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Photo courtesy Rabun County Schools. Jax Jackson, left, Asher Justice, Jordan Whipple and Kasi Jai Blalock from Mrs. Moore’s kindergarten class stand single-file in the hallway wearing masks during the first week of school as part of COVID-19 safety measures in the school system. One-direction hallways are part of the “new normal” for the school year.
TIGER--Rabun County Schools are back in session and school officials said that the first few days were successful.
“The first week of school was amazing,” said Superintendent April Childers in a statement. “Our teachers and staff went above and beyond to welcome students back to school and to keep them safe while at school. From temperature checks in the morning to eating lunch in classrooms, our students adjusted quickly and with Wildcat Pride have embraced the protocols to keep everyone safe and in school.”
At the Board of Education meeting last week, department heads and principals of each of the four schools discussed how the first few days went for their students.
“Students are excited to be back and teachers are excited to have them [back],” said Kechara Partin, Rabun County Middle School principal.
She said that she felt the drop-off went well and that traffic ran smoothly at her school.
Board of Education Chairman Steve Cabe addressed school officials at last Thursday’s meeting and thanked them for all of the hard work they put into planning for the year.
“I’d like to take a moment to thank you for all the work you have done,” Cabe said.
High school principal Justin Spillers said that every student was able to receive a mask with the Wildcat mascot on it. He also said that students were appreciative of the hard work of the teachers in preparing for the school year.
New procedures also means serving food differently and School Nutrition Director Kristin Schupp said that her staff has begun serving students in a way they haven’t before, and she praised her staff for a job well done.
“They have proven themselves again that they can do anything we throw at them,” Schupp said.
Each school principal gave statements about how the first few days of school went for their respective schools.
“We had a great start to the school year,” said Jay Fowler, Rabun County Primary School Principal. “Our plans to minimize exposure and enhance sanitation worked very smoothly. I have never seen a staff so excited to receive their students. Students were very excited to be back in the building and did not seem to mind getting their temperatures taken and wearing masks. Our parents have been very supportive of the efforts and have expressed appreciation for all that is being done to keep their children safe,” Fowler said in a statement.
Rabun County Elementary School Principal Jonathan Welch said that the beginning of the school year went well for his school also.
“The beginning of the school year has started exceptionally well,” Welch said in a statement. “The students and teachers have done a phenomenal job with new safety measures. One of our goals was to try and keep everything as normal as possible under the circumstances and I believe we have been able to achieve that.”
Spillers said in a statement that the start of the school year went well and praised teachers and staff for their hard work in implementing safety measures to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Students had to adjust to the new routine and Spillers said that it will take some getting used to.
“The biggest adjustments seem to be the one-direction hallways and the new dismissal location for parent pick-ups at the high school, but by Friday, everyone seemed to be settling in to the new routines,” Spillers said.
He also noted how impressed he was with students’ response to the safety measures.
“While face coverings for students are not mandatory, I was impressed by the number of students who chose to wear them throughout transitions and when indoors,” Spillers said.