New Hanover County’s littlest learners adjust to hybrid school schedule

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Things are starting to feel a bit more normal as students are returning to the classroom, even though they are in small groups.

WWAY checked in at Dorothy B. Johnson Pre-K Center to find out how Plan B is working for the littlest learners.

This re-opening schedule allows Group A to attend school on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Group B to attend on Thursdays and Fridays, leaving Wednesday for virtual-only learning.

Principal Dr. Karen McCarty says the students are learning to interact in a new way.

“The kids are challenged by, you know, we can’t hug them, we can’t high five them,” McCarty said. “We’re teaching them the elbow bump.”

She says the students aren’t bothered by wearing the masks throughout the day and the teachers have stepped up their cleaning routines by sanitizing high-touch surfaces every hour.

Even so, they say the masks and the cleaning have not been the biggest challenges they’ve faced.

“Since we’re not big on technology here at the Pre-K level, adjusting to the remote instruction with the limited amount of technology we do have in our building has been one of the biggest challenges not only for our teachers but also for our families,” McCarty said. “The students just kind of seem to roll with it.”

Teachers like David Nash are glad to have them back in the classroom.

“They’re getting more interaction with their peers and we can interact,” Nash said. “It’s easier to see what kinds of things they can do versus guessing sometimes over the zoom.”

Nash says many parents still have concerns and are choosing to keep their children at home. He says he’s one of them.

“It goes both ways, being with these kids in the classroom makes me more mindful at home and being at home with my kids makes me more mindful of my children in the classroom,” Nash said.

Mindful and grateful to be back.

“It’s just good to get them back in here and get that face-to-face interaction for me because I can see their needs and I can work on meeting their needs,” Nash said.