Covid Changes!
By: Haivyn Nelson
Empty Commons Area
The students and staff of Tescott School are battling through the changes due to Covid-19 during this 2020-21 school year.
This school year there has been many difficult changes that had to be made to help keep the students, staff, and their families safe from the coronavirus. Unlike the years before, you can’t enter the building without getting your temperature checked or having a mask on.
Many things in the school look different this year. For example, the commons area used to be a fun hangout spot for high school students after lunch, but because of the pandemic, we aren’t allowed to have that opportunity anymore because we can’t maintain social distance. Mallorie, a sophomore here this year, explains that she misses this area! “That’s when we would all come together as a high school and just talk and have fun!”
Classrooms are also looking different compared to years before. All desks are spread out so we can stay six feet apart. A disadvantage this gives is not being able to receive help from our peers. This also adds another thing for teachers to watch over. “Usually students would come to my table and work together in a small group. Now, I may be answering that same question multiple times as I go around the room helping,” stated the second grade teacher, Ms. King. “I’m definitely getting my exercise this year!”
Instead of teachers just dismissing you, they have to sanitize your hands before you leave and sanitize your desks before the next class comes in. This is just another example of all the changes to make us all safe during these uncertain times.
To decrease the amount of germs spread they have made the decision to close all water fountains but leave the water bottle fillers open. Because the thought of kids not having or forgetting water bottles came up, the office provides free water bottles for you to have. Mrs. Wenthe has also provided styrofoam cups in her room for her to fill when you need a drink.
Considering all of these changes, Raven, a junior here this year, says social distancing has been the hardest challenge for her. She stated, “It is not too hard to follow that rule but at times you get carried away with how things used to be. Therefore, I catch myself standing next to people or going up to people to look at things. It is a small thing but makes a huge difference ... If everyone went about their days like we used to, we wouldn’t be in person anymore.”
According to Wyatt, a sophomore this year, social distancing has been the hardest change also, especially at lunch. “Lunch used to be the time to talk to our friends, and now we can’t anymore.” Although he misses the social time, he believes that these changes are helpful, “Science has shown that masks slow the spread of COVID-19. The masks help protect the most vulnerable people in the school, even though they don’t help you directly.”
We’ve all been wondering and wanting to know when this all can go back to normal. According to Mr. Kimmi, the principal, he says, “I do not know the answer to this, it is above my paygrade … It is the county and state health departments that will give us the clearance to go back to how things used to be.” He also included, “The changes we’ve made are not solutions, they are precautions. I do think they are worth it because it gives us the chance to get back to as much normalcy as we can.”