Covid-19 at Clackamas High School
Covid
As most students are returning to a fully in-person high school many do not think to look around at the safety implements that are being put into place at their schools, some students may even doubt these measures as they go about their day, but what really goes into preparing the school for regular life during the COVID pandemic? As a student, I did not truly know the details of the district’s handling of the situation until I sat down and talked with Kim Street, the assistant principal at CHS.
A large aspect of implementing preparations when looking at the function of a school, is the idea of micromanagement, whether the rules are being set at the classroom, school, district, or even state level. Schools here at North Clackamas are staying on the side of broad, district-wide standards as all specific orders are being set by the district. The system being implemented is designed to work amongst multiple schools and is regulated by the state.
Most of the rules being put in place in the North Clackamas School District are prioritizing the school’s ability to “contact trace” by focusing on communication at a smaller scale, where individual students report where they are sitting and lines can be drawn to show exposures, allowing the school to individually deal with these exposures and allow the school to continue functioning regularly.
The idea of communication at all levels is key in the district’s system, as all COVID cases and exposures are managed by a district-run team, and the previously mentioned contact tracing is even more important when students of the district are going to classes at Sabin-Schellenberg and intermingling with other students from other schools. This is why having a district team is important, as communication between individual schools would be much more difficult than streamlining the process.
But what happens when a student is exposed? This question is answered primarily based on the vaccination status of the individual student, as, in the case of the student being vaccinated, they will be allowed to continue going to school regularly. However, if the student is not vaccinated they will be sent home to continue learning.
Teachers are required to have a Google Classroom where they will post content for the online students to continue learning, as well as making assignments more convenient for the in-person students.
As students continue to learn, both in-person and online, learning more about the regulations being put into place at school always helps students have a new outlook on how they are going about their time at school and at home.
