ATHENA PAJER

McLain Schaefer talks about day one at Arland D. Williams Jr. Elementary School. READ THE STORY HERE.

CLAY JACKSON, HEROLD & REVIEW

CHARLESTON – Parents in Coles County said goodbye to their children Thursday morning when they returned to school and said goodbye to distance learning as well.

This was a win for the local school districts.

“It’s just a highlight for all of our staff and teachers to get our children into the building and see them here every day,” said McLain Schaefer, director of the Arland D. Williams Elementary School in Mattoon.

For several parents it was a highlight and a relief. This includes Charleston’s mother, Amy Brown, who has a child who is attending Charleston High School.

“We had a terrible time on the computer,” Brown said, referring to the distance learning that has taken place over the past year and a half due to COVID-19 restrictions. “We struggled to get a signal and didn’t know what to do.”

Brown’s child, who has special needs, was finally able to attend class in person last year. Still, the improved accessibility of face-to-face teaching this year has taken a burden off her shoulders.

She wasn’t alone. When the new school year began on Thursday in Mattoon and Charleston, many students looked forward to a year in schools instead of at home.

People also read …

“A lot of things have changed, but I have a feeling that (school) won’t get any more difficult, it will make it easier,” said 15-year-old Elizabeth Bawcum of the return to classroom teaching. “I’m looking forward to it knowing we can return this year without hesitation.”

Charleston High School principal Aaron Lock speaks about the first day of school

CLAY JACKSON, HEROLD & REVIEW

“I’ve never been so energetic after school,” said 14-year-old Charleston High School student Jeanna Mertz, also admitting she was nervous about starting the day too. “It’s kind of weird to be around people again. After the pandemic, I lost touch with a lot of people. “

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the final school year to start a few weeks later than normal and with only online remote learning. It was not until November 4th that the students had the option of personal lessons.

Mertz, who plays in a band and enjoys art, looks forward to getting back in touch with her circle, starting 2D art classes and using other percussion instruments available at the school.

Support local journalism

Your membership enables our reporting.

{{featured_button_text}}

“In the band we have big bass drums that we can play and special mallets and all kinds of different instruments that drummers play,” she said. “You don’t really have all of them at home because they’re very expensive. It’s nice to come in here and work on them. “

After-school activities are also returning to relative normalcy for high school, principal Aaron Lock said.

The school district has lifted the capacity limits for sports spectators. Last year indoor spectators were limited to 50.

Athletes who train and play indoors must wear masks. While masks are recommended for athletes participating in outdoor sports, the masks are not required.

All students and anyone entering the school must continue to wear masks regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not due to a mask mandate issued by Governor JB Pritzker. The mandate requires that all students from preschool through high school wear a mask indoors.

This was a change in expectations from what parents and children had been told for months: that students who get vaccinated won’t have to wear masks indoors.

“Yes, it was a disturbing thing to know that you were telling your child, ‘You get the syringe, you don’t have to wear a mask,’ but I see,” said Brown, who works for the restaurant and catering trade at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center. “I see all these COVID patients and I realize the importance of wearing a mask.”

The students would have followed the mask mandate well, Lock said. Most of what school officials had to do to ensure that students were following the mandate was reminding students to wear their masks and providing masks for students who came to school without them.

Feedback from concerned community members on Pritzker’s masking mandate has led the Charleston School Board to schedule a special session tonight at 6:30 a.m. to discuss the issue. The Mattoon School Board is holding a special session on the same topic on Friday, August 13 at 4:30 p.m. at the Board of Education Building, 1701 Charleston Ave.

Lock said the main morning problems were normal back to school issues: looking up timetables, showing students where to go, handing out laptops, and more.

“We have a number of sophomores and this is our first time in the building,” said Lock. “Because last year we had some sophomores who weren’t here all year… I was pleased to see students helping other students as well. I think this is something that is really important. That says a lot to our students. “

A feeling of optimism gripped many schools across Coles County.

“In our district we are proud to be creative, innovative and innovative and to do better than before,” said Schäfer. “This anthem and this motto for our district; that we will be ‘better-than-normal’.”

Do you remember these Charleston locations?

American Hardware Supply aerial view

1982: Aerial photo shows the expansion of American Hardware Supply Co.’s new 240,000 square foot distribution center north of Charleston.

File photo

Bill’s bottle shop

1979: Bill’s Bottle Shop owner isn’t worried about House Bill 21. The Liquor Commission has proposed extending bar hours from 1am to 2am and increasing the number of licenses from 25 to 32.

File photo

Charleston aerial view

1985: aerial view of Charleston.

File photo

Filter system

1935: The new filter plant in Charleston is put into operation. The facility, with a daily capacity of 2 million gallons, consists of three filter beds, mixed beds and settling beds. A pressure booster pump provides pressure in the event of a fire. The water comes from deep wells. The expansion of the Charleston waterworks was financed from the existing credit and a small bond.

File photo

Junkyard

1965: A car junkyard near Charleston is nestled among rolling hills along scenic Illinois 16.

H&R file photo

Junkyard

1965: Mayor-elect Wlater Reasor Jr. and the President of Eastern Illinois University urge the junkyard to be relocated west of the Charleston city limits.

File photo

cracker

1988: The teen night fills the floor at EL Krackers.

File photo

Rotary community pool

1974: The Charleston Rotary Community Pool is on five acres just behind the junior high school.

File photo

Waterworks

1948: Charleston’s waterworks switch from diesel to electric this week, saving $ 500 per month in cost, freeing up 18,000 gallons of heating oil annually for other uses. The oil tanks are kept full to enable the emergency use of the diesel engines, which remain in place despite being switched off.

File photo

Sign up now to have the latest coronavirus headlines and other major local and national news sent to your email inbox every day.