LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Empty classrooms no more.
Around the valley, teachers welcomed back thousands of pre-k to third grade students.
The first day back was met with great anticipation.
Clark County School District expects to see more students come in for face-to-face in the coming weeks
For the first time in almost a year, Kristen Nigro is back in her classroom.
"It was like a breath of fresh air. Yes, was it stressful? Absolutely. Was it exciting? Absolutely. Just having these kids in front of me and secure those bonds. It was amazing," says Nigro, CCSD kindergarten teacher
Today, she had to juggle students in the classroom and remote at the same time. Now that they have one day under their belt, she expects things to flow better.
"Getting these kids back in the classroom is that first step. I’m really excited to have them back. I know it’s really going to support their academic, as well as their social and emotional learning. It’s huge." said Nigro
CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara says the day went great, all things considered.
"We saw our babies in school. It was really an exciting day," Dr. Jara told us
99% of the buses showed up on time.
45% of the pre-K through third students are back in the classroom.
The other 55% chose to continue learning from home.
"We have to provide choice. Even with the vaccine, we go slow and then start seeing the face-to-face instruction. My thinking at this point is that we are still going to have families that opt for distance education so we are going to have to find a way to provide that for our families," says Dr. Jara
As CCSD continues to ramp up in-person classes, the district promises no child will go hungry.
Food distribution sites will continue to hand out meals to kids who are distance learning while the other students will eat on campus.
Social distancing will still be strictly enforced and mitigation efforts will not be relaxed.
About half of the staff have been vaccinated, but it’s not required.
