Dorothy Dodds Elementary & Moorhead Public Schools Get Ready For Classes

Students in Moorhead will begin school on September 8th.

MOORHEAD, Minn. — The floors and walls of Dorothy Dodds Elementary School will look a little different this year.

“We have to do a big shout out to the custodians. They did all the taping and the signage in the district so we know that each spot is six feet apart and students will learn to keep the distance,” said the school principal Robin Grooters. “There will be walking patterns so we don’t cross each other.”

The tape on the floor will guide children as they move throughout the hallways to get to and from class.

The classroom is where the will be spending almost the entirety of their day.

Students and teachers will be able to leave the room for a short recess period and to use the bathroom, but will otherwise be inside their classrooms.

For second grade teacher Megan Kreps, that means doing some redecorating.

“We have had a lot to think about when rearranging the room in a different way,” explained Kreps. “Normally we have a lot of kids sharing community supplies and sharing books and this year we need to avoid that. I have my room arranged so that everyone has their own supplies and their own space.”

To give the students a chance to learn about these changes, Dorothy Dodds welcomed all of their students for one-on-one meetings with their teachers in person so they could get a feel for the new space.

“We have all been away for about six months so we kind of want to acclimate the school, get to know people. We are not doing the traditional back to school night as everyone comes together,” said Grooters.

Even with the many changes being thrown their way, it seems like all the Spuds at Dorothy Dodds are just happy to be back to school.

“I don’t know who is more excited; the teachers, the parents, the kids, the principals. We are excited to get kids back in the building,” said Grooters.