principal Gillian Robertson-Emmanuel, who said the staff had prepared for the moment for months and could not have been more ready.
“We started planning about two months ago actually, because we got the feeling that school was going to reopen and we were always ready for the reopening of school,” she said.
Older pupils waited alongside Robertson-Emmanuel to usher the new one to their classes, like a buddy system.
“Some of them will have separation issues, so we asked the big girls to assist and it has been a success. The children are really comfortable knowing that they have big sisters to take them to their classes and that they can go to in their time of need,” Robertson-Emmanuel said.
Parents at most schools in Port-of-Spain were not allowed to enter the compounds with their children, which caused some of the little ones to cry and left the adults emotional.
Some parents ran to the side gates of some compounds for one final hug and kiss.
“From the roadside, I was hearing children crying and thing so yeah, as I say, it is a stressful situation but I am trying to cope because as I say, it’s the first time they seeing the school so they don’t know how to or where to go,” a parent who identified himself only as Mr. Osborne said.
One pre-preschooler, who got excited spending most of her day with her elder sister, cried when she walked off.
Standard Four student J’zahra McDowell was just elated to be back out.
“I feel excited, I am in disbelief that this COVID made us come back out to school, I am extremely happy to come back out to school today,” McDowell said.
But separation anxiety was not the only reason parents were nervous yesterday morning, as while many of them understood the return was necessary, they also acknowledged the risk.
“I frighten for this corona thing with him coming back out to school … next minute he picking it up and he bringing it home, that is what I am afraid of,” parent Nicole Cox said.
“I am very good this morning. What has to be done has to be done, we have to go back to normal life,” another parent, Dashier Mundy, added.
The parents said they had equipped their children with the necessary sanitising materials and explained the importance of social distancing and mask-wearing. Schools also implemented these measures.
