- April 24, 2024
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One of the biggest worries for Flagler Palm Coast High School Principal James Russell before the first day of school Aug. 24 was students’ compliance in wearing masks.
“We thought it was going to be push and tug,” he said.
But, on the first day, students did better than he imagined.
“Oh my gosh, yes,” he said.
Russell credited, in part, the messaging. For three weeks, there was a social media campaign to educate families, and there were phone calls. During the school day, there are announcements in between every class period to remind students to wear masks and to walk on the right side of the hallway to promote social distancing. Russell also talked to classes and staff directly.
“Look around the room,” he would say. “Many of the students in here are at risk of COVID, or they have a family member who is.” Wearing a mask is a way of showing you care about your school community, he suggested.
In one classroom offered for observation to the media on Aug. 25, co-teachers Dana Silvernail and Javier Bevacqua taught students the definition of biology. Every so often, Silvernail would look at her laptop and say, “How we doing, Zoom people?” She gave her five online-only students two thumbs up, and then she returned her gaze to the rest of the class.
Some teachers are concerned about being in the classroom — 13 are on leave at FPC — but Silvernail said she was glad classes had resumed.
Russell said this class was fortunate in one respect: With two teachers, they have a backup plan if one teacher gets COVID-19 and has to quarantine for two weeks. Not all classes are as fortunate, and all teachers are expected to post their curriculum online to enable a substitute to take over as needed.
“We have to plan to pivot,” Russell said.
Silvernail and Bevacqua's classroom was less than ideal for another reason: It was too small to provide 6 feet in between each student. That meant everyone had to wear a mask for the entire class period.
And despite the enrollment dropping to about 1,700 from 2,600 last year, this class is not alone.
“In many classes, we can’t get 6 feet,” Russell said. Outdoor activities are encouraged to give students mask breaks.
He also showed the media the cafeteria, which last year served 400 at a time and now should serve 180, with some students moved to the risers in the gym for lunch time.
Ironically, he said, “The safest place is the classroom. In here, where people eat, they don’t wear a mask.”
Other protocols are still being decided. For example, what happens if a teacher does get COVID-19 but feels healthy? Does the teacher transition to online instruction?
Also, is there a tipping point for closing the entire school? The state Department of Education, as of now, requires schools to offer in-person instruction. That requirement is being challenged in court.
“It’s a little frustrating,” Communication Specialist Jason Wheeler said. “Everyone wants to know the magic number, and we don’t have that right now.”
Wheeler said Flagler Schools is planning to be transparent about COVID-19 cases. If anyone in a school tests positive, an email will go out to every family in the school. The Department of Health will then conduct contact tracing, so those who were identified as being in close contact with a positive student or staff member would be notified of any further need to isolate.
Although Russell said teachers will get into a routine within a month, he can understand how the unanswered questions can be unsettling.
"I have never had so much time to prepare, yet I feel so unprepared," he said.
