On the morning of April 27th, with the rising of the sunshine, we welcomed the first group of students back to school. Our teachers came early in the morning, standing at the school gate, meeting the children. Although the students’ faces were mostly covered with the masks, we could still see the excitement and happiness on their faces. Some students they showed a bit of hesitation when entering the school and felt a bit nervous because they haven’t met each other for quite a long time.

 

With the support of our nearby compound and police station, everything went very well. Duty teachers guided the students when they entered the school, and required them to keep safe distance. They also ask them to wash their hands and take their temperature one by one.

 

There was a buzz of excitement in the tutor classes as experiences were shared and the groups settled back into the classroom setting. One student commented that although he had been speaking to his classmates daily for the last few months, being in the same room as them was a welcome return to normality.

 

The first activity was to discuss the new health procedures that the school has implemented. Students watched an instructional video and were given the opportunity to ask questions about the purpose and specifics of these new safety measures.

Lunch is an important part of students’ school life to keep their safety. Although only a few classes returned, we still implemented students using different times to eat lunch. During the lunch hour, students followed their homeroom teachers into the canteen; the hot food was served just in time. Although we provided students with a set menu, they enjoyed themselves.

After the students finished their lunch, they took a rest and did the afternoon temperature checkup. They then started their afternoon lessons. The first day back to school went smoothly; it seemed like in a blink of the eyes, school was over.

With the students leaving the school, the busy campus became quiet again. But the cheerful laughter and vibrant noise was still with us. This was the first day students return back to school, it was a special day, also an ordinary day. In the following days, we will still keep the school safe, accompany our students, look at them grow up. We look forward to the return of more and more students. It is good to see you again!