Freshman Ericka Alice sits almost 10 desks away from Marcelo Pileggi Since in school learning started, students have had to sit at least six feet apart. “It doesn’t feel any different than online school,” Alice said. PHOTO BY BRODY BERRIOS
Freshmen Kyler Eickhorn and Jonathan Ayala stand together in the car pick up line. Social distancing rules prevent students from having private conversations during the school day. “After school is some of the only time I get to talk to my friends,” Eickhorn said. PHOTO BY BRODY BERRIOS
Gates open, masks on
School keeps students at distance with reopening By Alisha Durosier, Opinion Editor After three months of remote learning, freshmen were welcomed back on campus on Oct. 9, with the other grades following on Oct. 13. Returning students were met with new guidelines, such as mandatory masks, a minimum physical distance of 6 feet from one another, constant sanitation of their workspace and one-way traffic patterns. Like many who opted out of e-learning, junior Hayli Balgobin sought an environment better suited for learning. “Learning on campus has allowed me to work in an environment meant for learning, instead of my bed which is meant for sleep and relaxation,” Balgobin said.
The school’s learning environment ranges from physically distanced classrooms to the physically distanced media center, where students log into Microsoft Teams if teachers or classmates are not at school. “Spending the first couple months online, I was unfocused,” junior Olivia Kimmelman said. “Having the structure of going to school is better for me, especially when it comes to my grades and tests.” Large signs with clear instructions, along with arrows to manage student traffic and floor decals marked with bold letters stating “6 ft” fill the hallways and stairwells of the school. To decrease traffic and provide potential COVID-track-
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ing, while still allowing restroom use during class, the school established a system that requires students to scan a QR code and use their phones as hall passes. The school also developed a system that dismisses students from their classrooms based on the first letter of their last name. “Many changes I tend to forget since I am not fully adjusted to them,” Balgobin said. Students also face limited movement and interaction at lunch to promote social distancing and mask wearing. “I used to sit at lunch with six people,” Balgobin said. “Now I only sit with two.” Only 186 out of 1,203 students chose to return to
physical school, according to school records. “I just wish there were more kids,” Kimmelman said. The high number of students online has prompted teachers to figure out ways to engage both in person and online. Usually between six and 12 teachers are remote, leading students at school in the media center or gym to interact the same way they would at home, through Microsoft Teams. Still, Kimmelman appreciated the work the school put in. “I was surprised about how safe it was,” Kimmelman said. “The way the staff organized and handled everything was in our best interest. I'm glad that I am able to learn in an environment that's safe.”
