Adjusting to our “new normal” can be challenging, especially when even your once-familiar school has changed.
From the lobby to the classrooms, the school could look overwhelming. Even seniors may find themselves getting lost in the halls with these new changes.
So to help with the confusion, here are some things you should know for the new school year.
The lobby
One of the first changes that students and staff will see upon entering the building is the lobby. Different from the usual free-for-all traffic flow, the area is now controlled with a rotary.
When walking through the lobby you will notice that there are now footsteps surrounding the perimeter of the area. This is to guide you in a counter-clockwise rotation in order to avoid clusters of students or traffic jams.
By walking counter-clockwise around the center, you will be able to leave the rotary when you arrive at the exit needed. This unfortunately means there will be no crossing over through the center or turning back to get into your necessary hallway.
That being said, it is recognized by the school that this may cause students to take longer getting class to class, so outside routes are now available for students to travel through.
Mask breaks between classes
For student use, five entrances to the school will be opened during the five minute passing period. Students are free to use these entrances with the requirement of an ID being presented when re-entering the building and with the exception that students cannot travel behind the school.
Students should take this opportunity outside to have a break from wearing their masks.
Open campus for seniors
Using these these exits, seniors can also leave the building during a lunch or study after an open campus policy was passed. After filling out certain forms, seniors are granted the option to leave the school and return for their next class period without signing in or out.
In the cafeteria
The next main difference from past years are the new seating arrangements in the cafeteria.
While in past years the cafeteria was packed, booming with louds voices. Now only a limited amount of students can be in the lunchroom at a time.
In the cafeteria, in order to follow safety precautions, only three students are allowed to sit at a lunch table or students can sit in a socially distanced group of six desks.
Since the seating has become limited in the cafeteria, the option for outside seating is now available. Directly outside the lunch room a tent is located where half of the lunch students will eat rain or shine. This is so that students inside can have enough room to social distance.
In the classroom
Lastly, there are new changes to every classroom in the school.
If every year you look forward to coming to school to see all of your friends and to use school as an opportunity to talk to them, it may be harder for you this year.
With the new hybrid schedule implemented, only half the student population will attend in-school classes in a day. This means Houses 1 and 2 attend together one day and Houses 3 and 4 the next.
Along with not being able to see all your friends in a day, seating arrangements can also keep you apart from your classmates.
In order to follow CDC guidelines, all students must be seated at least three to six feet apart at all times. This will mean assigned seats and no moving/changing desks throughout the class.
Another way classrooms are helping to keep everyone safe is that all classes now have a hand sanitizer station. Students are encouraged to use these stations as often as they want in hopes of not spreading germs class to class.
Though these new changes to the building may be confusing or difficult to adjust to at first, in the end it is to protect the safety of every student and staff during this unprecedented time. Stay safe, Lancer Nation!
