A Brand New Normal For Cranberry High School

The block schedule is expected to be used throughout the year unless the circumstances caused by the pandemic end up changing.

Another notable precaution is the requirement of masks to be worn by anyone entering the school. Cranberry High School provided multiple washable cloth masks to students on the first day of the school year, and while the majority of students and teachers wear masks such as these, face shields are also an acceptable alternative. Most teachers are allowed to give their students ten minute mask breaks during class, which assures that the students won’t have any trouble breathing throughout the day.

Something for students to be aware of, though, is that all areas, such as the bathrooms, lunch tables, and entrances to the school, are kept properly sanitized multiple times a day. Most teachers disinfect their classrooms after every period, and some even take extra steps to make students feel safe.

On the topic, English teacher Debra Matthews said, “I will follow the policy given to me by the administration in order to make sure that we have the privilege of physically attending school every day. For this reason, I disinfect between classes.”

The other major change implemented this year is the requirement of social distancing while in class or during lunch. Many teachers have had to rearrange their entire classrooms to be able to have their students spaced apart during class, and some have suffered with an allowance of fewer students per class than usual. 

Aside from classes, the school has needed to be much more cautious during the lunch periods, splitting apart the usual three lunch periods in favor of many more smaller, spaced out periods. Because of the social distancing rules, Cranberry now has to utilize both the commons area as well as half of the gym for students to be able to eat. There can only be a maximum of three students per table, and they are encouraged to sit at the same table each day.

However, while social distancing is beneficial to the health and safety of students and staff, there are possible concerns of how it could affect their mental state as well. Students may be anxious about the return to school due to the large amount of people in the building. There is the chance some people may become nervous about having to come to school five days a week.

High school counselor Andrew Godinich stated, “Humans are by nature social creatures, so the isolation of quarantine can potentially have a negative impact and could lead to mental health challenges like depression.”

Despite these concerns, Mr. Godinich assured that “If someone is struggling with anxiety or depression, there is help out there; talk to a friend, teacher, or counselor, and we can help them figure out what will work to get them the help that they need.”

Cranberry’s year has been running smoothly so far with no major setbacks threatening to send the school into a blended schedule, or possibly even fully online learning.

The high school principal, Richard Smith, stated, “The students and staff have been mindful of the state mandates that we are required to follow, and are all making the best of it. I appreciate the effort that everyone has made to make coming back to school a huge success.”

Cranberry Junior Senior High School will have students attend fully face-to-face classes for as long as possible, and many people are hoping our precautions will allow classes to last in-person until the end of the school year.