Students from Lynnfield, Nahant, Peabody and Swampscott all went back to school in person this week; classes started on Monday for Peabody, Tuesday for Nahant, and Wednesday for both Lynnfield and Swampscott.
“Everyone had that first-day-of-kindergarten level of excitement,” said Jason Calichman, the principal for Swampscott Middle School. “It was just so good to see kids in the hallways and in class again.”
Principals and superintendents across the four school systems all said there was excitement in the air as students settled into their first days.
“The excitement from students, faculty, and families was palpable from dropoff right through the school day,” said Swampscott Superintendent of Schools Pamela Angelakis. “Students were as excited to be back in person as we all were to have them here.”
In Nahant, it was more of a unique experience. Johnson School was one of the only schools to always have in-person learning during 2020. The elementary school is the only school in town; middle- and high-school students attend Swampscott Public Schools.
Nahant School Committee Chair Regina Laine said the district is feeling confident heading into the school year.
“Everybody’s pretty excited to get back to school this year,” said Laine. “This year, people are confident and happy to have their kids in school. We’re obviously really grateful to have excellent staff at the Johnson School who take our children’s safety first and also are very supportive of learning.
“So we were really grateful to have such a great group of teachers and staff last year that were willing to go into the classroom from the get-go. Staff and students, everybody seemed pretty excited and ready to learn when they went back to school yesterday.”
Schools are still following guidelines put in place by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Currently, there is a mask mandate until Oct. 1 for all K-12 public schools, but no social-distancing requirement.
In accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, Nahant students are wearing masks when indoors and all staff, regardless of vaccination status, are wearing masks.
Lynnfield Superintendent of Schools Kristen Vogel said that the schools will try to maintain social distancing when possible; lunches will be held outdoors, students will be allowed outdoor mask breaks and classes will be held outside when weather permits.
Angelakis said Swampscott will also follow social distancing whenever possible.
Lynnfield and Peabody schools will be participating in Test and Stay, a program that allows schools to administer COVID-19 tests to students who exhibit symptoms or who have had close contact with an infected person.
The Peabody school district will also be offering Peabody P.R.E.P., a remote learning academy that 120 students have enrolled in. Peabody was one of seven towns in Massachusetts to receive funding from DESE for the online program.
“There are families that really wanted a virtual option and we’re happy to offer it,” said Peabody Superintendent of Schools Dr. Josh Vadala. “(Virtual learning is) not for everyone but it does fill a niche.”
Despite most schools not having an in-person first day, students and faculty in Swampscott are excited to continue the year in a more traditional fashion, said Angelakis.
“We couldn’t have been happier to welcome our students back to school in person today,” Angelakis said. “We’ve missed their energy and enthusiasm and are looking forward to a phenomenal year together.”
Item reporter Sam Minton contributed to this story.
