What a privilege it is to see our students back on campus! This year was very unprecedented, and it was confusing and stressful for some people. Even though we have launched our school reopening, there are school stakeholders who continue to have questions regarding the safety measures being taken at COA. While some may say the precautions should be stricter, others believe the school should lift some of the safety rules. As a result, our community is divided.
In order to sustain our school, we must follow the guidelines put in place by authorities like the Sacramento County Public Health department. Over the last few months, these restrictions have been slowly lifting. For instance, before, all persons needed to maintain a 6-feet distance at all times. Now, however, students are allowed to be separated by a minimum of 3 feet. Additionally, the use of plastic barriers in classrooms is now optional for students of all grade levels. However, there is still a certain set of restrictions that have stayed the same despite what seems like progress in bringing things back to the way they were before COVID-19. For instance, masks are still required to be worn both indoors and outdoors.
While we are not allowed to bend the policies enforced by the health department, we are still able to take some factors and extenuating circumstances into consideration. A few examples are warm weather, different people’s beliefs, and implementing breathing areas for students. To refrain from exercising in the heat of the day, all physical education sessions are held during morning hours. Additionally, to aid in the decrease of virus breakouts, we now deliver all breakfasts and lunches directly to students’ classrooms. This ensures that we avoid any unnecessary mass gatherings. While it does take a lot of extra effort, we are willing to go the extra mile to support the needs of our employees and students. We strive to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for our community, and we take their well-being very seriously, all while staying consistent in following and enforcing very necessary safety precautions.
Michael Serdi, Vice Principal
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