Alarm clocks ringing early Monday morning in Poway marked the end of summer vacation and the beginning of class for thousands of students in the region.
Poway Unified School District welcomed more than 30,000 students across its 39 schools for the first day of the new school year. For many, it was the first time since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic that they’d returned to in-person classes for five days a week.
“I mean, that’s the most exciting part, right? Is for our kids to be able to interact with each other, see their teachers live and in-person, being able to interact in the educational setting with your peers and friends and their teachers,” said Superintendent Dr. Marian Kim Phelps. “So, I’m most excited about seeing our kids back in our schools.”
In honor of their return, the welcome mat was rolled out for students at several schools with celebratory rallies.
Phelps told NBC 7 that she was looking forward to seeing campuses come back to life.
“Last year, we were preparing for drive-thru rallies and virtual learning,” she said. “Now, we’re excited because we have outdoor pep rallies and our staff and our principals are very excited to welcome our kids back into our schools and our buildings.”
Poway Unified will follow health and safety guidelines from the California Department of Public Health to keep students and staff safe. Masks will be required in all indoor settings and hand sanitizer pumps will be available in all classrooms.