Transitional kindergartners Hunter Shelton, left, and
Charolette Rheault are greeted by their teacher, Stacy Schmitz, on the first day of in-person learning at Weaver Elementary School in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Playgrounds were closed and new hand-washing stations dotted campuses as the Los Alamitos Unified School District welcomed its younger students back to campus on Tuesday, Sept. 8 – the first public school district in Orange County to resume some in-person learning.
The district used a waiver it had applied for, and received, from the California Department of Public Health to return elementary school students to their classrooms for the first time since March when, across California, students were sent to learn from home as the coronavirus pandemic took hold. The new school year started for the district Aug. 31 in distance-learning mode.
Kindergartners Mia Mata, 5, waits in line as teacher organize their students on the first day of in-person learning at Weaver Elementary School in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kindergartners Emma Campos-Arzakanyan walks in to school with her father, Victor Campos, on the first day of in-person learning at Weaver Elementary School in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kindergarten and TK teachers organize their students on the first day of in-person learning at Weaver Elementary School in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Transitional kindergartners Hunter Shelton, left, and
Charolette Rheault are greeted by their teacher, Stacy Schmitz, on the first day of in-person learning at Weaver Elementary School in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Marady Martin, 5, holds onto her father, Lucius Martin, as they wait to enter Weaver Elementary School on the first day of in-person learning in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Parents and students wait to enter Weaver Elementary School on the first day of in-person learning in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Marady Martin, 5, holds onto her father, Lucius Martin, as they wait to enter Weaver Elementary School on the first day of in-person learning in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kindergartner Jameson Nocon, 5, walks in to school with on the first day of in-person learning at Weaver Elementary School in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Transitional kindergartners Hunter Shelton, left, and
Charolette Rheault rub in hand sanitizer as they walk in to school on the first day of in-person learning at Weaver Elementary School in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kindergarten teacher Suzi Han greets students at Weaver Elementary School on the first day of in-person learning in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kindergartner Austin Gold, 5, poses for a picture for his mother, Cindy Gold, on the first day of in-person learning at Weaver Elementary School in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Transitional kindergartners Hunter Shelton, left, and
Charolette Rheault walk in to school on the first day of in-person learning at Weaver Elementary School in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Parents and students wait to enter Weaver Elementary School on the first day of in-person learning in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Transitional kindergartner Caleb Simon, 4, waits with fellow students outside Weaver Elementary School on the first day of in-person learning in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kindergartner Jameson Nocon, 5, walks in to school with his mother, Cynthia Nocon on the first day of in-person learning at Weaver Elementary School in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Transitional kindergartner Stella Aguilar, 5, right, waves goodbye to her parents, Bobby and Cher Aguilar, as she heads off to class on the first day of in-person learning at Weaver Elementary School in Rossmoor, CA, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The Los Alamitos Unified School District is the first public school to return to classrooms in Orange County. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Audrey Kim, a parent of two Weaver Elementary School students, said the first day back went pretty smoothly.
“When we dropped them off, they had designated gates by last name so there’s less kids going in through gates at different times,” Kim said. “I think all the kids I saw today had masks on and social distanced as best they could, so I think the district has done a really good job.”
The district has a combined enrollment of 3,500 elementary school students at six campuses. On Tuesday, 2,800 students returned to school in-person; parents could also choose to have their children attend an online academy for the year.
The district previously announced tentative plans to open its McAuliffe and Oak middles schools for in-person instruction on Sept. 22, while Los Alamitos High would follow on Sept. 29.
Elementary school students have been divided into two groups, AM and PM, that take turns each day learning on campus for three hours. Students in special education classes have also returned to in-person learning.
Officials said classes will remain together with one teacher and should not come into contact with any other groups.
Kim said she and her husband have had to juggle their work schedules as best they could as Jonah, in transitional kindergarten, and Caleb, in second grade, started a new school year.
“We’re working parents, and if we keep the kids home, we have to have some sort of outside childcare so we have to factor that in too,” Kim said.
“I think there’s definitely mixed feelings about it,” she said. “I worry about my kids’ safety of course, but at the same time I think it’s important for them to go to school and be with their peers.”
Superintendent Andrew Pulver said only 23% of the district’s families wanted their students to learn solely through its new LosAL@home virtual program.
Families were able to tour the Los Alamitos campuses over the Labor Day weekend for students to familiarize themselves with the classroom locations, entrance and exit procedures and changes made to prevent student crowding.
The new safety precautions require all school staff to complete COVID-19 safety training, which provides detailed restrictions for students, staff and parents, officials said.
Face masks are required on campus at all times except during physical activities and eating. There are one-way directional paths and social distancing markers all around to reduce the concentration of students in one spot and there are also isolation areas for anyone who may be feeling ill.
Parents will have responsibility for monitoring their child’s health and students will have their temperature checked before entering classrooms. Outside of picking up and dropping off their students, parents and non-essential visitors are not allowed on campus.
Students are currently not allowed to use playground equipment and water fountains have been sealed off or shut down. New portable hand washing stations can be found all around and every classroom is stocked with sanitizing supplies, officials said.
“I am deeply proud of the extraordinary team effort that brought us back here. Months of planning and problem solving by a district-wide committee to make sure we could safely reunite. Countless hours by teachers completely reimagining classroom instruction. Tireless efforts by our maintenance professionals to thoroughly sanitize our campuses and reconfigure them to maximize student safety,” Pulver said in a statement released Tuesday. “This is a very big day. We are prepared. We are pleased to welcome our students back on campus. We are truly better together.”
