News Photo by Crystal Nelson Christie Thomas, principal of Alcona Middle and High schools, works in her office on Thursday in Lincoln.

LINCOLN — Her first year as interim principal of Alcona Middle School and Alcona High School has been “very challenging” for Christie Thomas so far.

Thomas took over the principal position after serving as the dean of students this summer. Because running a school during a pandemic hasn’t been done in modern times, she said it’s difficult to find information on the best way to handle a lot of the situations that arise now during the coronavirus outbreak.

Like many school districts in Northeast Michigan, Alcona Community Schools continues to offer in-person classes for its elementary and middle school students.

But, unlike the other districts, school officials decided to move the majority of instruction for high school students online. Thomas said the high school did not have the space to safely bring students back for face-to-face instruction.

She said running the schools “is a constantly evolving plan.

“I’ve been told several times, if I can make it through this year, I should be good, with all of the challenges,” she said.

While Thomas still sees her middle school students on a daily basis, she only sees a handful of the district’s high schoolers a day.

The school allows some students in the high school for advanced woodshop or agriscience, and also allows them to work in the auditorium, where they have access to the internet and can work in a quiet space.

Without all of the high schoolers in the building, Thomas said it’s very eerie.

“You’re walking down the hallway and you hear a teacher talking in their room and there are no students in there,” she said. “They’re talking to their computer — they’re meeting with their students — but it’s surreal because this is supposed to be a place that’s filled with life, and filled with students, and it feels very empty.”

Thomas said it’s been a very challenging time for teachers, too. She said teachers are being asked to teach differently and learn different software programs, and employees haven’t been able to get all the training that would be ideal.

However, Thomas said, one of her main focuses during staff training is to give teachers the time they need to work, to listen to problems and concerns, and try to solve them as they come along.

Thomas said there have been fewer behavioral issues with fewer students in the building, but she’s sending a lot more emails and communicating with parents more frequently.

Thomas said there is some normalcy to her job, and that there’s a variety of things she has to deal with — a phone call, a student or teacher needs, for example.

Meanwhile, Thomas is also working toward a master’s degree with Western Governors University.

When she is not in school, Thomas likes to spend time with her husband, Les Thomas, and their two kids. She also enjoys spending time outside, kayaking, and reading.