Southwestern Central School students are pictured creating the “SWCS” initials in the gymnasium. Students returned to school on Wednesday. “We are excited here at Southwestern to have our kids back full-time,” Superintendent Maureen Donahue said. P-J photos by Katrina Fuller

LAKEWOOD — Students streamed through the halls at Southwestern Central School on Wednesday morning, all together for the first time in more than a year.

Kicking off the school year with fun and excitement, the students met in the auditorium for a brief address by Superintendent Maureen Donahue, principal Scott Cooper and assistant principal Matthew Kindberg.

“Welcome back — where are the seniors? Raise your hands,” Donahue said over the excited hum of the crowd. “This is our first time back together in the school, students and staff, all together in the same building in over 20 months. We have made progress. None of us really wanted to deal with what we’re dealing with. We are in a better space than we were a year ago.”

She pointed out the importance of the masking policy.

“The bottom line is: Mask on, up and over your nose,” Donahue said. “Here’s why: Right now the Delta variant is very rampant in Chautauqua County. We have one of the highest infection rates in New York state. It is extremely contagious. Contagious means passes very quickly from one person to the other.”

Donahue said she doesn’t want to go back to a hybrid model; does not want to return to a remote model; and would like the district to stay with a five-day-a-week education model. She said the school is hoping to have concerts, athletics and other exciting activities this year as well.

“We want to do those events this year,” she said. “We want to do Homecoming, we want to have Prom. We want to go back to somewhat normal. I can’t promise you anything, but I’m hoping as transmission goes down, we will be in a space where we can drop the mask. I cannot guarantee you that. Nothing has gone normal like we thought it would this year.”

Donahue said the masking policy is different this year because the state has instituted the universal masking policy.

“This is not Donahue’s rules,” she said. “This is not Mr. Cooper’s rules. These are New York State Department of Health.”

Donahue added that all students can reach out to her at her email address with any questions.

“I have students do it all the time,” she said. “One of the things we are going to work on is being kind to each other this year. This has been a really hard 20 months for all of us. We’re just glad that you’re back with us. This is the happiest day I’ve had in 20 months that we’re all back together. We want to make it a great year, and we want to have as many normal activities — it might look a little different, and we’re going to be creative.”

Donahue said the high school team of teachers and the administration have put together a fun and exciting first three days for the students, including fun activities to get back into the swing of things. Afterward, Cooper welcomed students to the school and broke them into groups. Each group recieved a different color shirt and were shepharded into the gymnasium for a group picture in which they formed the intials of their school by group.

Donahue said she is thrilled to have the students back to school.

“We are excited here at Southwestern to have our kids back full-time,” she said. “We are focusing on our students while staying safe.”