COVID-19 Pandemic

Uprooted from Normalcy

A noisy cafeteria and classrooms filled with students characterize any elementary school. Track and Field Day and performances celebrating ballet folklorico characterize Metz Elementary School. March 2020 uprooted every sense of normal for teachers, students, and parents. For the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, students would no longer see their friends in the classroom, teachers would no longer see their students in the cafeteria, and parents would no longer drop off and pick up their children from the parking lot.

In the 2013 Track and Field Day, students play games, compete in tug of war, and eat healthy snacks donated by the school community.

The 2020 Track and Field Day was, coincidentally, moved back from May to March. Kindergarten teacher Teresa Hernández reflected on this last normal event for the school:

"The primary grades got to participate [in Track and Field Day]...and those are the best memories they have of Kinder. And I see their photographs that parents shared with me, and we put together a Kinder slide show, and then it stops right there."

This fun event in mid-March was followed by Spring Break, which was unexpectedly extended and immediately followed by remote learning. Unable to return to the campus for what was left in the school year and already scheduled to close at the end of the following year, the Metz school community faced an uncertain future.

Campus Alterations

The 2020-2021 school year, while still far from a pre-COVID-19 reality, saw more opportunities for a familiar school environment. Physical measures such as the following were taken so students and teachers could safely return to school.

Students receive constant reminders in the hallways to practice good hygiene, social distancing, and to keep their face coverings on.

Resiliency and Commitment

Even as it faced a pandemic and campus closure, the Metz community remained committed to its mission as a school.

Speaking on students' responses to the consequences of COVID-19, the agreement is that the unique situation facing Metz Elementary has not disheartened its students. Here are teachers and Ms. García, the school's current principal:

Monica Clark: "It's been extra sad for our campus because we've had the shutdown [for COVID-19] and it impacted all [schools], but our campus is closing this year. So, no other campus had this abrupt ending and then this strange year where it's all just [going to] disappear. So we're...in an unusual, unique position."

Eduardo Sanhueza: "You consistently see the resiliency in the kids....They just want to be normal, whatever their normal was, and they just try really hard to keep that going how it was."

Teresa Hernández: "You would think that [a] mask would put a barrier between [the teachers] and [their] students and it doesn't....It's really impressive how resilient our kids are."

Azucena García: "The kids are so happy...[They] were just [so excited] for social interaction."

While students focus on their roles in the classroom, Metz continues to provide services to its community. For the parents of the school, school administrators offer virtual opportunities to connect with the community, particularly as the Metz campus merges with Sanchez Elementary. Working with Austin ISD, Metz has also continued to serve as a meal distribution site during the COVID-19 pandemic.