DUNCANVILLE, Texas — The first day of a new school year invited hundreds of smiling faces across Duncanville ISD on Monday.
Students and teachers arrived at campuses that were adorned with signs, banners, and festive decorations welcoming them to the 2021-2022 school year.
“We wanted them to feel welcome,” Charles Acton Leadership Academy Principal Jessica Linwood said.
Linwood and her team paid great attention to detail as students returned to campus for full in-person instruction. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many teachers and students to spend the last school year apart. The last school year primarily included virtual classes.
“We’ve got changes to our environment. From the outside to the inside,” Linwood said.
Students flooded halls and filed into classes. Administrators said safety measures are top of mind. Many children wore masks, though school districts cannot require wearing them. Officials and parents are also taking other steps.
“Some [parents] have sent water bottles, for example, if they don’t want their student to use the water fountain. In the classrooms, there’s an option of shields for some students if they need that. And we have them sitting nicely apart when they’re in the cafeteria having lunch,” Linwood said.
Duncanville ISD administrators said a large number of students have enrolled for the 2021-2022 school year, and showed up for the first day of classes. That is a positive sign, considering the school district focused a lot of energy on getting students to return.
Now, teachers will shift some efforts to gauging where students stand academically. As Linwood explained, that includes making sure the scholars on her campus strive for unstoppable excellence.