Jennings Schools Enter Third Week Of Safe Return To Classroom

Many Green Country Schools are getting ready to head back to school this week, while other students, like those in Jennings, have already been in class for three weeks now.

Jennings is a small school district that serves students in grades Pre K through 8th.

So far, administrators said they’ve been lucky to have no positive classes, but they believe their secret to success is communication. 

“Those proactive steps can help eliminate the opportunity for COVID to trickle into the school,” said Jennings Superintendent Derrick Meador.

Superintendent Meador said the first three weeks of school have gone fairly smooth, but there have been a few hiccups. He said they’ve been keeping close track of the cases around them and encouraging people to be aware of who they’re coming into contact with. 

“We’re trying to keep a two way dialogue with our families encouraging them to let us know anything,” said Meador.

Jennings has smaller class sizes, but they believe those numbers are playing to their advantage. 

“I think if it was in a bigger school then it would be harder to control,” said 7th Grader, Cambree Hornback.

Hornback said she’s happy she’s able to be back with her friends, but the school day does look a little different this year. 

“Every time after we eat or in between classes we usually wash our hands and then go back to class,” said Hornback.

They’re also disinfecting high-touch surfaces and encouraging students to keep their distance, but sometimes staying apart can be a little harder for younger students. 

“I teach them to hold their buckle so when we walk in line we hold our buckle so we aren’t touching the wall and we aren’t touching our friends,” said Jennings Pre-K Teacher, Alice Lee.

Jennings Pre-K Teacher Alice Lee said it’s been harder for her students to understand some of the extra protocols in place, so she’s encouraging other teachers to stay positive and be patient throughout the process. 

“We’re all learning as we go and evolving as we go and learning something new every day, so just do your best and that is the best,” said Lee.

Jennings functions on a 4-day school week and said they have a few virtual days built into their calendar.

They also received some grants from the state for technology improvements to help with the virtual format.