At roughly 7:30 a.m., on
Monday, Aug. 9, KIPP Academy
Middle School students
started their fi rst day back at
school in-person since the COVID
19 pandemic and the excitement
on their faces was palpable.
The school was one of the
fi rst in NYC to start off the new
school year.
In total, thousands of students
from eight KIPP charter
schools across New York City
began the new year on Monday
as part of phased fi rst day of
school approach.
Joelle Burton, a student at
KIPP, which is located at 250 E.
156St., said he felt “good” about
going back to school while,
that he wasn’t scared and was
expected the experience to be
great.
With some students, there
was a sense of normalcy to
see the staff members, teachers,
security personnel, kids’
parents and friends. Students
who hadn’t seen each other in
quite awhile laughed and gave
each other fi st bumps, while
Krystine Burton with her son Joelle Burton on his fi rst day back at school
at KIPP Academy Middle School. Photos Jewel Webber
maintaining social distancing.
There was a sense of excitement
on their faces.
Other students were taking
everything in and going with
the fl ow. Principal Tristan
Fields spoke about some kids
being nervous about their fi rst
day back to school. The nervousness
was just like any fi rst
day of school, added with the
uncertainty of the COVID protocols
that we are having, he
said.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,32 AUG. 13-19, 2021 BTR
“Our kids are a lot more
resilient and tougher than we
think,” he said. “And they are
able to adapt.”
Everything was done in a fi tting
and organized way. From
the outset of the morning, students
were lined up by grade,
given temperature checks and
used hand sanitizers before entering
the building, while parents
reviewed a health screening
questionnaire.
-Jewel Webber
KIPP students return to the classroom, on Aug. 9, 2021, for the fi rst time
since the onset of COVID-19.
KIPP students lead the
way into the classroom