19 minute read
From Quarantine to Vaccine
Quarantine Starting on March 31, the COVID-19 vaccine is available for everyone in Indiana who is 16 and older. This Q&A addresses concerns about the vaccine and its affect on ZCS Vaccinestudents and staff.
1. How has ZCS been making their COVID-19 related decisions?
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Coffman: We have a specific COVID task force that [encompasses] several of our school administrators, Dr. Robison, Kris Devereaux, myself, and other key members of our administrative team… This also includes individuals whose background is immunology, whose background is in public health. We are constantly monitoring the metrics of the county [cases per 100,000 and positivity rate], keeping track of our number of quarantined individuals and how many students and staff are positive. We talk about these numbers with the local health department to determine what we think is in everyone’s best interest moving forward.
2. How is ZCS handling the vaccine situation?
Coffman: We’re trying to keep our ear to the ground and making sure we’re informing our employees and our community as quickly as possible. Yesterday [March 2] morning, I saw a press release at about 8:50 with the change in [vaccine] eligibility opening to 55 and older. So immediately, we pulled up all our employee data and pulled everyone’s birthday. Anyone who was in that 55-60 range, who hadn’t been eligible in the last few weeks, received a text message [on how to register]. On the very far end of the campus, we have our employee campus and we have had an employee clinic since 2009. Ascension St. Vincent is our health partner and they have submitted the appropriate forms and paperwork to say that we would be ready and able to accept any vaccines because the Johnson & Johnson vaccine doesn’t require the ultra-low cold storage. So we’ve submitted that we could accept a vaccine allotment for distribution.
Harbinger staff member, Elizabeth Rexing, sat down with Rebecca Coffman, ZCS Assistant Superintendent of Operations on March 3 and also interviewed Claire Haughton, Health Educator and Public Information Officer for the Boone County Health Department, on March 2. *Quotes have been edited for clarity, but not content.
3. Can ZCS make the vaccine mandatory?
Coffman: There are mandatory vaccines that are required to be enrolled in a public school and that [are] set by state law. So in order for something to be mandatory, it would need to go through that process. To my knowledge, those conversations aren’t happening because I think there is still a lot to be accomplished before we start talking about students and children receiving the vaccine at different ages... There’ll be a lot of new information that comes forward before there’s ever a conversation for a requirement for the vaccine. Haughton: It’s a possibility. Schools do have the right to mandate certain vaccinations. We’ll also have to focus on making sure the
Why I GoT THE VACCINE
Sarah Ludwig
English teacher Sarah Ludwig receives her first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Photo submitted by Ludwig
vaccine is safe and effective for students of all ages before we talk about making them mandatory. That’s the number one priority.
4. How will the vaccine affect current mitigation practices?
Haughton: The vaccines and other mitigation strategies are all parts of a puzzle. They’re not stand-alone weapons; they all need to be used together to really kick COVID to the curb for good. But when we reach that point of herd immunity, I hope we can go back to life as normal! Coffman: It’s premature to be discussing any loosening of our strategies; we will certainly be keeping all the strategies in place for now.
5. How will ZCS handle teachers and students who get the vaccines? With anything change for them?
Coffman: We will probably recommend that individuals keep a picture on their phone of their vaccination card so that they have it at all times. If they are identified as a close contact, right now, the information is that they would not have to quarantine [within] 90 days of their vaccination. We are anticipating some recommendations in the next couple of weeks. They [the CDC] said that they believe there will be updated restriction guidelines very soon.
6. What do you anticipate as the timeline for vaccinating high school students?
Haughton: It’s hard to say. Right now, people 16 and older can receive the Pfizer vaccine and people 18 and older can receive Moderna, so not all high school students can even get the vaccines right now. Both companies are currently working on figuring out safety and efficacy in younger ages. I’ve seen supply and manufacturing issues that affect these estimates as well.
7. How do you think schools should handle students who aren’t old enough to receive the vaccine or who won’t be vaccinated by choice?
Haughton: For students that don’t/can’t get vaccinated, we would ask them to keep doing what you all have been doing for the last year or so- wear masks, social distance, wash hands, and stay home if they feel sick. This has been our strongest weapon against COVID before we got the vaccine. There aren’t too many medical reasons why a person shouldn’t get the vaccine. So far, the vaccine has proven to still be very safe even for people with a number of different health issues.
8. What effect will an increased number of vaccinated individuals have? (ie. lower positivity rate) When will we see these effects?
Haughton: When we start to see large groups of the population get vaccinated, we’ll start to see herd immunity develop. That means that enough people have been vaccinated in a population that the overall risk of infection to the vaccinated and unvaccinated group will be very low. We’re not 100% sure what herd immunity for COVID looks like, but we know we need the majority of the population to be vaccinated. However, we’re really concerned about COVID variants... We’re worried that new mutations will outsmart the vaccines we have and we may be stuck in pandemic life for a little bit longer. Only time will tell.
9. What do you anticipate the Fall 202 semester looking like? What hopes do you have?
Coffman: Some of the things [mitigation strategies] that have been here because of COVID, will continue. I hope that when we come back in the Fall it is a happy and appreciative environment. I think that we have to recognize that there are going to be new opportunities and we have to have patience and be responsive to what’s going on at that point in time… I hope everyone is looking forward and not looking too much in the rear-view mirror about the way things always were because maybe there’s a different way that’s even better.”
Eric harrington
“It was honestly such a feeling of relief. This entire past year during the pandemic has been stressful, and especially because teachers had not been prioritized for vaccinations in the state up until the week I got mine. I would say that, before anything can get back to normal, those of us that are able to need to get the vaccine and prevent the spread of the virus. Getting the vaccine is doing your part for everybody to get back to normal.”
Michael warner
Business teacher; vaccinated March 2 at Veterans Admin Medical Center; Moderna
“I wasn’t worried about getting COVID before but with the vaccine I can be even less concerned about getting it and hopefully inspire others to get it so we can get past this and back to ‘normal.’ [To those who are eligible to get the vaccine but haven’t yet,] I understand your concern about its safety, I have the same concern about the flu vaccine, but this disease has closed down the country and caused too many deaths so please get the vaccine so we can all get back to ‘normal.’” news 5
Caring Zionsville’s essential workers don’t let a pandemic stop them from helping others Through Through Through Crisis By Sarah Maniscalo, Staff
photo by Kailey Wallenius
Erika Poynter, junior, works at Kroger as a customer service representative. Even at sixteen, Poynter was an essential worker throughout the pandemic. “I wasn’t necessarily worried about the virus because there are precautions put in place to prevent the spread of the virus within the store,” Poynter said. “I’ve never worried about potentially spreading COVID because I always wear at least one mask and wash my hands before starting a new task. I take the virus very seriously and am extremely cautious with how I prevent the potential spread of the virus.” But through all of the stress and sorrow, COVID-19 brought some light to new areas, like a notable appreciation for essential workers. Poynter was touched by a thoughtful gift basket from Zionsville Middle School to Kroger employees with candy, snacks, and thank you notes. “It caught me off guard and made my day,” Poynter said.
Ayear ago, the world practically shut down as COVID-19 spread to the United States and frontline workers put their personal safety aside to keep the world moving forward. The pandemic may be different in 2021, but essential workers are still on the frontlines as they continue to conduct their jobs. Dr. Gabriel Bosslet works as a medical educator alongside his job as a pulmonologist, which entails work at University Hospital and Eskenazi Hospital as an intensive care unit doctor. There he cares for critically ill patients. A year ago, hospitals were just beginning to prepare for the spread of COVID-19 to the United States and Indiana. “We knew from experience in China, and experiences, especially in Italy, that things could get super bad and so we were gearing up for it at that point,” Bosslet said. “We were putting contingency plans in place to stop.” As the disease spread to Indiana hospitals, it became the medical world’s top priority. “We basically pulled back everything else that we were doing in order to care for COVID-19 patients,” Bosslet said. As an intensive care doctor, Bosslet says it can be incredibly emotionally draining to care for patients. With COVID-19 in hospitals, it puts a greater toll on health care providers than in normal circumstances. “You’re caring for more patients at one time and you were also doing it for more of the time,” Bosslet said. “This is the worst disease I’ve ever seen or cared for my entire life. This disease makes you feel like a bad doctor because there is very little that you can do to care. There are very little levers for us to pull.” While doctors are accustomed to a variety of care options to treat patients, this situation is different than other medical conditions. “We just take as best care of people as we can. They either live, or they die, and very few of the things that we have tried to affect that have worked,” Bosslet said. Knowledge of COVID-19 has greatly increased in the past year. This has subsequently changed how frontline workers view their personal safety and the safety of others as they conduct their jobs. “[Health care workers] were scared to death of taking the virus home to our families [at the beginning of the pandemic] … There were a lot of us who were spending our nights in hotels,” Bosslet said. Now that more information is known about the disease and how it spreads, frontline workers feel more comfortable in their workplace. “[I don’t worry about] the emotional toll of worrying about my own health and safety and that of my family,” Bosslet said. To follow COVID-19 safety precautions and prevent exposure in the hospitals, family members are excluded from patient care. Hospital staff has to create the bridge between care inside the hospital and transmission of information. “When you don’t see what’s happening, it’s hard to understand, number one, what their loved one is going through,” Bosslet said. “And number two, how really how hard the bedside nurses and techs, and everyone else is working to try and get their loved one through that illness.” Family members are limited in the degree to which they can participate in the care of their loved ones. “[There are] a lot of very difficult phone calls, or very difficult conversations, over the phone, that are far better held in person,” Bosslet said.“It is gut-wrenching to care for patients in this way; It’s not something that I ever want to go back to ever again.” This pandemic has brought tragic loss and will leave lasting effects on all frontline workers. “I think COVID will leave an indelible scar on all of us who have done this, an emotional scar,” Bosslet said. “I will never forget this time; I hope to never live through anything like this again.”
photo provided by Gabriel Bosslet
it up switching
Ambassadors program revamped as a new class for mentors
By Lucy Robinson, Feature Editor
The Ambassadors Program has existed for a while, however it is being revamped next school year to be credit bearing class for juniors and seniors with a redesigned curriculum. “Ideally, after at least the first nine weeks, once we give the freshmen and sophomores a little time to get adjusted, a junior or senior would be paired with a freshman or sophomore,” Kaylee Miller, counselor, said. Currently ambassadors do most of their work within the counseling office, but also help other students. “As an ambassador I help the counselors with whatever they need. We run passes for them, organize things, answer phones, or whatever else they ask,” Gillian Louiso, ambassador, said. “My favorite part is showing around new students coming into Zionsville. It’s so nice to be able to help someone who is in such a new situation learn the ins and outs of the school to make them more comfortable.” The eventual goal for the class is to have each student in the class matched with a mentee, to have a one-on-one mentorship. “In the meantime, we’re going to utilize those students to kind of act as mentors to maybe even the grade levels as a whole like doing things like making studying tips in Canvas or something that will still be mentoring underclassmen, even if it’s not a one-onone match,” Brooke O’Mara, counselor, said. For the upperclassmen, this provides a chance to help underclassmen and explore the helping field. “So a lot of the applications we’ve seen have been students say like, this is a gap that was present for me and freshmen and sophomore year, so I want to make sure to help other kids, and so I think that a lot of our seniors will have that sense of self fulfillment,” O’Mara said. “It obviously looks good on their college application. It’s a chance for them to kind of look into the helping field and see if that’s something they want to do as a career choice.” The class will provide help to underclassmen in navigating their first years of high school. “For the underclassmen, it’s going to be that relationship component, some help with some skill building, whether it be organization or accountability, or even if it’s content that they’re struggling with in their classes that they don’t understand,” O’Mara said. “Algebra I, we’ll put them with an upperclassman, who’s a strong math student. So I think it’ll just be that guidance and somebody to kind of check in on them and make sure that they’re progressing.” The class is self-driven with a goal to help both upperclassmen and underclassmen develop important skills. “We will train them, but then after that, it’s your relationship with your mentee. So it really helps them with independence, leadership, self discipline, and then kind of shows the underclassmen those same things,” Miller said. The qualities of a good ambassador won’t change much with the new curriculum from what they are now.
Gillian Louiso, ambassador, and Brooke O’Mara, counselor, talk in the counseling office. photo by Kailee Rockers.
“Some good qualities of ambassadors include being helpful and kind to people, being easy to work with, supportive, and also generous with your time,” Louiso said. “It’s not a hard job by any means but being able to help others and receive help all at the same time has been something I’ve loved.” Though this class is for juniors and seniors, underclassmen can be thinking about how it may fit into their future plans. “I would want our current freshmen and sophomores to think about what are some key aspects of your high school experience that you feel like, could allow you to help others?” Miller said, “Or what are some key aspects that you’re like, ‘wow, I really wish somebody would have helped me with this,’ because that’s things they’ll use in peer ambassadors, and things that they can share with us any time and that we can help to grow that program year after year after year.” The goal of this class is for the mentors to build that relationship and be committed to the course. “If you went out of your way to see them during lunch, or to help them get from class to class or to take them to a basketball game, that’s not going to be part of your grade,” Miller said. “But we’re looking for people, who given the flexibility and their schedule and the opportunity to do that, would be open to building that relationship a little bit more with kids.” As the class is new, the next year will involve a lot of learning. “That’s what I’m really excited about with this year, because it’s brand new, it gives kids the opportunity to make it what they want it to be,” Miller said.
“We’re going to utilize those students to kind of act as mentors to maybe even the grade levels as a whole.” -Brooke O’Mara, counselor Want to Get Involved? Here’s How!
Though the scheduling period for next year has formally ended, to find the application for the class you can go to the high school website, then to the Academics and Scheduling section under the Counseling tab. Under the Service and Exploration tab you will find the Peer Ambassadors class. The counselors in charge of the class are Brooke O’Mara and Kaylee Miller.
Photo provided by Jessica Sterling
Changing
By Becka Bash, Student Life Editor
Remember when we all thought we would come back to school after spring break last year? That did not happen. The COVID-19 pandemic has had lasting effects that continue to impact this school year. Some classes are especially impacted by the pandemic and have taken many steps to adapt their curriculum.
“I think our students have adjusted to the changes pretArt ty quickly. We’re still exploring new materials, making art, and having fun along the way, even if it is because my face has frozen in the worst possible expression on Zoom,” art teacher Grace Fletcher said. Art classes, which require a lot of visual work, have certainly had to make some changes as a result of the pandemic. “The biggest changes are the set up of my room and how I have students turn in their artwork. Usually my desks are in groups of four, now they are in rows spaced far apart. Students in the past would turn in their work physically, now they photograph it and submit it on Canvas,” art teacher Jessica Sterling said.
Engineering Walking in the engineering room last year, you would see groups of students working together on projects. The work would all be very collaborative and interactive. This year, that has changed. “We have had to eliminate all the hands on and group work for social distancing and sharing of equipment. For example we don’t have enough of the cortex’s for VEX robotics to allow for individual or pairs to work. We had to shift that all to a virtual robot setting,”
Jason Donkersloot, PLTW teacher, said. Because of COVID-19, the learning process for the engineering classes has changed to a more individualized situation and has certainly affected the class curriculum. “The hardest changes have been taking a curriculum and class that is based on PBL (project based learning) and rewrite to fit the hybrid model,” Donkersloot said. “Learning the hands on skills 10 feature
For Fletcher’s 3D art class she had to make a 3D art kit for virtual students including things like clay, wire, and foam. “I think the most difficult thing has been navigating how to plan for only one day of studio time. 3D classes cannot be taught synchronously so there was a lot of planning how they can do all the project planning, sketching, writing, and art history outside of class so in class can be a 100% studio time. Students have had to adjust because even simple questions have a wait time. If they’re on zoom, I may be teaching wheel throwing to in-class students, so they must wait until I get back to my computer to answer or figure it out on their own,” Fletcher said.
and problem solving that come with PBL is the greatest asset to the class. Trying to still gain those skills in a virtual or hybrid model have been challenging. Also giving feedback to students usually came through conversation and watching them as they worked; now I have to wait for them to turn in the work and give feedback through canvas. It’s not the same.” These curriculum changes have certainly affected the way students learn in these classes. “I feel we have done the best we can. I don’t like it because I know the classes can be so much more and I feel as a teacher I am not providing the education I know we can. It’s still going well and students seem to be enjoying it but I miss seeing those light bulb moments they normally have when working through a problem,” Donkersloot said. “They are still happening just not always in the classroom.”
