STUDENTS RETURN BACK TO SCHOOL The students of Utica High have returned to the building in cohort groups

Before she leave class, senior Annie Droelle wipes off her desk so it is sanitized and free of contamination for the next student to use her desk. “I really feel more safe when I’m at school, knowing that everything is being cleaned constantly,” Droelle said. “The precautions that Utica has now are really good for keeping their students and staff safe from COVID.” In addition to students cleaning throughout the day, custodians spray disinfectant on all surfaces after school. BROOKlYnn

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After lunch, students get a wipe to clean off the assigned seat and table areas where they were sitting. “I don’t mind cleaning off my area at all after I eat lunch,” junior Emily Borus said. “In fact, I feel safer that we all are doing this.” All students are required to clean off their space after lunch to keep the school a COVID-safe environment for all students and staff. BROOKlYnn hAthcOcK

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Students have to either bring their own food and drinks for lunch time, or they can get free lunch in the cafeteria. The vending machines are emptied out this year to prevent cross-contamination between students. “I was really mad at myself when I realized that we weren’t allowed to use the vending machines,” senior

Kyle Walsh said. “I was so excited to go back to school and get the snacks that I would buy last

year.” BROOKlYnn hAthcOcK PHOTO Passing time between classes is restricted with one way hallways throughout the school.

There are now one-way hallways, which mean, students are required to walk in the direction that the arrows are pointing. “I really don’t mind the one-way hallways,” senior Dillon Wagner said. “I only get mad when I realize I took the wrong stairs and I have to walk all the way around the school to get to

class.” BROOKlYnn hAthcOcK PHOTO

OWith many rules in place for safety, classrooms seem empty and quiet to many students. N “I really don’t see a point with coming back to school. We do everything on our laptops L just like how we do when we were at home,” senior Francesco Grillo said. “I just think that I the only difference with being back is that we are all more exposed to COVID, and we can N see our classmates and teachers in person-- but still, everything we do is online.” E BROOKlYnn hAthcOcK PHOTO

FACE-TO-FACE

Teacher Holly Yucha distributes achohol wipes to students at the end of class, so their work space is sanitized for the next class.

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Spaced apart in the classroom, students log in and are ready to learn with their at-home classmates. “I think I am way more productive in school than being back home. I love seeing everyone, too,” junior Jack Droelle said. “The little things make a big difference. Plus, I feel that I am way more productive at school, too. During Student Support Time, instead of catching up on sleep, I’m working on homework. By the time I get home, I have no homework at all.” BROOKlYnn hAthcOcK PHOTO

UCS is back

Cohort groups return to in-person learning for the first time since March 2020

BROOKLYNN HATHCOCK

DIGITAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Who would’ve known that the “first day of school” would be in January? With various safety precautions in place, orange cohort students (last name A-K) returned Jan. 19, while black cohort students (last name L-Z) returned Jan. 21.

When that COVID pandemic first started last year in March, everyone was initially told that it was only going to be a two-week break, but then that turned into a longer spring break, then it turned into having a month off, and that turned into almost a full year without returning back to school.

Online at first was very difficult for not only the students, but also for staff and parents. Students had to learn how to be able to catch up and teach themselves, teachers had to make different plans to be able to teach from their homes, but also continue to parent, stepping in to assist their own children, too.

Over time, almost everyone got used to attending school online; it became a comfortable routine. In fact, some students could say that they liked it even more rather than being in school. Reason being, they got to do work on their own time, got to have time to hang out with their friends, students were able to have a job throughout the day and could do school before bed, or wait until the weekend.

This year is different, students now have scheduled Teams calls that are mandatory for attendance, assignments are due by the end of your class, and school will start and end at the same times that it did in the previous years.

Now with being in school, more has changed on top of that. In addition to only half of the student population attending school on their cohort days, all students are at home on Wednesdays, which is a half day in the morning, with Student Support Time in the afternoon.

Days that you are in school, your classes are separated into your first three hours on your first day in school, with the last three hours on the second day. Each cohort day class is two hours in length, while virtual Wednesdays are 30 minutes.

Q & A

Senior Annie Droelle

Q: How do you feel with COVID and being back in school? Q: What is your favorite thing about being back?

A: I feel like some students take the precautions very well, but others don’t care at all. Teachers are good with teling students to do the right thing. A: My favorite thing this year is just getting the high school experience. I like that it’s new.

Sophomore Olivia Barel

Junior Olivia Pinto

Q: Do you prefer being online or back face-to-face?

A: I was really used to being online, but I do love being back in school and seeing my friends and teachers. It’s not the same.