The Return of School
By: Shauna Connelly
On February 8th, 2021, students of SHS returned to school. Ms. Morningstar announced that Salisbury High School is following the PDE (Pennsylvania Department of Education) guidelines and the state health requirements. Each student is expected to wear a mask over their mouth and nose at all times; lunch is the only exception. The guidelines also state that student’s desks are to be six feet apart, students should walk single file on the right side of the hallway, and only two students can sit together at lunch. Students are permitted to take their masks off to drink during the day, but they must put them back on immediately after drinking. It is recommended that students bring a water bottle with a straw for their convenience. If a student does not comply with the requirements after three warnings, they will be switched to online school for the rest of the semester. Finally, It is the responsibility of parents or guardians to check a student’s temperature before going to school or riding the bus.
“I thought school would be different, but I was not expecting so much change from last year. It is the little things that are not the same,” says a freshman at Salisbury. One of these changes the student is referring to is bathroom breaks. Students are expected to fill out a Smartpass before and after using the restroom. A Smartpass is an app on a student’s computer. There will be a limit of two people in the bathroom at a time to maintain social distance. If a student is taking gym during this semester, they are encouraged to wear their athletic clothing to school. If they choose not to, it is permitted that students use the locker room in groups of 5-7 people at a time. Students’ safety is the priority. For this reason, students will only be allowed to go to their lockers twice a day – once in the morning and once at the end of the day. The idea behind this is to prevent students from walking in the hallways as much as possible.
Students will be expected to be in school during their assigned day unless their guardian gives a valid reason for them not to attend. If a student continuously does not come to school, they will be switched to fully remote learning. In-person students are not expected to be in zoom meetings with the virtual students during class. If a parent changes their mind about their child’s learning model, their child can switch models on the first of any month. Parents would need to inform their child’s guidance counselor at least the day before they switch models.
For falcon period, students will be assigned a homeroom. Every day that students are in-person, it is required that they go to their assigned homeroom for study hall. Students will not be permitted to do any clubs nor co-curricular activities during falcon period to further social distancing.
Also, breakfast is provided in the cafeteria from 7:15-7:30 am every day. Students are expected to eat and finish their food in the cafeteria. Food is not permitted to leave the cafeteria, and students will not be allowed to eat in their classrooms.
In conclusion, individuals need to follow the guidelines given by the PDE and the state health requirements so students can continue in-person learning. The goal is to have the least amount of contact between students, teachers, or any other facility members as possible. Be sure to follow the rules given by Ms. Morningstar to ensure your safety during coronavirus.
