HANOVER, Va. -- Students at Pole Green Elementary School walked into their classrooms for their first day of school Tuesday morning. It’s just one of the Hanover schools offering face to face learning.
“All I know is that I’m going back full time, so it’s not half virtual, half full-time, it’s either full virtual or full face to face,” said Mary Catherine Casadonte.
Mary Catherine is the daughter of CBS 6 Sports Director, Lane Casadonte.
She was going into her Freshman year of high school.
“The idea of going back face to face is very scary because it’s like what’s going to happen to me? But I think its going to be worth it because its my education, and my education is important,” said Mary Catherine.
Lane Casadonte said when it comes to in-person learning, they trusted the district to do what’s right.
“They’re going to give it their best shot, and if it doesn’t work we tried,” he said.
However, for one Hanover school, plans had already been interrupted.
Liberty Middle School in Hanover did not open its doors to students Tuesday, after Superintendent Dr. Michael Gill said three employees tested positive for COVID-19 and 15 others may have been exposed.
No instruction will occur on Tuesday, September 8 or Wednesday, September 9 for LMS students.
Gill said that "more details will be forthcoming following plans for remote instruction" on Thursday, September 10, and Friday, September 11.
In a previous interview, Dr. Gill said the district was ready to make the necessary adjustments to keep people safe.
“The health and safety of our students and our staff is preeminent even above academic learning. and we will continue to put measures in place and refine those measures if need be recognizing that this is a fluid situation,” said Dr. Gill.
With that knowledge in mind, both Lane and Mary Catherine said for them, the benefits of in-person learning outweighed the risks.
“I think kids like the athletes I deal with, they are so anxious to get back to what they love to do and what they want to do, and they are willing to jump through the hoops necessary to do it as safe as possible,” said Lane. “I know mine are. And that lessened our hesitation about deciding if they could go back face to face.”
