By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
MARGATE – The city’s schools opened for in-person instruction Thursday, with 383 bright-eyed students eager to meet their new teachers.
Parents escorted their children to the William H. Ross Elementary School with children entering and exiting through doors located throughout the building.
On Wednesday, Sept. 2, Board of Education member Jack Sorensen called Margate a “model” for other districts considering in-school instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Margate schools are the only schools in Atlantic County to offer five days of in-school learning. Students will attend classes from 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and have remote learning opportunities in the afternoon.
“If this works and we get through it, we’re going to be the model for a lot of other districts,” he said.
Superintendent Thomas Baruffi said the district’s return to school plan was approved by the Department of Education.
“It might not be a normal year, but we do expect it to be a good year,” he said.
The plan will remain “fluid” and will change if necessary.
Anyone could tell by the eyes of little masked faces that the children were looking forward to meeting their teachers and being with their classmates.
At dismissal time, one little boy said his new teacher is exactly the one he was hoping for.
“I got Mrs. Cuevas. She’s who I wanted,” he said.
Principal Audrey Becker said the teachers and staff were looking forward to welcoming the students back to class.
“Everyone is coming together and focused on welcoming those children back,” she said. “The teachers are putting their fears aside and focusing on the children.”
An ice cream social was held on Tuesday to get kindergarten students acclimated to their new surroundings. Instead of the traditional ice cream sundae making party in the cafeteria, the Margate Education Foundation brought an ice cream truck to the schoolyard and students socially distanced for story time.
“It was a nice way to start the week and welcome the children to Ross School,” Becker said. “We are focused on making the most of every day we have with the children for live instruction.”
Eugene A. Tighe Middle School Principal Ryan Gaskill said he was hoping the anxiety felt by the staff would melt away once children were in the school.
“This year certainly will be different for all of us…with new health procedures and safety mandates we must follow. We spent the summer planning, now it’s time to put that plan into action,” he said.
Gaskill said there would be more intramural recreational opportunities for Margate’s middle school students, including soccer and field hockey.
The district got some very welcome surprises as a result of the coronavirus pandemic in the form of more than 30 new students transferring in from other districts. Many second homeowners who flocked to their vacation homes in March have decided to stick around after the summer season.
Because Margate has been struggling with reduced enrollment since 2012 when Hurricane Sandy hit, it has small class sizes that can accommodate additional students. It would consider consolidating to one school if enrollment dropped below 300. But as of Sept. 2, enrollment increased to 383.
“All it took was a pandemic,” school board President Cathy Horn said.
“It will be interesting to see children from out of town get incorporated into our system,” Sorensen said. “Once they experience our school system they may not leave.”
According to the district’s monthly enrollment report, 21 new students have enrolled since Aug. 3.
Becker said most of the students are in the lower grade levels, and that the projected enrollment of 189 students, up from 167 last month, was actually higher than reported.
“We have 201 as of yesterday,” she said.
William Jacovini is a parent of a newly enrolled first grader. He was waiting to pick up his son at dismissal time on the first day of school.
“I’ve always maintained two residences. I grew up here and my business is in Philly. My son went to a Montessori school in Philadelphia, but it’s great to have him attend the schools I went to,” he said.
He said he made the decision for his son to attend the Margate schools before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Hands down, it’s the best school around,” he said.
“Margate is almost like a private school,” Sorenson said. “The way it’s run, the students, the parents and the grandparents. It’s unique.”
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