GREECE, N.Y. — Some school districts in Monroe County are going back to having all elementary students in their classrooms five days a week.
Others like Greece Central School District have elementary students going back four days a week, with Wednesday as a cleaning day at the schools and a virtual day for students. However, being back with all your classmates four days a week still makes a big difference for students like those at Pine Brook Elementary School.
Second-grader Skylar Barend said the best part is being able to see all of her friends, and for Skylar's mom Shannon, going back for more days of the week means getting a little closer to a normal work and school schedule.
“I’m ecstatic. I can actually go to my job and they can do their job here,” said Shannon. “My daughter also doesn’t think I’m a very good teacher. They go to schools to be teachers. I did not. I could not handle it. I don’t know how they do it.”
Some others have mixed feelings about going in for more in-person learning.
"I mean I never expected it to be like this again. I always thought it would just stay two days and I never thought that life would really go back to normal,” said fifth-grader Emina Nujicic. "I kind of like staying home three days a week instead and just going in-person two days. I just kind of like staying safe, staying 6 feet instead of 3 feet now."
New York state guidelines determined that elementary students can be socially distanced 3 feet versus 6, which is what allowed schools to start transitioning to more normal classrooms.
Greece CSD Superintendent Kathy Graupman said fewer than 8% of the district has decided to remain remote.
"I think we're really excited about really being able to not only get them together from a social-emotional perspective and get that support,” said Graupman, “but also really be able to target academics and maybe what they haven't gotten because of this year being so different and challenging."
Graupman said by next fall she's confident that students will be able to be back five days a week.