amid COVID-19 restrictions.
District 60 Superintendent Theresa Plascencia had a dual role when she arrived at Jack Benny Middle School. She was observing, as she does at the schools on opening day. She also brought her son to his first day of sixth grade after he learned remotely for the better part of the past 17 months.
“I’m nervous. The social element was missing last year, and I’m nervous for him about that,” Plascencia the parent said. “I’m excited to see all the interest of the students and teachers,” she added as the superintendent.
Cyrus McGinnis, Plascencia’s son, exuded optimism.
“I’m excited about learning a lot of new stuff,” he said.
Taking three sixth graders to Jack Benny for their first day of middle school, Teanya Taylor also expressed some trepidation along with her hope for a good school year.
“I’m concerned about them being safe,” Taylor said. “I hope they use a lot of hand sanitizer. I’m excited about it too.”
Inside Jack Benny, eighth graders God Black, Oswaldo Olivares, Daniel Martinez and Nicholas Acosta were catching up with each other after a year of remote learning. Acosta said he spent much of the year logging onto his computer from Arizona or Mexico. Some conversation was very normal.
“It’s going to be a weird year,” Martinez said. “I’m two inches taller.”
“I’m three inches taller,” Black added.
At Zion Benton, students walked on a red carpet with administrators on each side cheering them. Superintendent Jesse Rodriquez said he wanted to make the students feel welcome and loved. He also wanted to instill hope.
Zion-Benton senior Sean Taylor liked his greeting, but he knows things are not as they were when he was an unmasked sophomore. In the spring, available vaccine made him optimistic the coming school year would return to the normalcy experienced before the pandemic.
“I got vaccinated because I thought I would be able to go to school in person all day and not have to wear a mask,” Taylor said. “Here I am wearing a mask.”
A member of the football team along with junior Derion Lee, they are both thrilled they will play in the fall as usual, rather than the spring as they did in March.
“It’s going to be great,” Lee said.
As Lopez and Serrano waited inside the Washington campus gym to get their student identification cards, they expressed nervousness about the coming year though they are now seniors less than a year away from the next big step in their futures.
“I’m nervous,” Lopez said. “We’ve got to learn our way around the campus. Being in school is much better. It’s much harder for the teachers to help you when we use the computer”
District 60 high school students spend their first two years on the Brookside campus, and go to the Washington building as juniors. Spending the past year learning remotely, this is the first time both the majority of the juniors and seniors are in the building.
Glenwood fifth grader Jillyan Harris was walking toward the school with her mother, Jasmin, waiting to join classmates she had not seen for over a year. Jillyan is ready for the increased interaction.
“I’m going to see my friends again,” she said, as two gave her greetings as she walked to her place in line. “I’m going to make new friends.”
Jasmin Harris, a health care worker in the cancer section at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, said she has concerns about the coming year for the children. She will feel better when youngsters under 12 are vaccine-eligible.
“I’m scared,” Harris said. “This pandemic is still going on.”
Glenwood fifth grader Liam Mendez also has mixed emotions about the start of school. He is looking forward to in-person learning, but worries about the pandemic.
“I’m feeling really optimistic and nervous at the same time,” Liam said. “I am going to be able to see my teachers now. I also know I don’t want to get sick.”
