On Rhode Island’s first day of school, ‘everything is going to be different,’ governor says

School buses will have a reduced capacity, with buses arriving at staggered times and stops marked for social distancing, and students will have to wear their masks and sit in assigned seats. All students will get a health screening before they get on the bus and health checks when they arrive at school, and those taking private transportation will find different drop-off and pick-up systems.

Students will have assigned seats in their classrooms, which will have to allow more ventilation by opening windows and using fans, at least until new ventilation systems are in place for winter.

At some schools, students will eat lunches at their desks, and others will have students eating lunch outside under tents. Recess will be different. Students will be routed through the halls and use different entrances and exits to prevent crowds.

Dr. James McDonald, the chief medical director for the state Department of Health, gently told parents to help their “little guys” prepare for the strange school days ahead.

They will want to hug their friends, but they can’t. They will want to share things, but they can’t. Encourage them to wear their masks and carry around their own hand sanitizer, and remember to wash their hands after touching things that others have used.

Older children can be models for the younger ones, McDonald said, and adults can help the children with their worries about school – by asking them about their day, how they feel, and what things are like.

“Teach your kids how to live differently in the pandemic,” McDonald said.

Raimondo and McDonald said they were optimistic, even more so after seeing the latest test numbers. There were 8,422 tests conducted on Wednesday, with a percent positive rate of 0.7 percent, which the governor called “a good news story.”

The state reported 56 new positive cases, bringing Rhode Island’s total to 22,143. There were four more deaths, raising the toll to 1,055. There are 68 people hospitalized with COVID-19 illnesses, including seven in intensive care, and four on ventilators.

McDonald said the coronavirus data was “astonishingly” good.

“I’m going to say something I haven’t said in the last 187 days,” McDonald said. “I am optimistic. And I know that sounds simple. But my friends, I have lived with this pandemic every day for the last 187 days, like you have no idea. I am optimistic about what I am seeing right now.”

He acknowledged he was nervous when coronavirus case numbers rose a few weeks ago. “I was like ’Oh my gosh, we are doing all this testing, it’s going to be a hot mess on our hands,’ ” he said.

But he said that while there is no cure for COVID-19, the state is making a difference through case finding, case investigation, and contact tracing. “This is really critical,” he said. “We are persevering.”

For six months now, the pandemic has been forcing people to adapt. The new school year was presenting the same challenges.

“Yes, it’s going to be hard,” Raimondo said, “but we’re going to figure it out.”

In a Facebook Live discussion with the governor Thursday afternoon, Providence Superintendent Harrison Peters, Education Commissioner Angélica M. Infante-Green, and Secretary Womazetta Jones of the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services said they were ready for students to return to school.

“I’m very concerned about children’s mental health,” Jones said. “For some kids, being in school gives them that opportunity to have connections, where they can really talk.”

In Providence, the first five days of school will provide lessons to help students transition and acknowledge the trauma of the last several months, Peters said. “We’ve been very intentional about how we’ll bring kids back,” he said.

Meanwhile, the district is deep-cleaning the buildings and planning to roll out personal flyers for parents so they know the schools are ready. The Providence district has hired 60 more custodians and will have one per floor to regularly clean and wipe down high-touch areas, Peters said.

The school district has made arrangements with the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority for free service for high school students who live a mile or more from school and need transportation. With reduced capacity on the school buses, Providence children will have different start times.

While Providence can offer some in-person learning, the families of about 6,500 students have opted for remote-only learning, so they will be enrolled in the district’s “virtual academy,” Peters said.

“We are ready for our students, we’ve worked hard,” he said, “and we miss them very much.”

Amanda Milkovits can be reached at amanda.milkovits@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmandaMilkovits.