Desk shields helping to keep students and teachers safe during COVID-19

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — As more students begin to fill Fulton County classrooms, a local company is stepping up to keep teachers and students safe during this pandemic.

Monday started Phase 3 of the district’s re-entry plan, which allows students from all grade levels to be in schools one day a week and for special education students to be in classrooms twice a week.

The principal of Ocee Elementary School in Johns Creek told Channel 2′s Mike Petchenik she wanted to find ways to bolster safety for her staff and students, so she began to explore the idea of installing desk shields to buffer teachers from students.

“We recognized it was going to be a huge cost on the school,” she said.

So, Williams said she asked her parents governance council to help her find someone who manufactured desk shields.

“As we’re preparing to welcome students back, the district partnered with schools to put a lot of things in place to make sure that we could keep our students and our staff as safe as possible,” said Keri-Ann Williams. “We wanted to see what additional layers we might be able to add as well.”

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Williams said parents directed her to a Norcross-based company that specializes in acrylic boxes for collector’s items, such as action figures.

Chad Thompson runs Collectible Grading Authority and lives in a subdivision across from the school.

“We were willing to help and hear what they were looking to do,” said Thompson. “They’re trying to keep the kiddos protected and the teachers so we made some shields for them to help with that process.”

Thompson’s team used the same acrylic they use for their boxes to fabricate 25 shields at first, which they donated to the school. The governance council paid for additional shields to outfit every classroom in the elementary school.

A district spokesperson told Petchenik the central office has been in touch with Thompson to see about expanding the program to other schools.

“We’ve been fortunate to have lots of different kinds of PPE and safety things that were provided to us from the district,” said Williams.

“This is an added layer and something we are pleased to have and something our community can provide for the teachers.”

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