Going to school has always been a normal thing. However, the norms of school have changed greatly coming into the new year. Horizon’s recent plan to return to school part time comes with new norms and expectations. School from what we knew will not look the same. Talking in the hallway with all our friends, going to athletic games, and interactions with our peers. So what will going to school in 2020 look like? 

Expectations: 

Masks play a significant role in decreasing the chances of contracting and spreading COVID-19. On October 1, 2020 the first cohort of students will return to Horizon for the first time since March. However, it looks very different from what we are used to. Masks have to be worn throughout the school day with the exception of lunches, eating, and drinking. This means during class and throughout the hallways masks must be worn.There is no tolerance for those students who choose to not wear a mask and the school has put punishments in place that will hopefully decrease the amount of people not wearing masks. With that being said the staff understands that wearing a mask for seven hours can be rough so they established mask breaks where students can maintain a safe distance apart and have their mask off. This is a new thing in schools across the country. Another expectation is that students will keep a safe distance from their classmates. Usually interaction between students is encouraged and the teachers incorporate student involvement with each other. However, with the pandemic that has attacked our country, distance is the solution to defeating the CoronaVirus. With that being said students returning to school will be encouraged to keep a safe amount of space from their fellow classmates. This means no more huddling in the hallways with all your friends and working in large groups for projects. Students are also expected during the school day to continuously wash and sanitize their hands using the sanitizing stations provided. Moreover, three temperature checks on all students will be a daily expectation going forward each day. 

Why is Horizon doing all this?

The teachers and staff at Horizon are dedicated to their students. They are motivated to teach their students everything they need to know until their four years in high school is over. These feelings have been displayed throughout the pandemic. Horizon has made a tremendous effort to create safety precautions that allow its students to return safely to school. The temperature checks, hand sanitizing stations, social distance rules are all examples of how important in person teaching is to learners. The teachers, staff, and administration have put large amounts of effort into creating a safe environment that everyone can return to. While most people wish things would go back to normal these are the cards we have been dealt and our Horizon Hawk community have been making the best of it.