Pandemic
Learning
LocaL schooLs coNtiNue to meet the coViD-19 chaLLeNge.
By Brittany Nay | Photos courtesy of Webster University and Whitfield School
R
eturning to school looks different this season. Local students wear masks as they cross the campus, study in courtyards and maintain social distance during in-person instruction, while others sit before computer monitors for at-home e-learning. As the coronaviral pandemic brings a slew of unique challenges for the 2020-21 school year, many metro area educational institutions are implementing a mix of in-person and remote learning plans along with safety measures aimed to ensure a healthy, successful fall semester – and beyond. At Webster University in Webster Groves, President Julian Z. Schuster says the semester started successfully with a series of safety protocols, including employing mandatory daily health checks, adding hand-sanitizing machines, closing buildings to visitors and reducing the number of people on campus through more online classroom opportunities and fewer oncampus residents. As the school year continues, Schuster says that “there will be a natural tendency to relax behaviors, which is part of human nature. That’s why we