By Rachel Lee
Due to Covid-19’s effect on the community, the fall semester will look quite different from previous years. Superintendent Jennifer Blaine and the SBISD school board have announced that they are looking forward to a great first day of school on August 24th, with all students learning remotely. The board decided to fully enact their LearnSBISD Plan on Tuesday, September 8th, with in-person learning for families choosing to send their students to school physically.
Before starting school on the 24th, teachers and students will take part in “WOW” week, Week of Welcome, in the week of August 17thwhere teachers will be contacting and becoming acquainted with students and families in place of Meet the Teacher festivities.
Many students are very excited to go back to school, meet their friends and teachers, and learn in a typical classroom environment. Chandler Gartner, a senior at Memorial high school, said that “the uncertainty surrounding the solidity of in-person school and the productivity and structure of the online school is unsettling.” Gartner will be attending school in person on September 8th, but is still nervous about crowded classrooms and the struggle to properly social distance while in classes and passing periods.
While many students are eager to get back in the swing of things, some students have decided to learn online for the entire semester. Morgan Mouer, a senior at Memorial high school, said that she chose online because “it was the safest option for my family and me. I have an at-risk family member and did not want to risk exposing her.”
To keep employees and students as safe as possible, SBISD has implemented robust health and safety protocols. Daily health screenings of students and staff and sanitizing before coming onto campuses or riding the buses are required. All students and employees will be required to wear face coverings/masks in the school, district facilities, and school buses. The Memorial high school PTA is also offering a free MHS reusable cloth mask and hand sanitizer to clip onto backpacks to support a healthy learning environment.
The SBISD education board has been working tirelessly to make the in-person and online learning transition seamless and will continue to modify guidelines and inform the community of any updates.
