On March 8, ninth grade students went back to school in person to get acquainted with the new school building and routines. Next week on March 15, the rest of the school with grades 10th through 12th will also be coming back in person to the new hybrid schedule. All students will be required to wear masks covering their mouths and nose throughout the school day, adhere to social distancing and follow the new one-way hallways to help the flow of traffic in the hallways.

GETTING MEALS

When getting breakfast, it will be located at the end of each wing, where there will be a bag breakfast students will pick up and take to their first hour class.

As for lunch, they will be held in students’ fourth hour class where their lunch will be delivered in the hallway. Students will pick it up and take it back into their classrooms. Students will have 21 minutes for lunch where they can have their mask off to eat and drink. Once they have finished, their mask will go directly back on, and they will sanitize the station where they ate and dispose of their lunch in the garbage cans located throughout the hallways.

MASKS & EATING

Masks will be required to be worn at all times and eating is prohibited throughout the school day unless it is at lunch or breakfast time. Students are able to drink water throughout the day (while making it clear that they are doing so), then should put their mask immediately up over their nose once they are done. Students should not have their masks down unless they are eating and or drinking. Students are also not allowed to have their masks down in the hallway or drink in the hallway.

According to Principal Steve Pollzzie, these precautions are put in place to keep students and staff safe and protected from the virus.

“If we continue to follow these guidelines, the possibility of school life going back to normal has a greater chance of happening,” Pollzzie said.

Students have varying opinions regarding the new school plan. This is especially true considering that thus far, only freshmen have returned.

Junior Makenna Szabo-Menzies is returning in-person on Monday, and expressed her wishes for guaranteed safety regarding the meals.

“Hopefully the staff will give their best to cleansing the tables and areas, and being safe around the food itself. If I were having school lunch, it would be really important to me that these things are guaranteed,” Szabo-Menzies states. “However, I will be packing my lunch because I am able to completely ensure my health and safety, as well as have many more options.”

Freshman Autumn Knight has been attending in-person for the past week, and expressed her approval for what she has seen regarding the lunch system.

“The lunches at school were given out in a timely and efficient manner. Staff would arrive at our lunch time and drop off the required number of lunches. Each lunch was packed separately, minimizing the number of people it came into contact with. Therefore, even though I’ve been bringing a packed lunch to school, I would feel comfortable eating these lunches because I know there were a limited number of people preparing it. That said, I do wish that in the future, they come with more variety,” said Knight.