we are all learning how to deal with it . I know our students and staff are all excited to get back to “ normal ”. What has changed from the way you all used to approach things , philosophically speaking ? We need students in schools . We have to improve on student attendance . One of the greatest lessons we have learned through this pandemic has been the impact on students ’ social emotional learning and we will be focusing on that this year .
Jimmy Dyehouse : My team is so excited to get to start on a new school year where COVID isn ’ t the main topic of discussion . We have worked hard the last 2 years to offer our students as much normalcy as possible and feel that we were successful in that endeavor . However , getting to completely dedicate our time and energy to effective instruction and meeting students ’ needs is refreshing . I think we will always keep some of the routines we adopted in place just because they make sense and keep our students and faculty safe . But overall , we are back to business as usual at Science Hill .
Kyle Lively : We look forward to opening the 2022-23 school year in a traditional format . Fortunately , we were able to offer students , staff , and parents a normal school model for the majority of the 2021-22 school year . However , we have learned that there are no guarantees during a pandemic and being adaptable is crucial to providing uninterrupted educational services .
2 . Are you keeping any COVID protocols in place moving forward ?
PR : We will continue to monitor covid spread and adjust covid protocols as needed . What do students and teachers like , and what do they most want to go back to normal ? Students want to see their friends and be able to have unrestricted opportunities from Covid protocols . I believe those things will go a long way to getting back to normal . Staff and students both want to return to schedules that meet their best learning styles . Those styles that do not restrict the movement and instructional implementation are the most effective for student learning .
JD : Our school family is looking forward to getting back to normal routines where social distancing and masking is not the first item of business . Learning is an active process and students need to be able to interact with peers and teachers as they develop understanding . For the most part , we had those routines in place during the 2021-22 school year and are excited to continue them in the upcoming year . There will be a few things that COVID
8 • SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky august 2022