By Pennie Wredberg – Fort Morgan, Colorado …How do you open a school that has been online for the last five months? That was the question facing the school board in Fort Morgan, Colorado.
Lighthouse Seventh-day Adventist Christian School transitioned to online learning in the month of March, right before spring break. The Fort Morgan church and the school remained empty, creating a time capsule for the next few months. “Dust gathered on desks, the copy machine remained off, and the doorbell never rang to let in happy students,” commented Pennie Wredberg, the head teacher.
When the school board received word, that in person classes would resume in the month of August, a plan was implemented to open the doors, while keeping students safe. It involved some changes to the layout of the building and procedures that would have to be followed.
To allow for social distancing, the lower grade classroom moved to the church’s fellowship hall. Volunteers gathered to help transform the place where church social events happened to a functioning classroom. The walls were given a fresh coat of paint and window screens were installed to allow for cross ventilation. Sneeze guards were designed and created to go around the desks, so that the students had a safe place to learn.
In the kindergarten classroom desks were turned into rocket ships, with plexiglass as the windows for space viewing.
After hours of planning and redesigning the classrooms, Lighthouse was ready to welcome back students from the long spring break knowing that this year was going to be different from other years, with students in grade level cohorts, temperature checks before entering the building, and not being able to eat lunch or play soccer all together.
“Instead of bemoaning about the differences, educators are focusing on joy and how God has been taking care of everyone,” Wredberg added.
—Pennie Wredberg is head teacher at Lighthouse Seventh-day Adventist Christian School; photos supplied
