Maries R-2 schools opened doors early Tuesday morning for students’ first day of class with many parents finding ways to comfort their children without walking them to their seats.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, large quantities of visitors are still being excluded from the buildings in efforts to keep exposure cases down. For kindergarten student Gabe Heintz who was timid about his first day, that meant his parents would have to stand on the sidewalk and wave to him through his classroom window about 30 feet away -- which they did.

Jordan and Abril Heintz stood together in the sunshine near the Belle Elementary sign and waved to their son as needed while his classmates settled in to face a Smartboard. The early morning temps had already reached over 80 degrees on the second day of a week-long Missouri heatwave.

“He didn’t want to go in by himself,” Abril Heintz explained of her son.

Gabe had attended Ms. Koch’s pre-school class during the 2020-21 school year and had similar anxieties to walking in on his own.

“The only way we could get him to go in by himself was to say we would stand out here on the sidewalk all day,” Abril Heintz said while passing another wave to her kindergartener through the window.

Similar measures were taken the previous school year, but the Heintz parents said they wouldn’t really be standing on the hot sidewalk all day. As soon as activities started, they knew their little boy would lose interest and they could inch away.

“Last time we just told him we got tired and sat down, or slept in the car while we waited for him,” she said.

Gabe’s dad, Gordan Heintz, went with the plan and smiled as he waved to his son. Soon the classroom was facing the Smartboard and what looked like a warm-up dance. Gabe did lose interest and his parents carefully inched out of view and back to their car.

Other parents walked their children to the double doors where Superintendent Dr. Lenice Basham asked who their teachers were and directed them to a helper if they were unsure about walking to their classrooms by themselves. Hugs and a few tears were common, but so were giggles and excited footsteps. All-in-all, a good start to the first day.

As of their July school board meeting, the district chose to remain mask optional for students in middle and high school. Masks are required on all public transportation, including school buses, due to a federal mandate.