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Letter: Masks keep students and teachers safe at school

(Francisco Kjolseth | Tribune file photo) Students at Canyon View Elementary in Cottonwood Heights line up on the playground as they go back to school for the first day of classes for the Canyons School District on Monday, Aug. 24, 2020.

I teach third grade English language arts in a Portuguese dual-immersion program. One of my biggest fears about going back to teach this school year was the thought that students would come parroting their parents' negative opinions about masks. My fear was that there would be increased defiance and bullying. I loved being proven wrong.

This year, my school canceled Back to School Night and invited every child to come with one parent to school (masked, of course) to meet individually with their teachers. It gave me the chance to meet my 52 students and their parents before school even started.

I’d ask each of my students how they felt about the upcoming school year. Were they excited, nervous, or both? Each of my future third graders expressed a lot of excitement. For those who said they were nervous, too, they said that they’d struggle in math, that they’d forgotten too much Portuguese, that they’d have a hard time making friends, etc. Normal worries for normal kids. Not a single one of them complained about having to wear masks.

We’ve been in school two weeks now and we’ve worn masks every day. The whole thing is far less problematic than I thought I’d be. The kids don’t complain.

Would I prefer not to wear a mask? Absolutely. Would I prefer that my students not have to wear masks either? Of course. They are inconvenient, as I’d love to see the students' smiles and for all of us to have a little more comfort. But if wearing masks is the price we have to pay to keep our communities safe and our schools open, it’s a small price to pay.

Kids are resilient. They’ve got this. And there’s a lot we can learn from our children and youth.

Kate Walters, Lehi, is running for the District 56 seat in the Utah House of Representatives on the United Utah Party ticket.

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