The first day of school for Marshalltown Community School District students on Tuesday was a welcome event for district staff and students.

Miller Middle School Co-Principal Kristyn Kell said she thought the first day went really well. “We hope students felt welcomed and that we were excited to have them back — because we were,” she said. “Our teachers worked really hard to prepare for today and rolled with a lot of changes. Still lots to do, but it was great to be back at it!”

Kell said staff had smiles under their masks as they watched students walk in and interacted with them throughout the day.

“They may have been anxious or worried but it never showed,” she said. “So many teachers were willing to help and step in where and when needed.”

Miller Middle School Co-Principal Dave Glenn agreed the first day was great.

“It was just so refreshing and wonderful to actually see students back in Miller again,” Glenn said. “It’s been 187 days since we last held classes in Miller, so to say that we were anxious to get them back is a bit of an understatement. We tried to let students know how happy we were to see them come back and to provide a welcoming environment for them from the moment they arrived on campus.”

At Miller, there was music playing, staff greeting the students to the new year and words of encouragement spread around to help them navigate and learn the routines and travel patterns.

Glenn said teachers were flexible with everything going on and took a team approach to all of the things the district has asked them to adjust to in the hybrid attendance model.

Staff were not the only ones excited to be back in the hallowed education halls.

Glenn said many students shared the sentiment they had been gone longer than they would have liked, but teachers did a lot to make them feel welcome.

“With masks, it isn’t as easy to notice smiles, but if you look closely at the eyes, there were plenty of smiles to go around,” Glenn said.

Hoglan Elementary fourth-grade teacher Clare Wing said students were so excited to be back and be around peers again.

“While we – including me – were all nervous for the first day of school and being back in person, students were able to elaborate to me throughout the day that they were enjoying classroom routines and excited for a lot of the learning that would take place in fourth grade,” Wing said. “Many of my students shared that they were excited to learn multiplication this year and work with fractions. I checked in with each of my students multiple times throughout the day and they all had a sense of gratefulness and excitement for the year to come.”

What makes the 2020-21 school year so different is the COVID-19 pandemic and the numerous protections the district put into place, such as requiring masks, ensuring social distancing is followed, changing where lunch is eaten and more. The changes and the pandemic have created a lot of questions from students and parents. Even though the questions have been numerous, Wing said parents have been very kind.

“Parents have been so understanding and so kind to me personally about different routines and procedures we’ve implemented in the district this year for their student’s safety,” she said. “I will say that teachers and staff are still learning and still nativating how to successfully implement daily routines. I hope parents understand that every single district employee has added something to their routine that is unique and different than years prior. My hope is that parents can acknowledge this and the school district and families can work together to provide a high level of education to their students.”

Glenn asked parents to please be patient. Only half of the kids in the hybrid model went to school on Tuesday. The rest will have their first day of in-person classes on Thursday.

“The first day is really two days, and we have the bonus of doing it twice,” Glenn said. “The parents of our blue cohort of students will get to experience the same level of excitement and welcoming atmosphere on Thursday and Friday of this week. You just never know what the next day of school will bring and we’d like them to remember that we are here for them and for their children.”

The first day of school showed Wing that despite the uniqueness and challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Marshalltown Community School District will be able to handle it.

“This experience has really shaped my mindset – while there are some limitations we are capable of working through those limitations,” Wing said. “Having a positive mindset throughout this time has allowed me to continue my work at a high level.”

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.