The Tippecanoe School Corporation welcomed students back into the classroom and remotely August 20 for the first day of the 2020-21 school year.  
 
At Mintonye Elementary School, first grade teacher Jacqui Grider began the day going over new procedures and helping her new students feel at home by sharing the book Our Class is a Family. “I want my students to know this is a place where it is safe to be themselves, it’s okay to make mistakes and it’s important to be friends,” says Grider. 
 
The TSC has spent weeks preparing classrooms and implementing numerous safety measures to slow the spread of the Coronavirus. On the first day, students started to learn their way around the building and locker combinations, but also getting used to classroom, cafeteria, recess and arrival/dismissal procedures. 
 
"All of the planning and preparation paid off because days one and two went very well,” says TSC Superintendent Dr. Scott Hanback. "I’d like to thank the entire TSC school community for their preparation, patience, and for following all the new procedures. The students did a great job of masking up and were excited to meet their new teachers. In the days ahead TSC will review what went well and also discuss how to address areas where procedures could be improved.”

School principals reported all employees pitched in to make the first day successful and that students did an awesome job wearing their masks and social distancing. Some areas that need to be improved include efficiency in some cafeteria serving lines, traffic flow for car riders and assisting online students with technology questions.

Above: Mrs. Grider allows students to remove their masks for story time because they are at least three feet apart and facing the same direction.