With students returning to schools throughout St. Clair County, the new principal at Margaret Elementary, Katelyn Dorsett, is settling into her new role.

A 12-year teaching professional in the Odenville community, Dorsett said that it was “bittersweet” to leave a community she had become so tight-knit with. However, she says she is enjoying her staff at her new school.

With all the challenges of operating a school in the middle of a pandemic, Dorsett is proud of the effort her staff has put into ensuring everything runs smoothly.

Due to complications caused by the coronavirus, it was decided that kids would go to school in portions, with children last names A-K going to school Monday and Tuesday, children last names L-Z going Thursday and Friday, with Wednesday as a virtual school day online.

“My team has been so resilient. They haven’t skipped a beat,” Dorsett said. “We had to plan very quickly with virtual. We are taking it one day at a time.”

Dorsett also says it is important for the kids to have some sense of normalcy in the middle of the pandemic. It is also important for them to have fun. One way Dorsett’s team is accomplishing this is with their New Year’s party, which was on Monday and Thursday to ensure all the kids had a chance to celebrate.

With all the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, Dorsett still says school is expected to start and end on time, with the last day of school coming in May. However, they are on a week-by-week basis.