By Collin Breaux
For the first time since March, Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) students are back on campuses for in-person learning.
Elementary students began returning to campus last week, as part of a phased resumption of in-person instruction. Middle school returns started on Tuesday, Oct. 6, and high school is slated to start on Oct. 13.
Palisades Elementary School students wore masks and practiced social distancing in their classrooms on Friday, Oct. 2. Principal Lisa Baggio said students know where to sit and stand in line based on marked spots, and the movement of students from class to class has been excellent.
“We have a really good plan in place,” Baggio said. “We have one-way hallways. The teachers know the routine between sessions.”
Kindergarten teacher Kim Van Dixhorn said she was emotionally moved to see students face-to-face again after “six long months” of physical separation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s what’s good for these kids, and it feels so good to be back in the classroom with them and see them leave and say, ‘I can’t wait to come back tomorrow,’ ” Dixhorn said. “Parents have sent really nice messages about how happy the kids are. We’ve transitioned beautifully.”
Dixhorn said she can give direct instruction and meet individual needs quicker through in-person instruction than she can online.
CUSD students began the 2020-21 school year on Aug. 18 with virtual learning, which they had utilized since March after the CUSD Board of Trustees voted to close campuses as the coronavirus spread.
Students and teachers have variously said they are ready to safely return to in-person instruction, though health concerns have been raised by other teachers and parents.
Under a flexible reopening plan trustees approved in July, students still have the option of online learning if they so choose. Teachers who commented during recent Board of Trustees meetings said having to teach both in-person and online classes is a strain on them.
In-person classroom sizes will be limited, and students’ temperatures will be taken by a teacher or staff member prior to a first session, first class or when boarding the bus.
A student discipline plan is in place for not wearing facial coverings.
Students at the elementary school level will receive three warnings and then be reassigned to 100% online learning after the fourth violation. Students at the secondary level will receive two warnings and then be reassigned to 100% online learning after the third violation.
Crossing guards have also returned to campuses. The reopening plans are in accordance with the state’s new color-coded, four-tiered coronavirus monitoring system. Orange County remained in the red tier—the second-highest, risk-level tier that permits some reopenings and operations—as of this posting.
Take the masks off these kids for God’s sake. They are healthy. They don’t get sick from Covid. If you worry about transmission.. keep your kids home. Let healthy kids from healthy families go to school without the dirty disgusting masks. How dumb can we get here????
Attitudes like this are the reason the US #1 in the world!
WITH COVID19 CASES & DEATHS
GET A WASHABLE MASK.
United States 7,780,586 216,889 North America
India 6,835,655 105,554 Asia
Brazil 5,002,357 148,304 South America
Russia 1,260,112 22,056 Europe
Colombia 877,683 27,180 South America
Spain 872,276 32,562 Europe
Argentina 840,915 22,226 South America
Peru 835,662 33,009 South America
Mexico 799,188 82,726 North America
South Africa 685,155 17,248 Africa
France 653,509 32,445 Europe
United Kingdom 544,275 42,515 Europe
Iran 488,236 27,888 Asia
Chile 474,440 13,090 South America
Iraq 394,566 9,683 Asia
Bangladesh 374,592 5,460 Asia
Saudi Arabia 338,132 4,972 Asia
Italy 333,940 36,061 Europe
Philippines 331,869 6,069 Asia
Turkey 329,138 8,609 Asia
Indonesia 320,564 11,580 Asia
Pakistan 316,934 6,544 Asia
Germany 311,331 9,652 Europe
Israel 283,532 1,846 Asia
Ukraine 244,734 4,690 Europe
Canada 173,123 9,541 North America
Netherlands 155,810 6,531 Europe
Romania 145,700 5,247 Europe
Ecuador 143,531 11,743 South America
Morocco 140,024 2,439 Africa
Belgium 137,868 10,108 Europe
Bolivia 137,706 8,192 South America
Qatar 127,394 218 Asia
Panama 117,300 2,448 North America
Dominican Republic 116,148 2,159 North America
Poland 111,599 2,867 Europe
Kuwait 109,441 642 Asia
Kazakhstan 108,454 1,746 Asia
Oman 104,129 1,009 Asia
Egypt 104,035 6,010 Africa
United Arab Emirates 102,929 438 Asia
Nepal 98,617 590 Asia
Sweden 97,532 5,892 Europe
Guatemala 95,704 3,335 North America
Czech Republic (Czechia) 95,360 829 Europe
Japan (+Diamond Princess) 87,255 1,618 Asia
China 85,500 4,634 Asia
Costa Rica 83,497 1,024 North America
Belarus 81,505 874 Europe
Portugal 81,256 2,040 Europe
Honduras 81,016 2,466 North America
Ethiopia 80,895 1,255 Africa
Venezuela 80,404 671 South America
Bahrain 73,932 262 Asia
Uzbekistan 59,905 494 Asia
Nigeria 59,738 1,113 Africa
Switzerland 58,881 2,084 Europe
Moldova 58,794 1,406 Europe
Singapore 57,849 27 Asia
Armenia 54,473 1,004 Asia
Algeria 52,520 1,771 Africa
Austria 52,057 838 Europe
Lebanon 48,377 433 Asia
Kyrgyzstan 48,342 1,073 Asia
Ghana 46,829 303 Africa
Paraguay 46,435 989 South America
State of Palestine 43,256 359 Asia
Azerbaijan 41,304 603 Asia
Libya 40,292 616 Africa
Kenya 39,907 748 Africa
Afghanistan 39,616 1,470 Asia
Ireland 39,584 1,816 Europe
Serbia 34,344 760 Europe
Hungary 34,046 898 Europe
Denmark 31,156 665 Europe
El Salvador 29,842 877 North America
Bosnia and Herzegovina 29,528 913 Europe
Australia 27,204 897 Australia/Oceania
Tunisia 24,542 364 Africa
South Korea 24,422 427 Asia
Bulgaria 22,743 873 Europe
Myanmar 21,433 510 Asia
Greece 20,947 424 Europe
Cameroon 20,924 420 Africa
Jordan 20,200 131 Asia
Côte d’Ivoire 19,935 120 Africa
North Macedonia 19,413 772 Europe
Croatia 18,989 310 Europe
Madagascar 16,654 235 Africa
Slovakia 15,726 57 Europe
Zambia 15,224 335 Africa
Senegal 15,190 313 Africa
Norway 15,013 275 Europe
Albania 14,730 407 Europe
Malaysia 14,368 146 Asia
Sudan 13,668 836 Africa
Montenegro 12,794 190 Europe
Namibia 11,714 126 Africa
Finland 11,345 346 Europe
Guinea 10,863 68 Africa
DR Congo 10,804 276 Africa
Maldives 10,656 34 Asia
Georgia 10,225 66 Asia
French Guiana 10,103 69 South America
Tajikistan 10,055 78 Asia
Mozambique 9,494 68 Africa
Uganda 9,442 85 Africa
Luxembourg 9,119 128 Europe
Haiti 8,838 229 North America
Gabon 8,815 54 Africa
Zimbabwe 7,919 229 Africa
Mauritania 7,535 162 Africa
Slovenia 7,507 160 Europe
Jamaica 7,191 126 North America
Cabo Verde 6,624 71 Africa
Guadeloupe 6,319 77 North America
Cuba 5,898 123 North America
Malawi 5,803 180 Africa
Angola 5,725 211 Africa
Lithuania 5,625 102 Europe
Eswatini 5,617 113 Africa
Djibouti 5,423 61 Africa
Nicaragua 5,264 153 North America
Hong Kong 5,162 105 Asia
Congo 5,089 89 Africa
Equatorial Guinea 5,052 83 Africa
Suriname 4,979 106 South America
Trinidad and Tobago 4,887 84 North America
Rwanda 4,883 29 Africa
Central African Republic 4,852 62 Africa
Bahamas 4,713 102 North America
Syria 4,504 212 Asia
Sri Lanka 4,459 13 Asia
Réunion 4,385 16 Africa
Aruba 4,133 31 North America
Mayotte 3,892 42 Africa
Estonia 3,760 67 Europe
Somalia 3,745 99 Africa
Thailand 3,622 59 Asia
Gambia 3,613 117 Africa
Malta 3,506 41 Europe
Guyana 3,292 95 South America
Mali 3,210 131 Africa
Botswana 3,172 18 Africa
Iceland 3,172 10 Europe
South Sudan 2,748 50 Africa
Andorra 2,568 53 Europe
Benin 2,411 41 Africa
Guinea-Bissau 2,385 40 Africa
Latvia 2,370 40 Europe
French Polynesia 2,358 10 Australia/Oceania
Belize 2,310 34 North America
Sierra Leone 2,287 72 Africa
Burkina Faso 2,222 59 Africa
Uruguay 2,206 49 South America
Yemen 2,049 593 Asia
Togo 1,898 49 Africa
Cyprus 1,897 24 Asia
New Zealand 1,864 25 Australia/Oceania
Martinique 1,851 22 North America
Lesotho 1,767 40 Africa
Liberia 1,360 82 Africa
Chad 1,251 89 Africa
Niger 1,200 69 Africa
Vietnam 1,099 35 Asia
Sao Tome & Principe 914 15 Africa
San Marino 732 42 Europe
Channel Islands 698 48 Europe
Sint Maarten 698 22 North America
Turks and Caicos 695 6 North America
Papua New Guinea 541 7 Australia/Oceania
Taiwan 524 7 Asia
Burundi 515 1 Africa
Tanzania 509 21 Africa
Curaçao 505 1 North America
Comoros 491 7 Africa
Faeroe Islands 477 0 Europe
Gibraltar 452 0 Europe
Saint Martin 412 8 North America
Eritrea 398 0 Africa
Mauritius 395 10 Africa
Isle of Man 345 24 Europe
Mongolia 315 0 Asia
Bhutan 304 0 Asia
Cambodia 281 0 Asia
Monaco 227 2 Europe
Cayman Islands 213 1 North America
Barbados 203 7 North America
Bermuda 181 9 North America
Seychelles 148 0 Africa
Brunei 146 3 Asia
Caribbean Netherlands 141 2 North America
Liechtenstein 135 1 Europe
Antigua and Barbuda 108 3 North America
British Virgin Islands 71 1 North America
St. Vincent & Grenadines 64 0 North America
Saint Barthelemy 62 0 North America
Macao 46 0 Asia
Fiji 32 2 Australia/Oceania
Dominica 31 0 North America
Timor-Leste 28 0 Asia
Saint Lucia 28 0 North America
New Caledonia 27 0 Australia/Oceania
Grenada 24 0 North America
Laos 23 0 Asia
Saint Kitts & Nevis 19 0 North America
Saint Pierre & Miquelon 16 0 North America
Greenland 15 0 North America
Montserrat 13 1 North America
Falkland Islands 13 0 South America
Holy See 12 0 Europe
Western Sahara 10 1 Africa
MS Zaandam 9 2
Anguilla 3 0 North America
Solomon Islands 1 0 Australia/Oceania