Duluth ISD 709 Elementary Students Start School Year In-Person with Smiles, Masks on Faces

Face coverings are required in school and on the bus at Homecroft.

DULUTH, Minn.- The energy was high among the 1st through 5th graders after the first full day back at Homecroft Elementary, just one of many schools in the Northland opening up for the school year.

“You can see it in their eyes even though we’ve got masks on most of the time that smile is there, the laughter is there,” said Homecroft Principal Tom Cawcutt.

Face coverings are required in school and on the bus at Homecroft.

Based on health recommendations, educators say, if one student tests positive in a class and as long as students were masked, the entire classroom won’t have to quarantine.

“Having an entire class quarantine V.S. just a student or two is a major shift and it keeps more kids in the classrooms in person and that’s what we’re all about,” Principal Cawcutt said.

Parents lined up to pick their happy kids up at the end of the day Tuesday.

One father we talked to says the learning process during the pandemic for his kids has been quite an experience, and they’re ready to be back.

“My daughter actually just turned 11 yesterday so she’s really excited to see all her friends and like I mentioned she’s excited to graduate from 5th grade at Homecroft,” said John Gottschald, picking up his two daughters.

“There’s things that I think will be permanently different. And the kids have adapted probably better than the adults in my opinion. So they’re just chugging right along and like I said very excited for the school year,” he said.

Kindergarteners start their school year in two days. As of now, all students will be attending in-person classes five days a week within the Duluth School District.