Opinion: What I Would Tell Other Schools About CBNA’s In-Person Experience
My school does fully in person schooling. So far we have been doing this for 5 months now and there has been only one hiccup where we had to go online, that was because there was around eight positive COVID tests. Because it has gone so well so far I think it was the right decision. It also still gives some students the flexibility to be online if they do not feel safe in a school environment. I would say that one of the main challenges of being fully in school is that when students do have to go remote, it can be tough to fully understand what is going on through a Google Meet when the teachers are completely focused on the students right there in front of them. For the students in school, the school has put in place plenty of new guidelines for students to be following this year which has helped keep everybody safe, for example there is one way hallways and they added in another lunch. Even when the school does encounter a positive test or even an outbreak they have handled it well this year and that is why we are still able to be in person in late January in the midst of a COVID spike.
The school’s response to a positive COVID test has also been good. I can’t think of one positive test this year that has led to more at the school. They do a good job limiting the transmission of the virus which has been one of the key ways to stopping the spread in a school environment. The school has typically been able to notify the close contacts of the positive test within 24 hours which means for the most part they do not go back on campus because of how quick the school is able to find out the close contacts. All things considered I think the school made the right decision when they decided to try going fully in school. They had a safe, clearly thought out plan that has allowed us to continue being in school and connecting with our friends and teachers like some students these days are not capable of doing.
–Hunter Murray