Seamless Transition To Face-To Face Classes At Chalky Hill Primary And Infant

Principal of the Chalky Hill Primary and Infant School in St. Ann, Christine Badal-McBean, is reporting that things have been “running smoothly” since the resumption of face-to-face classes at the institution on Monday (November 8).

She told JIS News that students and teachers have made the transition from online classes to physical interaction in a near seamless manner, and there has been strict enforcement of the health and safety protocols, including mask wearing, social distancing and proper washing of hands.

She noted that a little over 50 per cent of the 128-student population has turned out for in-person classes, but the numbers are expected to increase over the coming weeks.

“Of course, the parents want their children to get back to school. There are, however, some levels of apprehension, especially knowing that we are still in a pandemic and many students have to take public transportation to get to school,” she noted.

“Also, one of the things we are recognising is that the reopening was a bit sudden for some parents. When we called to advise them that we were up for the reopening of  school some of them stated that they were not adequately prepared and [would need time to sort themselves out].”

Mrs. Badal-McBean further pointed out that the matter of the school being in a transitional period, where there has been a change of uniform, could have been a factor affecting the turnout, as some pupils would have outgrown the previous uniforms and would need some time to obtain the new attire.

“We told parents that the students could wear the old uniform or, say, a pair of jeans with a white top as a substitute for the new uniform. I think that come next week we will see a better turnout,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Principal is commending the teachers for keeping students focused during “one of the most difficult periods for education in our nation’s history”.

“There’s a huge difference between online courses and face-to-face interaction. Our teachers have had to improve their skills in information technology while preparing their courses and doing their lesson plans. They have had to go beyond the call of duty to ensure that our students are getting the best education possible during these difficult times,” she noted.

For her part, Chairman of the school board, Genevor Gordon-Baily, said she is happy that in-person classes have resumed, noting that working parents can now be assured that their children are getting proper attention and supervision, and students are again engaging with their classmates and teachers face-to-face.

“This is simply a win-win for everybody. I visited the school, and everything appears to be in place for a successful term,” she told JIS News.