VERNON, Conn. (WTNH) — Vernon elementary schools have returned to full-time in-person learning as of Oct. 13. Students will no longer stay home for remote learning. Instead, they’re back in the classroom. 

Of course, being back in the building five days a week requires a lot of surface cleaning, mask-wearing and hand sanitizer for every classroom. 

Superintendent Joseph Macary tells News 8, “One of our chief epidemiologists said besides home, school is the safest place to be because there’s no transmission of COVID-19 because of the mitigation strategies we’re doing.” 

We visited Center Road Elementary, it’s the largest elementary school in Vernon. Over 300 students are back in the building full-time. 

Dr. Macary tells us, “There has been no transmission in Vernon public schools of COVID-19.”

Feeling confident with their decision to get children back into the classroom didn’t only rely on the safety of the students and staff. Dr. Macary said it was important to get students back to the classroom because their futures depend on it.

Center Road Elementary Principal Jennifer Miller tells News 8 the return helps with the children’s social and emotional wellbeing also, “They really do need that interaction with each other, feedback from the teacher and materials to practice.”