Middle schoolers return to the classroom in Capistrano Unified

Capistrano Unified’s middle school students grabbed their backpacks and returned to campus on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020 in a return to in-person learning for the first time this school year.

The sixth, seventh, and eighth graders are the latest to join teachers and school staff on campus for the 2020-21 school year.

Students already have returned to in-person learning in the district’s special education programs and self-contained services, as well as pre-K through fifth grade, in a staggered return that began on Monday, Sept. 28, 2020.  High schoolers in grades nine through 12 will return to campuses on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

The Capistrano Unified School District is phasing in the return to campus for its 47,000 students, subject to the county’s tier in the state reopening criteria. Families will be able to switch to a 100 percent online option at any time.

See photos below of the return to school at Marco Forster Middle School, Niguel Hills Middle School, and Esencia K-8 School.

A teacher directs traffic as parents and students arrive at Marco Forster Middle School on Oct. 6, 2020.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
“Welcome Back Roadrunners” proclaims a sign at the front gate at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Campus Supervisor Micki Mondino greets early arrivals at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Principal Cat Thompson greets returning students at the school front gate at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Returning students arrive at the front gate at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Returning students arrive at the front gate at Marco Foster Middle School’s reopening.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Returning students arrive at the front gate at Marco Foster Middle School’s reopening.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Campus Supervisor Micki Mondino cautions students about keeping social distance.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Teacher Bobby Mascio chats with a masked student during Marco Foster Middle School’s reopening.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Campus Supervisor Micki Mondino and 6-8th grade teacher Bobby Mascio survey a student gathering before class time.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Their materials in tow, two teachers head for the “portables” during Marco Foster Middle School’s reopening.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Teacher Andrew Freeman waves a welcome to arriving students at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
A student guitarist and cellist arrived ready to make music at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Marco Forster Middle School student is chic in a beret and black gloves on the first day at school.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Flying balloons for recognition, student greeters wait to guide arriving students to the right classrooms at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
First-day students arrive at the portables at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Before classes convened, masked students waited patiently at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Masked students arrive for first-period classes at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Social distancing was spelled out on a hall floor at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Virus precautions were colorfully listed on 6th grade teacher Melissa Torres’ classroom window at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
“Line up for temperature check!” at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Sixth grade teacher Melissa Torres checks a student’s temperature at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Sixth grade teacher Merry Patton checks temperatures as her students line up for class at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Sixth grade teacher Merry Patton checks temperatures as her students line up for class at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Teacher Blair Wood checks temperatures before class at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
With hand sanitizer and digital thermometer, Science 6 teacher Sandra Isaacs welcomes her arriving students at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
With hand sanitizer and digital thermometer, Science 6 teacher Sandra Isaacs welcomes her arriving students at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Sixth grade teacher Melissa Torres directs arriving students to social-distanced desks at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Sixth grade teacher Melissa Torres gives a squirt of hand sanitizer to her arriving students at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Sixth grade teacher Melissa Torres conducts her class beside stacked desks due to social distancing at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Sixth grade teacher Melissa Torres conducts her class at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Sixth grade students listen as Melissa Torres conducts her class at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Masked at their Chromebooks, sixth grade teacher Melissa Torres’ students listen to their first-day lesson at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Sixth grade teacher Melissa Torres gives her class an outdoor break at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Seventh grade teacher Mary Carr conducts her class at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Seventh grade teacher Mary Carr invites a show of hands at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Seventh grade teacher Mary Carr defines a conflict at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Campus Supervisor Micki Mondino provides some Chromebook first aid in Mary Carr’s seventh grade class at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Seventh grade Social Science teacher Leo Fijardo teaches in Spanish at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Seventh grade Social Science teacher Leo Fijardo assists a student at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Seventh grade Social Science teacher Leo Fijardo walks his classroom offering assistance to his students at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Seventh grade Social Science teacher Leo Fijardo walks his classroom offering assistance to his students at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Seventh grade Social Science teacher Leo Fijardo’s students follow his lesson on their Chromebooks at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Seventh grade Social Science teacher Leo Fijardo’s students follow his lesson on their Chromebooks at Marco Forster Middle School.
Photo by Spencer Grant/Contributing Photographer
Students have their temperature taken by Home Art Teacher Marlene Olsen before walking into the first class of the day at Niguel Hills Middle School.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Students attend a 6th grade science class during Niguel Hills Middle School’s first day of the new school year.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Shark balloons greet students as they arrive at Niguel Hills Middle School for the first day of school. Sharks are the school’s mascot.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Students arrive at at Niguel Hills Middle School school in face masks on the first day of the school year.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Niguel Hills Middle School students gather with friends in the morning before the the start of the first day of in-person school for the new school year.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Socially distanced students wear face masks in Colleen Van Ginkel’s English class at Niguel Hills Middle School.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Students wear face masks in Colleen Van Ginkel’s English class at Niguel Hills Middle School.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Colleen Van Ginkel teaches an in person English class at Niguel Hills Middle School with a couple of students included, online, using the laptop behind her.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
ASB Teacher Gwynne Steidle welcomes students in a shark head at the start of the first day of the school year at Niguel Hills Middle School. Sharks are the school’s mascot.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Niguel Hills Middle School students gather with friends in the morning before the the start of the first day of in person school for the new school year.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Niguel Hills Middle School Principal Jeff Jones helps direct students across traffic as they arrive for the first day of the new school year.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Students arrive in the morning at Niguel Hills Middle School for the first day of school.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Students arrive at at Niguel Hills Middle School school in face masks on the first day of the school year.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Niguel Hills Middle School English Teacher Rocky Brown takes the temperature of students before the start of the first class of the day.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
A student puts up a sign to welcome her classmates for the first day of the new school year. Sharks are the Niguel Hills Middle School mascot.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Students from Kristine Cuevas’ 4th grade class participate with face masks at Esencia K-8 School.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Students from Esencia K-8 School in Rancho Mission Viejo make their way to class as they pass a temporarily closed playground due to the pandemic.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Students from Esencia K-8 School in Rancho Mission Viejo distance line up at the school’s lunch counter.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Melissa Potwora’s first grade class keeps desks at a social distance.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
First grade students dress up for on-campus learning at Esencia K-8 School.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Michelle Skidmore teaches English class to in-person students at Esencia K-8 School.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Face masks are worn by each student during in-person English class at Esencia K-8 School.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
A portable tablet with keyboard is used in science class at Esencia K-8 School.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Students attend Tracey Forbes’ sixth grade science class in person as others participate online, computer projection behind her, at Esencia K-8 School in Rancho Mission Viejo.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Students at Esencia K-8 School keep their distance from each other as they wear face masks during school hours.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Each student gets their own individual desk as Michelle Skidmore teaches English class to in-person students at Esencia K-8 School.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Some students use portable computers provided by the school at Esencia K-8 School.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications
Kirstin Greig teaches a Carrier Technology class at Esencia K-8 School in Rancho Mission Viejo.
Photo by Steven Georges/Cornerstone Communications

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