It’s the first day of school in East St. Louis. The BND will be there all year
It’s the first day of school in East St. Louis School District 189, and Wyvetter Younge Principal Brittany Green can’t believe how tall some of her students have gotten — it’s been almost a year and a half since she’s seen many of them in person.
While COVID-19 kept many metro-east students home for virtual learning for parts of last school year, local case numbers within the ZIP codes served by District 189 kept East St. Louis students home for longer. Even when students had the option to return in March, Green said more than half of her families opted to keep their students home.
Before the school year started Tuesday, Green said some families wanted to come into the schools to see for themselves what safety precautions would be taken this fall.
Students are in-person five days a week this year, but that’s not the only difference at Wyvetter Younge. The staff and students all transferred buildings from Gordon Bush Elementary, and added a new grade level: Over the next few years, Wyvetter Younge will retain its current sixth graders until it’s a K-8 school.
Despite all of the first day of school excitement, the pandemic has been traumatic for many school-aged children, especially those who weren’t able to attend class in-person and socialize with their peers.
“It’s our job to help them cope,” Green said.
In her sixth-grade classroom, teacher Cynthia Roller asked her students to write down any baggage they might have, big or small. When one boy says he doesn’t have any, she reminds him that he didn’t see his classmates for an entire year.
For the 2021-2022 school year, the Belleville News-Democrat will follow the Wyvetter Younge School of Excellence while its staff and students adjust back to in-person classes, looking at both academics and social-emotional health.
The year-long project will not only grant a deeper understanding of how COVID has impacted students, but will also give a holistic view of the processes that schools use to help address those problems and, ultimately, find solutions.
Wyvetter Younge was chosen because students in East St. Louis face particular educational challenges with the pandemic. Not only did COVID case numbers keep students home for longer, but the lack of internet infrastructure and accessibility made virtual learning even more difficult.
The staff and administration also have a proven track record with improving student outcomes, both for academics and social-emotional health. Given their past expertise and success, Wyvetter Younge is an environment especially well-suited to a project focused on long-term solutions.
Parents and community members with questions about this project or topics they want to see covered can reach Education Reporter Megan Valley at mvalley@bnd.com.
This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
