Welcome back to school!

Toulouse, France

Two days after Halloween and one day after Toussaint, the kids came to school wearing masks. The mask enveloped students’ mouths and noses. Those who wore the blue surgical mask double looped the straps, so the fabric stretched tightly across their faces. Peering over the masks, eyes bounced about like frogs. I followed the CM2, 5th grade, class into their classroom. The room was cold. We have to keep a window open at all times. I applied hand sanitizer and then took my place in the back of the classroom to observe M. Thibaut. I chose to keep my sweatshirt on; the mask trapped my warm breath against my cheeks. When the last student finished washing his hands, and all the students were back at their desks, M. Thibaut began the first lesson of the day, Éducation Civique, focusing on two subjects: the virus and liberty of expression.

Lesson 1: COVID — dix-neuf, the mask.

M. Thibaut asked the students if they knew why they had to wear the mask. Two thirds of the class raised their hands. A girl with glasses and straight brown hair responded, “There’s a second wave of COVID, and we have new confinement rules.”

“Yes,” M. Thibaut agreed, “Sometimes you can have COVID and have no symptoms at all. In order for the mask to be effective, you must wear it over your mouth and your nose. If it hangs below your nose, it is only half as effective. If you wear glasses, you’ll have to wipe them off sometimes. You can use your shirt or a cloth.”

M. Thibaut took off his glasses, pinched the masks around his nose, and wiped the lenses with his blue, cotton button up. A few students also wiped away the fog from their glasses.

“Do you know why protecting ourselves and others against the virus is so important?” asked M. Thibaut.

“It can — — people,” replied a boy in the back row.

“I couldn’t hear a thing,” responded M. Thibaut. “You must articulate well and speak loudly when you’re wearing the mask.”

“It can kill old people,” the boy repeated.

“Yes, and other fragile people,” added M. Thibaut. “Can you tell me who else the virus can make very sick?”

“Babies.”