Riverview School District returns to full-time, in-person instruction; online still an option

Riverview School District teachers and staff welcomed students back to full-time, in-person instruction Tuesday.

There were treats, gifts and rounds of applause awaiting the young learners returning from spring break to five-day classroom lessons.

Online learning continues to be an option for families not quite comfortable sending children back to the buildings.

Officials said about 85% of students are back to school and 15% remain learning online. District enrollment is just over 900 students.

“It was wonderful to see students return to the building and fill our corridors with energy and exuberance,” Superintendent Neil English said. “The teachers and administrators shared in the excitement for the start of the fourth marking period, and celebrated their return.

”It was a fun day all around, and ‘put some gas in the tank’ of all of us as we head down the home stretch of the 2020-2021 school year. Although we’re not out of the woods yet, this is certainly a step in the right direction.”

It was the first day in school for Verner Elementary second-grader Kaizlee Harper.

“I liked it,” Kaizlee said.

Her family recently moved from Brigham City, Utah to Verona.

“She went from in class, masks (in Utah) to nobody and just in a room on a laptop,” said mother Tessa Faatuiese. “Now, she’s actually in school. We’re glad to get some face-to-face (instruction) instead of over a laptop. I’m glad it’s slowing down to a point that it’s actual in-class for her. At first it was just 16 students in a classroom at the time. Now that they did the 3-foot (spacing) mandate, she can be in school.”

Students went through the first grading period of the school year online. The district shifted to the hybrid model the second and third nine weeks with students split into groups. Each group was in class a couple days a week and remote learning the other days.