Five years ago, the world as everyone knew it was changed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Schools closed. Class moved online. Proms and graduation ceremonies were canceled or postponed.

In DeKalb District 428 schools, it was no different.

John Panek, a seventh grade science and social studies teacher at Clinton Rosette Middle School in DeKalb, said forging relationships with students was more of a challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That’s extraordinarily difficult to do over a video camera, so it was really hard,” Panek said. “There were also limitations in place at the time. It was a new thing. People didn’t really know what was going on.”

As cold weather approaches, so does flu season and an expected risk of catching a viral respiratory illness including COVID-19, RSV or other ailments, experts said. That means it’s time for people to consider getting the jab.

Experts say vaccinations are the best way to prevent serious illness or the chance of spreading a virus to someone with a weaker immune system.

In February, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data that showed the 2024 flu season was the worst in 15 years, The Associated Press reported. According to IDPH data, 1.5 million Illinoisans got a COVID-19 shot in fall 2024. Almost 3.6 million Illinoisans got their flu shot for the same period.

District workers including school nurses said they’ve got a plan to help keep kids and staff healthy and stave off wintertime viruses.

How pandemic informed district’s plan to keep students, staff healthy

DeKalb workers who spoke with Shaw Local News Network said they feel supported by district leaders in their efforts to implement public health protocols across school buildings.

The CDC, under the direction of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., recently issued federal guidance surrounding vaccinations for viral illnesses. The recommendations were met with widespread criticism from health care professionals and medical experts.

So Illinois is following a different directive.

In September, Gov. JB Pritzker issued an executive order directing pharmacies and doctors to follow the state’s Department of Public Health for guidance. And IDPH guidelines indicate that nearly everyone should get the COVID vaccine. Experts also said those able to get flu shot should.

Stephanie Condon, the district’s nursing manager, said she think the district’s plan is solid, should another public health crisis arise.

“I think it [the pandemic] really helped show ... how much our students’ health impacts them here at school and making sure that they’re here at school.”

—  Stephanie Condon

In 2020, she worked out of Clinton Rosette Middle and Cortland Elementary schools.

“I think we’re in a better place having gone through it once already, that the groundwork has already been laid for what we did,” Condon said. “And then it would be just adjusting, obviously, based on whatever the guidance is.”

The nursing manager position was created in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Role responsibilities include overseeing nursing efforts for all school buildings.

Condon said the pandemic demonstrated a need for more oversight.

“I think it really helped show ... how much our students’ health impacts them here at school and making sure that they’re here at school,” Condon said.

Panek said it’s a team effort.

“I feel supported,” Panek said. “I have amazing people around me.”

When asked what she thinks of the federal administration’s guidance on the COVID vaccine, Condon said she believes it’s a matter that should be left to the state.

“Basically, we follow guidance through the health department, who gets [the COVID vaccine] from the state,” Condon said.

Billy Hueramo, DeKalb’s director of teaching and learning for elementary education, said he believes the district navigated the pandemic as best it could. It was a new reality for everyone.

“There [were] a lot of safety precautions that we had to take that I never ever would have imagined that I would have to think about as a curriculum coordinator,” Hueramo said. “That’s one big shift that I would say for me was very different.”

Jill Springer, the district’s elementary humanities manager, recalled what a typical day on the job was like for her during the pandemic.

“It was about helping teachers translate what they do in the classroom to an online platform,” Springer said. “We have very young learners. It can be a challenge to engage when they’re not actually right in front of you.”

Sarah Montgomery, the district’s director of teaching and learning for secondary education, said she and others are maintaining a record of how the district endured the COVID-19 pandemic. Other procedures, including virtual lessons instead of snow days, have survived the past five years, too.

“It has been a topic of conversation because we have e-learning days, which the state allows us to use in place of inclement weather or an emergency, short-term,” Montgomery said. “But then, what would we do if there [were] a longer-term shutdown? But it also really depends on what the state tells us to do and the guidance.”

Kristin Perez, a certified school nurse for DeKalb schools, worked out of Jefferson, Malta, Brooks and Lincoln elementary schools.

In the early days of 2020, much emphasis was placed on how to track viral spread and contagion levels.

“We worked hard,” Perez said. “Our team worked really hard to do the contract tracing, and to prevent and do a lot of education on preventing the spread of diseases.”

But when asked if she felt she was able to make a difference, Condon said she wasn’t certain.

“I don’t know if we did this different, would it have changed?” Condon said.

Educators, nurses share lessons learned

Both Perez and Condon recounted their experiences working in the nurses’ office during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perez said at times, the responsibilities felt like a whole additional job. She did contact tracing and helped inform people if they had probable contact with an ill person.

“We were trying to avoid mixing and getting more people exposed,” Perez said.

Each school building had its own nuances. Perez’s role meant she was in charge of overseeing more children, but most kids could be grouped in one classroom. Condon’s middle school role had its own challenges.

“In the middle school level, you weren’t just contacting one class,” Condon said. “You had to go through their whole schedule.”

And not to forget the “normal” nursing duties. Throughout the pandemic as classes returned in person, nurses cared for students with injuries or other illnesses.

Condon said the pandemic was a teaching moment for many.

“I think it shows how great we can work as a team and just the resilience,” she said. “[...] I would say that not everybody that’s working here [then] is still here, but I don’t think that’s because of the pandemic.”

Panek echoed that sentiment. And experts are still learning about how the pandemic affected students in other ways, including academically, socially and emotionally.

“It affected a lot of people,” Panek said.

Springer said it’s evident that the pandemic left its mark on young learners.

“We see some concerns, some lagging skills that we’ve had to make sure we address along the way,” Springer said. “We’re always looking for how to meet our students’ needs. We just do what we need to do to be responsive.”

Montgomery acknowledged that it wasn’t easy for everyone to adapt to learning online.

At the time, the district had also rolled out a new math curriculum for middle school students.

“All of a sudden, we’re trying to teach from home using the technology and the safety criteria,” Montgomery said. “And when we phased back in, looking at alternative schedules, and how do we have certain people in the building at the same time. Those are significant shifts because we weren’t able to do some of the curriculum planning and implementation that we normally would, given that disruption.”

Panek said he feels the district has done its part to ensure that educators, like himself, are well-equipped to tackle public health challenges.

“I don’t know how prepared anybody would be depending on what it is that comes down the pike,” he said. “But at least from a technological standpoint, at least the kids and adults have gone through something similar. You could obviously rely on that background knowledge of how you were doing things.”