OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The halls at Mary Our Queen Catholic Schools are busy with staffers making plans for the fall 2020 school year.
They're hoping that the empty classrooms will once again be filled with eager students, but saying they will be prepared either way.
"I've been taking part of a Google Classroom global initiative," said 4th grade teacher Joanna Meysenberg. "Learning how to communicate information to parents doing it at home."
Each classroom will have a sanitizing station, and they say they have plenty of other rooms that can be used for spacing students as well as taking advantage of their huge cafeteria when needed.
"For their fist time back, it is going to look very different," said Cindy Tooher, the school's communications director. "Protocols, safety, but also for their emotional well being. It is going to be the new normal. Drop off and pick up will look a lot different. We just want everyone to feel comfortable."
Although they are prepared for either scenario, they say they are looking forward to having kids back in the classroom.
"We are looking to make sure that if we need to go from that brick to click, that parents that need devices can check them out," said assistant principal Tara Peterson. "It is different when you see that light bulb goes off and and their eyes light up and the energy that goes along with that."
"The important thing is that we want the students to feel safe," Tooher said. "We want them to feel secure, and it is our opportunity as a school of faith to show that."
Classes at Mary Our Queen Catholic are scheduled to begin August 17. Whether kids will be in the classroom or learning remotely, they are monitoring the curve and will update parents and students as soon as they know for sure how fall 2020 will proceed.
