Thousands of Queens kids head to first day of school
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A Pre-K student heads to the first day of in-person classes in Elmhurst Monday. Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
By David Brand
About a dozen families with young children lined up outside P.S. 290 ACE Academy in Ridgewood Monday morning as anxious parents prepared to say goodbye to their children and instructors answered last-minute questions.
Up the hill, ten teachers and paraprofessionals gathered to greet students with special needs as they came off the bus and entered the Geraldine Ferraro Campus, a six-year-old building along the border with Maspeth.
It was the first day of school for more than 90,000 students in pre-K and special education classes across 734 Department of Education buildings and more than 1,000 community centers citywide. It was also the first time public school buildings have hosted students since the COVID shutdown in March.
“It’s our first experience and it’s hard for us as parents because this is our first child, but you know it’s exciting for him and for us too,” said Maspeth resident Carlos Pozo, whose son was about to begin his pre-K career. “He needs the experience with other kids. We’re trying to help him start his life.”
The Pozos and the other families stood a few feet apart from each other outside the building on Metropolitan Avenue, nearly all of them wearing masks. The pre-K students would soon enter the school and split into two groups, each named after their teachers’ alma maters, City College of New York and Geneseo.
Pozo said he felt “very confident” because school administrators had updated families about COVID precautions throughout the summer.
Elsewhere in Queens, Mayor Bill de Blasio greeted families with children heading into Mosaic Pre-K Center in Elmhurst. He later praised the “air of energy and spirit” and described the excitement expressed by some parents.
The return to school marked a milestone for the city, which suspended in-person classes for more than 1 million public school students on March 16 as the devastating impact of COVID-19 became apparent. The city shifted to remote learning the following week, with mixed results that often depended on students’ socioeconomic standing and access to reliable internet.
On Sept. 17, de Blasio announced that the Department of Education would delay reopening for students except in pre-K and special education programs. Many teachers, families, administrators and staff have cautioned against the reopening plan, citing ventilation problems, staffing deficits and a lack of personal protective equipment
Still, nearly 60 percent of students across all grades will be returning to school buildings for a mix of in-person and remote classes, a set up the city refers to as “blended learning.”
On Monday, they, too, began school, with all classes starting off remote.
