A look inside a middle school classroom during the COVID-19 pandemic

Lexington Two plans on having some students in the classroom two days a week starting September 8

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — School districts across the state are gearing up for the start of another school year, with some having students back for face-to-face instruction.

Lexington Two plans on starting the year with two options for students: a blended/hybrid model where students learn online for three days and go into the classroom for two days, or an entirely virtual academy.

Some students at Northside Middle School were back in the classroom for one of the district’s five LEAP days. Middle schoolers toured the school, learned about new safety procedures in classrooms and common areas (like the cafeteria), and did some activities in the classroom.

It didn’t take long for some students to notice that this year will be just a bit different.

“Wearing masks and being six feet apart from all your friends is definitely a little weird,” said Brock Jones, an eighth grader at Northside Middle School.

Some say it will be tough to get used to new little details sprinkled throughout the day.

“Whenever your friend needs a pencil, you can’t give them something like that. You have to stay with your class and you can’t really switch classes, like you can but you have to switch classes with your class. You can’t hug them, can’t really get near them, so it’s been different,” said Madden Dickerson, a sixth grader at Northside Middle School. 

Lexington Two Superintendent Bill James wrote in a series of updates to parents that the hybrid/blended model is the safest approach to start the school year since it allows for only 50% of the student body to be in the building at one time. He wrote that the goal is to get back to traditional face-to-face instruction five days a week, but the only way for that to happen is if disease activity is classified as “low” in Lexington County according to the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).

As of Monday, Lexington County is one of seventeen counties classified by DHEC as having “medium” disease activity, meaning they could safely use a hybrid model of learning. DHEC says county with “high” disease activity should do entirely virtual learning, while those with “low” disease activity can go back to traditional face-to-face instruction five days a week. As of today, no county has been classified as having “low” disease activity.

At Northside Middle School, there are arrows encouraging a one-way traffic flow in the hallways and signs calling for students to social distance. Some of the more noticeable changes are right in the classroom.

“You will see classrooms that definitely don’t look like the normal, meaning socially-distant desks, fewer desks, fewer students,” said Matt Schilit, the Principal at Northside Middle School. 

Some teachers, like eighth grade science teacher Alise Boyd, say they are up to the challenge once the school year begins.

“The main thing to keep in mind is just being super, super flexible. A lot of kids really step up to plate, and a lot of teachers really step up to the plate because you have to in these situations,” Boyd said.

Schilit told ABC Columbia he is actively communicating with his staff about the safest ways to carry on with the school year, saying he is confident this year will go smoothly if everyone does their part.

“I tell my teachers and I mean it: all we can do is the best we can, and as long as we do that, we’ll be in good shape,” Schilit said.

The first day of school for all Lexington Two schools is September 8, the day after Labor Day.