MONROE, La. – Louisiana now has new social distancing guidelines in grades K- 12. The Bese board issued the change following new CDC recommendations. So now students can be three feet apart instead of six.
Now school leaders say they’re excited about the change because it’ll ease some of the strain on everyone and it means more students can be inside one classroom.
The pandemic has challenged how students interact with each other and how they learn in class, but Jayme Stokes, the principal at Ouachita Christian High School says, reducing the space to three feet instead of six is provides students with a bit of relief.
” It’s been a really crazy time in Louisiana. Starting with last March with the Easter tornado, the three hurricanes, the ice storm, and COVID, on top of it. I think our kids are excited about a little good news, and I’m so thankful for the Bese board for taking the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations and, put this into action. It’s going to help all the schools in our area,” said Jayme Stokes, Ouachita Christian High School Principal
Stokes also says the three feet of social distancing will help teachers provide more opportunities for group learning in a lab setting.
“We have already spread our desk out. This is going to do is give us a little bit more room for group learning, for collaborative learning to go back into our STEM lab and create lots of opportunities. Especially in our art room and things like that, that’s going to help us out,” said Stokes.
Stokes says the new change also allows more freedom outside the classroom as well.
“We can allow kids on the playground, talking in the halls at our break time, and during the cafeteria. I think our staff, our teachers, and our parents are going to say this is great for the kids. I think that’s going to help them a lot,” said Stokes.
Stokes also says the relaxed distancing will help teachers in the classroom as well.
