This Las Vegas school shows off safety protocols to welcome students back

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Steve Marcus

Physical education instructor Aimee Adams tapes off a drinking fountain during a tour of Goolsby Elementary School Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021.

Tue, Feb 23, 2021 (4:02 p.m.)

Tour of Goolsby Elementary School

A social distancing marker is shown in a hallway at Goolsby Elementary School Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021. Launch slideshow »

Jesus Jara, superintendent of the Clark County School District, visited Goolsby Elementary School in Las Vegas on Tuesday afternoon to see what safety protocols were in place to welcome students back next week.

He came away impressed.

Teachers were equipped with thermometers to check the temperature of the children when they enter the classroom, which will reopen Monday to in-person learning after nearly a year of closures because of the pandemic.

The school staff is also armed with sanitizing wipes and other cleaning supplies, desks are placed at least 6 feet apart and teachers will sport custom-made face masks with the school name on them.

“Obviously the protocols that you’ve seen in place today, those have been communicated and I trust that the leaders in our schools have communicated that with their families,” Jara said.

The hybrid learning for students in preschool through third grade allows for some students to attend school in-person Mondays and Tuesdays, while others will be on campus Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays are reserved for deep cleaning.

Other grade levels could follow this spring.

“We are so excited to come back. There is no apprehension. No fear, no nervousness. I have parents telling me their backpacks are already packed,” said Jennifer Shenkberger, who teaches third grade.

Danny Eichelberger, the Goolsby principal, showed off his campus to Jara with a great sense of pride. The superintendent saw three classrooms and visited with a handful of educators.

“He was just really interested in the teachers, their comfort level and how they felt about the support they received and the technology that was available to them,” Eichelberger said

Of the 491 students who are eligible to return to campus, 338 have indicated they will. That includes: 33 out of 51 preschoolers; 50 of 87 in kindergarten; 78 of 110 in first grade; 92 of 115 in second; and 85 of 128 in third grade. The maximum number of students in a classroom is 12, as opposed to the usual 17 to 22.

Eichelberger said 95% of the school’s teachers are also back on campus — those deemed at high risk for coronavirus remain at home.

Students will arrive at a campus that’s set up differently. There are orange signs directing students where to line up to enter the classroom, and spaces marked 6 feet apart for the children to wait in line. There’s also instructions as to which doors students use to enter the school and exit, which should curb face-to-face interaction. Water fountains are turned off.

“Multitouch features aren’t going to be a temptation,” Eichelberger said while standing near a playground and water fountain taped off like a crime scene.

Eichelberger took satisfaction knowing that Jara felt at ease about the return after visiting his campus.

“He left very confident that there was an extreme amount of preparation,” he said.

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