As Remote Learning Ends, Covid Precautions Linger
Students now sit in rows of desks for lunch rather than in booths. Photo: Kendra Chin
By STEPHANIE FERRARA, KENDRA CHIN, and ABDUL AWAN
Students have officially come back in person after a year and a half of online “remote learning,” but not everything is the same. The lunchroom, library, gym, and school store have all seen major changes, and several new rules have been implemented since students were last seen roaming the Midwood hallways.
“At first, I was really skeptical about the whole school reopening plan,” Curtiss Lu ‘22 explained. “Before the pandemic, the hallways would always be so packed, especially the third floor, and the gyms would be overcrowded as well.”
The school has put in place several safety precautions to address concerns, in compliance with State Department of Education and Department of Health guidelines. First off, every student entering the building must fill out the DOE health screening form which asks if they have experienced any flulike symptoms, have received a positive Covid test result, and are fully Covid-vaccinated. Face masks are required and are distributed when entering the building. Desks in classrooms have been checked to make sure students are three feet apart, and hand sanitizer dispensers have also been placed in every classroom.
The lunchroom that used to be filled with booths and tables has been replaced with desks lined in rows, facing forward, to enforce social distancing. “It just looks like a giant classroom,” Grace Cheddy ‘23 said.
Some students feel the change doesn’t resolve the issue. Dolan Ma ‘22 said, “The cafeteria feels cramped, unsanitary, and unsafe. People are eating, sneezing, and coughing right next to each other. We are closer to random people in the lunchroom than in classrooms.”
But both Cheddy and Ma believe that the booths and tables should make a comeback. “The cafeteria doesn’t feel like how a cafeteria should,” Ma said. “A normal cafeteria should be spacious and make a student feel relaxed, especially during these times, not confined and made to feel like a prisoner.”
The library has undergone changes as well, though they are not as noticeable. It used to allow 125 to 140 students, but now only 96 are allowed in, with only two students able to sit at a single table. Librarian Ms. Emily Cornell said, “The library is extremely busy. Students are happy to be here. For the most part, most of them are wearing their masks, but the level of communication is challenging because I cannot hear a student’s voice. The change is something that you have to accept.”
The most drastic change in the library happened behind the front desk. When books are returned, they now have to be wrapped in paper held together by a rubber band and quarantined for three days. Angelina Chiu ‘22, who monitors at the library, said, “We don’t want [the pandemic] to get worse, but we also want to encourage people to come to the library to do their work and borrow books.”
To accommodate for the spaced-out desks in the cafeteria and the lower capacity limit in the library, the auditorium is also open for students to spend their lunch or free period there. Like in the cafeteria, lunch is given out, and to maintain three feet of distance, students are in every other seat.
Midwood students sit three feet apart during their physical education class, which now takes place on Google Classroom and does not involve interactive sports. Photo: Abdul Awan
Prior to the pandemic, students played basketball, volleyball, and other games in gym class. Now, students do not do much physical activity at all, due to social distancing concerns. Close to 200 students are in the gym at one time, and after a quick warmup in street clothes (the locker rooms are currently closed for distancing), all assignments are done on Google Classroom or through written work in students’ journals.
Sidra Qureshi, a senior, said, “Gym has changed a lot. We just sit in our spots and do writing. I feel like it’s a negative change because we don’t do much in gym class, and gym is supposed to be a workout class where you exercise.”
However, some students don’t mind. Makayla Fearon ‘24 said, “I think gym is fine the way it is. The teachers and staff are doing the best they can to work with what they have.”
P.E. teacher Ms. Jennifer Roman said she is thrilled to be able to teach students in-person, though the changes are taking some getting used to.
“This year’s phys ed program is nothing like I’ve ever taught,” she said. “Between students not being allowed to use locker rooms and all the other Covid restrictions preventing us from teaching our regular activities, this year is incredibly challenging. We are currently focusing on delivering meaningful health content and doing all we can to keep students engaged, but it’s definitely a struggle.”
The iconic school store on the first floor has changed as well. This is the place you used to find Midwood students visiting often to get Pop-Tarts and other snacks. Now when you pass the school store, which is only open on Wednesdays, you will find only PPE (personal protective equipment). Signs read “Not selling food, water or snacks” and “No Midwood items being sold in bookstore.”
Daniella Stavin ‘22 said, “It makes me feel annoyed because I never bring lunch to school. Pre-Covid, whenever I was hungry, I knew I could just grab something to snack on in the school store.”
Sports for Midwood have also seen major changes regarding mask and vaccine mandates. The players are required to show proof of vaccination and must wear a mask during practice and games.
Mark Afanasyev, a senior on the volleyball team, said, “It is just too hard playing with a mask on. With all the physical exertion that we do, wearing a mask makes it even harder to breathe and makes us sweat more. It is just a big hassle and does not make sense since we are already vaccinated.”
It has been a year and a half since “normal” school ended, and the transition back has been at times tough and confusing. No date or conditions to end the new rules have yet been announced. Most of these decisions depend on the DOE and the State Department of Health. So for now, students must simply adapt indefinitely. “Midwood students are amazing, so I think that we’re going to do fine,” Ms. Cornell said.