SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — With San Diego Unified School District just days away from their official April 12 reopening date, the focus remained on safety this week. On Thursday, a group of panelists including a student, educator, and consultant joined in on a webinar to air concerns.
Brandon Harrison, associate pastor at the Rock Church Point Loma, emphasized that his message is to make sure he doesn’t forget humanity.
“The humanist in my children myself, the teachers... each of us going through this together,” he said.
And together the panelists came up with ideas for a fresh new chapter.
“Going back to mental health, supportive counseling, behavioral therapy... all these other things I think children need more than ever,” Fatherhood Case Manager at SAY San Diego Jorge Narvaez said.
District leaders have been working for weeks to hammer out a hybrid plan. But next week’s return to school isn’t exactly met with ease.
“Let’s be real: do kids wear their masks all the time?” said Dr. Roxanne J. Kymaani, President of Kymaani Catalyst Consulting.
“We have dividers, air purifiers in every room,” Ciria Brewer, Vice-Principal at Roosevelt International Middle School pointed out.
The webinar was hosted by RISE San Diego, which after a recent survey, found that 51% of parents preferred to remain in distance learning, while 49% preferred to return to in-person instruction.
“I just want to take the time to encourage parents .. that you’re doing better than you think... we’ve been through a lot. Encourage parents to keep going” Harrison said.
WATCH: San Diego Unified teachers prepare for students to return to class