Triton students, faculty return to classrooms

Jim Sullivan, The Daily News of Newburyport, Mass.
·2 min read

Apr. 13—BYFIELD — New "We're Back" T-shirts greeted students and teachers at Triton Regional High School when they returned to traditional classes Monday.

"We had to do something to celebrate the fact that we had everyone back together," Principal Patrick Kelley said. "That was a lot of fun to see the smiles on all of the faces of the kids as they showed up and got a little bit of swag coming into the building."

Triton students have used a hybrid learning model — which saw classes split into two groups, or "cohorts," — for most of the school year.

Monday marked the first time that roughly 90% of Triton students and faculty were in the same building at the same time since March 13, 2020. Kelley said about 10% of his high school students have chosen to remain in a remote learning model for the rest of the school year.

"Our students did a fantastic job of following all of our protocols that we have been going through all year," Kelley said. "Not much has changed aside from the fact that they are at a 3-foot distance in the classrooms as opposed to a 6-foot distance before. But we still have many classes that are at a 4- or 5-foot distance."

He said unification of the cohorts was a highlight for him Monday.

"I would say the majority of our kids were really excited to see the other kids who may have been in the other cohort," he said. "Nobody has really been in their classes in the same way. So, to actually be together with them was great."

The addition of four 20-foot-by-40-foot outdoor tents was a new feature in the high school's rear parking lot.

"We are using the tents to help support lunches and also teachers have been able to sign up to teach their classes outside," Kelley said. "We also have a tent at the front of the building where we will have classes meeting."

He thanked his faculty and staff for their hard work preparing for the return to school.

"They really did a great job making sure that they are both ready for this moment and to support the kids who may be struggling with all of the anxiety when it comes to transitioning back," Kelley said. "I am really just overall very pleased with the way things went today. Hopefully, that will continue for the upcoming weeks."

Triton's "We're Back!' video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qXZHAfYne0.

Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.