By City Times staff

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Lincoln High School and Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle School welcomed students back to in-person learning on March 16, as the students return four days a week.

Staff, administration, emergency services, and community members lined the entries from 6:45-7:20 a.m., toting signs, lighting up the area, and cheering the students on during WPRS’ #BetterTogetherDay.

Staff, administration, emergency services, and community members lined the school entries the morning of March 16. Heather Sairs photo

Students, staff, and administration reflected a sense of excitement and relief at coming together face-to-face.

“I’m excited to have everybody back in the building. The kids have done a great job this year, so far, following expectations and protocols. This just allows us to get everybody back today and it will be good having our classrooms with everybody in them,” Ron Rasmussen, Lincoln High School principal, said

“This is a long time coming. I’m as excited as the kids and the students,” added school board member, Sandy Hett.

Lincoln High School Associate Principal Steve Thayer conveyed how much he missed having all of the students in the school.

“We are really low key and low tech this morning, and we don’t want to change our whole day; but, we’re just really excited that we can be at this point and feel comfortable having all of our students back in. We’ve missed them, but we’re excited for today,” he explained.

Thayer said the day was significant for other reasons as well.

“We are exactly one calendar year away from when we shut down and when we started making our preparation for virtual learning,” he explained

Ninth grader, Emma Carpenter, added that it was just nice to be back around “a bunch of kids.”