Babysitter Helping Greendale-Area Parents Cope With School Start

GREENDALE, WI — Maia Scurry's senior year didn't turn out as planned, now she started her own babysitting business to help the next group of students navigate the online learning environment.

"I graduated this year, so I didn't have much of a graduation ceremony for high school," Maia Scurry, 18, told Greendale Patch. "My last three to four months of high school all had to be online."

In addition to completing school, Scurry said she's been working as a childcare teacher for the last 18 months, and has been babysitting since she was 14 years old. "Recently, I started more to help families during COVID, especially with virtual learning. "

Now Scurry is one of the people helping to fill the gaps: as parents return to work, and children return to school in virtual settings, she's helping to keep children on track as they navigate the latest version of online learning.

Scurry has her Assistant Child Care Teacher license and has been working as a part-time day care teacher for the past year and a half. She's also First Aid and CPR certified, she said.

Scurry told Patch that she loves working with children of all ages in a childcare setting, though is more familiar with working with those in early childhood.

Schools Closed In March

Greendale's return to school represented a return to normalcy, of sorts, after schools were abruptly closed in March during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic in Wisconsin.

"After further discussion with public health officials and understanding the full data surrounding the CDC recommendation of social distancing to slow the spread of the COVID-19, Greendale Schools will be closed effective Monday, March 16. I do want to stress that there are no known cases of COVID-19 in Greendale at this time," Superintendent Kim Amidzich said in March.

Sports, clubs and performing arts groups were all canceled as the district shifted into a virtual-learning model a few days later in March.

Since then, the district spent the summer developing plans for a more advanced model that accommodates both students intending to engage in a fully digital model, and others who want a balance of digital and in-person learning.

Under the new model, elementary school students who chose to go back in-person are scheduled to attend Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and have Wednesday as a digital learning day. Although all schools would be cleaned every day, Wednesday would be set aside for deep cleaning.

Middle and High School students going back to school in person have two days at school and three digital days. According to the district's plan, students whose last name begins with letters A through K go back Monday and Tuesday. Students whose last name begins with letters L through Z go back Thursday and Friday.