COVID-19
Covid's Fluffy Form
By: Brady Myers
Covid has undoubtedly affected everyone in the U.S, more so the planet, from the loss of people, to the loss of morale due to the shutdown. Sometimes when someone is locked away from people, they might’ve looked towards other close ones for stability: their pets! How have our pets been during Covid?
The disease, likely, originated within the bat species. This means animals could get the disease too, which was scientifically proven. Sadly, not even our pets are safe in these trying times. Animals not only can contract covid, but they can also spread it to humans and other animals. They don’t contract the same covid that we humans do, but it’s still a branch off of it.
SARS-CoV2, is the form of covid most animals are picking up. There’s a low chance of animals transporting the disease to a human, but it’s still a chance that isn’t needed. Around this point, a little under 7000 animals have tested positive for CoV2. More pets are getting tested from day to day, but the main focus is still set to humans.
The CDC has released what should be done if your pets do end up getting CoV2. You're supposed to isolate them away from everyone else, including other pets, and you’re not supposed to clean them, not with any type of cleaning agents. Finally, you’re supposed to call the closet vet in your area. Which they’ll figure out what to do from there on.
A large part of animals are estimated to have covid, but not the strain that can infect humans. Most of those that have either of those types, usually do not show any signs. They’re very rarely fatal, and most cases can be resolved at home. To get the ones that show symptoms cured, you’re supposed to contact the closest veterinarian firm over the phone. They will either meet up with you at home, or seclude an area for them to work on the pet.
Overall, your pets are being affected too. Luckily, most do not show symptoms or even feel sick. An even smaller amount of them can transfer it to humans, and an even smaller amount of them are fatal. Covid has been a trying time for us all, and once again, you can turn to your fluffy family members for support!
Covid-19 Updates
By Joe Paterno ~ Reporter ~ April 20, 2021The Orthocoronavirinae, or more commonly known as COVID-19 or Coronavirus, is strongly coming back. Covid-19 is a very serious respiratory disease. It is caused by SARS-CoV-2, which stands for ‘’Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2.’’ SARS can trigger what doctors call a respiratory tract infection. It can affect either or both of the upper tract, which involves sinuses, nose, and throat, or lower tract, which windpipe and lungs.
Covid 19 was a very serious problem when it was declared a ‘’pandemic’’ by the World Health Organization. There were roughly 300,000+ people affected by Covid 19 then, and now it's making a very serious comeback, where it is currently 30 million overall affected by coronavirus. Many schools in the Cambria County Area have been transferred to online schooling once again.
The Coronavirus’ origin point is from around 1,000 bats in Wuhan, China, according to CBS . This is the reason that many people referred to it as the Chinese Virus. Whenever the virus first surfaced, the world went into a huge scare. Almost every country in the world had set up major precautions to not get the virus. For example, in America, we had to wear masks everywhere that was public, whether it was a park, school, or store. At one point, we were even told to stay inside of our houses. Economically, however, many stores were being absolutely bombarded with purchases of products that were of daily essentials, such as toilet paper. At one point, a 4 piece of toilet paper cost $7.71. This was only a 60 cent change, so it wasn’t a major economic problem, but toilet paper was very scarce.
Today, you’ll most likely hear that many of the schools nearby Northern Cambria went either synchronous or fully online. Many people have opinions on online education. A big problem with online education is that many people can easily get distracted from being awake or truly paying attention because there isn’t that teacher in front of them making sure that they’re alert and paying attention. Personally, this was a huge problem to me because I’d often just go off and do whatever I would want to do. I’m sure many people also did the same thing, so this most likely affected many people's grades and overall education.
With Covid-19 increasing, however, so are many vaccine related companies. Many precautions have already been taken and now the WHO (World Health Organization) claims they are going back and seeing what else they can do to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.. I hope all of you have stayed relatively safe and continue to do so.
Effects on the Environment
The global disruption caused by COVID-19 has brought on many challenges, not just to us as people but also to the environment. Throughout lockdowns and reopenings, the environment has been affected both positively and negatively. Both effects are currently only short-term.
Positive Effects
As companies had to close down due to restrictions and lockdowns, greenhouse gas emissions have had a sudden drop. Around this time last year, levels of air pollution in New York City have reduced by virtually half due to measures taken to control the virus. It has been estimated that around a 50% reduction of nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2), two common greenhouse gases, occurred due to the shutdown of heavy industries in China. Emissions of greenhouse gases have also decreased due to lockdowns and travel restrictions.
The amount of water pollution has also been affected. Water pollution is common in developing countries, such as India and Bangladesh. In both of these countries, domestic and industrial wastes are dumped into rivers without any treatment. While in the lockdown period, most industrial origins of pollution have decreased working hours or have completely stopped. This has reduced the pollution load greatly. Both the Gange and Yamuna rivers in India have reached notable levels of purity due to the lack of industrial pollution while India was in lockdown. In Italy, the Grand Canal has cleared up due to the lack of pollution caused by tourists.
Noise pollution has decreased while in lockdown. Noise pollution is the elevated levels of sound, generated by human activities. This includes using machines, vehicles, construction work, and more. All of these have impacts on humans and other organisms. In humans, noise pollution has negative effects on physiological health, cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, and sleep shortness. It is reported that globally around 360 million people lose their hearing due to noise pollution.
Negative Effects
Since the beginning of the pandemic, medical and healthcare waste creation has increased globally. This is a major threat to public health and the environment. Wuhan, China, has produced over 240 metric tons of medical wastes every day during the time of the outbreak; this is almost 190 metric tons more than normal time. Along with the hospital waste is waste from personal protective equipment. To protect themselves from the virus, people have been using face masks, hand gloves, and other safety equipment. This increased the amount of healthcare waste. In the United States, the amount of trash has increased due to the disposal of personal protective equipment. The need for face masks and other personal protective equipment made companies all over the world increase their working hours to account for this. The increase in production caused more greenhouse gasses to be released from this industry.
Online shopping has become more and more popular during quarantine. With the increase of packages comes the increase of household waste from shipping materials. Recycling would be an effective way to prevent pollution, conserve natural resources, and save energy. In some countries, including the United States, the waste recycling program has been postponed or restricted to prevent the risk of COVID spreading in the facilities.
COVID-19 Pandemic vs. Flu Outbreak
By: Isabelle Smith~Features Editor~February 24, 2021Did you know that there are actually similarities between COVID-19 pandemic of 2019-2021 (current day) and the flu outbreak that started in 1918? The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyone's life, and the flu outbreak was similar to this. Here are some similarities and differences between COVID-19 and the flu, from a century ago.
Statistics
As of right now there is an average of 525,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. while there is currently an estimate of 17.4 million flu deaths. There have been 29.1 million COVID-19 cases currently in the U.S., but the numbers are increasing every second. An average number of 50 million people have been infected from the flu since 1918 to 2021.
COVID-19
COVID-19 has some different symptoms than the flu, including loss of taste and loss of smell.
If a person has COVID-19 they usually won’t show symptoms until 5 days after being infected, but they could show symptoms 2 days after being infected or 14 days after being infected.
A person with COVID-19 can be contagious for about 10 days after showing symptoms but if someone is asymptomatic (meaning they don’t show symptoms) they can be contagious for 10 days after testing positive.
Children who go to school are more likely to become infected with COVID-19 due to the fact that symptoms can sometimes not be showing and it can be more contagious.
There is no medication to treat/cure COVID-19.
Flu
If someone is infected with the flu they do not lose their sense of smell or taste.
A person with the flu usually won’t develop symptoms from 1-4 days after being infected.
Someone with the flu can be contagious for about 1-4 days while they are sick but can also be contagious for 7 days after infection.
Younger children are more likely to become severely infected with flu.
The flu can be treated with medications.
Similarities
Both of these diseases can be highly contagious.
Both diseases can spread when people are within 6 feet of each other.
They both can result in very severe illnesses and complications.
COVID-19 and the flu both have vaccines to help prevent getting either of the viruses.
When both of these viruses came to the U.S., schools and businesses
needed to shut down.
Both of these viruses have 4 different variants.
As you can see there are many differences between these two viruses, but when comparing the two diseases, there are many similarities found between them. Let’s make another similarity between these two diseases and leave COVID-19 in the past!
To read more information on COVID-19 and the flu visit the website listed: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm
Covid´s One Year Anniversary: Can You Believe It?
By: Rylee Maines, Reporter, March 2, 2021
March 13th will be the one-year mark of PA schools getting dismissed and eventually closed for the 19-20 school year. I remember that week, and students were saying how they wish we got out like many other schools in the United States. Most of us thought we would be staying in school because COVID-19 wasn't really that bad near our town, and we only had a few cases. At the end of the day Friday (yes, it was a Friday the 13th) everyone expected nothing. Then, we all got an unexpected call from the school saying: “Due to COVID-19, Governor Wolf is shutting down all schools for 2 weeks in the state of PA.”
We all were happy about this because there would be no school for 2 weeks. As the end came to the 2 weeks, we found out schools were out for another 2 weeks. Then as time continued we found out schools would be virtual for the rest of the year. Many students were really excited that we wouldn't be going back to school. We soon realized how hard online would be for learning. Doing online learning was a struggle for most of us, and all of us students and teachers learned how to do online learning together.
After summer we found out that we would be doing hybrid learning, and we would start school later. A lot of people were happy that we didn't have to get up so early for school. After a few weeks of doing hybrid learning, we got shut down again. For the second nine weeks we started back again hybrid and then went to full time. The cases in Cambria County started to rise really fast. So, we got shut down again and had to do it all online. We found out that after New Year’s there was going to be a board meeting deciding if we should come back full time. After the board meeting we all got a call saying we will be doing hybrid learning the week we come back and then full time after that. We've all learned to adjust to new challenges, and learned to appreciate our school and coming into the building.
The positive testing rates in Pennsylvania continue to drop in the new year. The rate of positive tests has fallen to 8.6% for the week of January 29 from the previous week’s 9.3%. This is the eighth consecutive week the amount of positive tests has decreased after reaching a high in December of 16.2% rate.
“This is the first week in many, many weeks that we are seeing counties with lower than five percent positivity rates as well as all 67 counties reporting lower than 20 percent positivity rates – this is good news for mitigating the spread of this virus in our communities across the commonwealth,” Gov. Wolf said in a recent announcement provided online.
“We can continue to fight this virus by wearing a mask, avoiding gatherings, washing hands, downloading the COVID Alert PA app, answering the call when public health professionals call and lastly, getting vaccinated when it’s your turn," continued Gov. Wolf, providing a reminder to the people of PA.
The counties in Pennsylvania have been divided into three different categories based on the transmission of the virus. The counties are classified as either low, moderate, or substantial, ranging from the least amount to the most. Out of the sixty-seven counties, one is in the low classification, seven are in the moderate, and fifty-nine are in the substantial. Cambria County is, as of February 10, in the moderate classification.
If interested in tracking COVID-19 data, go to PDE's website for school-related virus information at www.education.pa.gov/.
Despite our best efforts to wear masks, practice social distancing, and handwashing, there continues to be an increase in the number of COVID cases in PA. Currently, there are a total of 735,407 cases with a mortality rate of 2.4%. This is actually higher than the United States mortality rate which is 1.7%. With the enhanced distribution and administration of vaccines throughout the state, hopefully, we will see this number drastically decrease in the upcoming months.
Governor Wolf just recently announced the updates of the phased plan of the COVID-19 vaccines. Currently, in phase 1A essential workers including, doctors, nurses, dentists, therapists, pharmacists will be getting the vaccine. In phase 1B people 75 or older, grocery store workers, manufacturing workers, first responders, and teachers will be receiving the vaccine next. In the last part of phase 1, (phase 1C) people that are between the ages of 65 and 74, public safety workers, government employees, and bank tellers will be next in line to receive the vaccine. Phase 2 includes the individuals over the age of 16 who have not been vaccinated already. If you are under the age of 16 you will NOT be receiving the vaccine.
Currently, people in phase 1A are receiving the vaccine. In total as of now, 227,617 individuals have received the first part of the vaccine and 18,787 individuals have been fully vaccinated. The vaccine has been fairly well tolerated with few adverse effects.
Since the new year, Pennsylvania has had cases of the new strain of the coronavirus, which was first found in the United Kingdom. According to health professionals, the new strain is 70% more contagious, but not deadlier. CDC has provided information on testing for new strains. Since November, Pennsylvania has been sending 10-35 random samples to the CDC. The next question becomes will the vaccine protect us from this new strain?
The vaccine that will save 2021
2020--the year of the coronavirus.--and the disease that changed life as we know it. The good news in 2020 is that two vaccines are in the process of being distributed worldwide to battle the virus. Over 300,000 people have died because of the coronavirus in the United States. Currently, the mortality rate for the virus is approximately 1.8% in the USA. President Donald Trump’s Operation Warp Speed made it so we had a vaccine in record time. In November of 2020, there were 4 vaccines in phase 3 trials. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been authorized for emergency use by the FDA. Pfizer’s vaccine is 94% effective and Moderna is 95% effective.
One of the main tasks faced presently by the vaccine companies is how to properly and quickly get the vaccine out to everyone. Transporting these require different methods, depending on the vaccine. Pfizer has recreated a temperature-controlled transportation system. They use thermal shippers, which can be used as temporary storage by filling it with dry ice every five days for up to 30 days storage. After the 30 days in storage, they will transfer the virus to another storage for an additional 5 days in storage under 2-8 degrees conditions. They will use Ultra-low-temperature freezers to shelter the vaccine for up to 6 months.
Another important aspect of the vaccines is that each requires multiple doses administered within a different time frame for maximum effectiveness. For Pfizer's vaccine, you need two doses. After you get the first dose you must wait 21 days before you get the second dose. The side effects of this vaccine include fever, chills, shortness of breath, tiredness, headache, body aches, pain, and swelling in the arm. Call your doctor if the redness in your arms increases and your side effects don’t go away. For the vaccine to fully prevent the norovirus it takes about a month to a month in a half after the second dose is injected.
Moderna is more convenient for health care facilities to store because of the less stringent temperature regulations. The maximum temperature to hold the unthawed Moderna vaccine is 36-46 degrees Fahrenheit. To transport the vaccine it has to be frozen at -4 degrees Fahrenheit. A stable standard fridge with 2-8 degrees celsius could hold it up to 30 days.
Moderna also needs two doses but 28 days apart. Unlike Pfizer, Moderna is 96% more effective for ages 18 to 65. Anything older than 65 is 86%. The side effects of the Pfizer vaccine are the same as the Moderna vaccine. Like Pfizer, it takes a month to a month in a half to prevent the coronavirus.
As of December 1, 2020 the CDC recommends that in phase 1a we give the vaccine to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. Assuming we have more vaccines available, in phase 1b, it will be provided to essential workers including teachers, police, fire fighters, and utility workers. In phase 1c most people over the age of 65 with other medical conditions will then be provided. According to NBC news the coronavirus vaccine will be available to whoever didn’t receive it between the second quarter, April through June, or the third quarter, July through September of 2021.
Above, some vaccine equipment that will help relieve worldwide suffering due to COVID.
A map of Cambria County
Covid cases surge in Cambria County
By Isabelle Smith, Features Editor and Sam Frantz, Copy and News Editor ~ December 8, 2020With a steady rise in COVID positive cases, the NC School Board voted to keep students and teachers on remote learning until January 5, 2021, at which point the Board will meet again to re-evaluate the safety of bringing students back to face-to-face instruction.
The number of positive cases have been alarming since Thanksgiving, as many prominent medical experts predicted. Cambria County has been “slammed” by this surge, according to a recent report on the WJAC website. WJAC Reporter Crispin Havener reported in an online article dated Dec. 7th that our county’s “rate of positive cases over the last 14 days” ranks 2nd highest (per capita) in the nation among similar counties of population. That type of statistic has residents wondering what can be done to stop the virus in our area.
There have also been statements made that within the next week hospitals may experience a shortage of staff. Hospitals within the region with a shortage in staff, supplies, and proper medical equipment are expected to share their own staff and equipment. Even if hospitals get more supplies and beds needed it will still be very difficult to work with a shortage of medical staff. As of right now, the Allegheny Health Network is the most affected by the shortage of staff with 400 staff members off of work due to COVID.
At NC, to keep students as safe as possible and to follow established health guidelines, students will work from home. Teachers are in the building daily, working from within their classrooms, where their technology and other class material help them to provide the best remote learning experience possible for students.
Although remote learning is not ideal for most students, it’s the best way to keep everyone safe. Everyone is looking forward to the day that we are able to go back to school and start our normal lives again. With positive vaccine news each day, looking forward to the “new” year of 2021 has never been more anticipated and much-needed.
Update: New mitigation to slow the spread of COVID was announced by Governor Wolf on 12/10. The changes, take effect beginning 12/12 through 1/4. For more information, go to the Pennsylvania state website for many COVID-19 resources.
2020-21 Football Restrictions
By Makaila Work
Governor Tom Wolf has created a safety plan that only allows a certain amount of people at high school sporting events. Challenges do exist for this team due to COVID, but that doesn't affect the way our boys use their hardwork and dedication to pull out wins almost weekly. Governor Wolf’s orders state that there can only be 250 people at an outside sporting event and 25 at an inside sporting event, but everyone is still required to wear a mask even if they are socially distanced. The only time an athlete is not asked to wear a mask is when they are competing,or when they are engaged in a workout. Masks are to be worn in the dugouts, sidelines, etc. Everyone who is a high school football fan is not happy with Governor Wolf´s orders, as stated below by some fellow students, coaches, etc.
Levi Spotts ( Senior Football Player) states “ I think Wolf’s restrictions are very overboard, but without having fans hasn’t changed the drive we have. We go to the game and get what needs to be done.”
Karin Vasil ( Varsity Cheerleading Coach) also states that she is sad for the kids who are missing out on their high school memories that they will remember as they become adults. She continues to say that her fondest memories are cheering at football games when she was in high school. Both these statements are very valid points.
To read more about this year's football team, click below.
How Hybrid Has Influenced Student Learning
By Makaila Work
Hybrid Learning
The Northern Cambria School District began their year using hybrid for the 2020-21 school year. The hybrid schedule gave schools a safest option to get students into schools nationwide, but with it came some challenges for students, parents, teachers, administrators, and all involved in the school and community.
Teachers learned new technology and teaching methods to begin their school year, aiming to provide in-class teaching along with remote lessons. Their goal was to keep in-class learning and remote learning synchronous. Mrs. Barlick, the Family Consumer Science Teacher, and Mr. Kline, the Engineering and Technology Teacher, have said that they were never taught to teach this way; instead, they were always taught in whole-classroom techniques. Another teacher, the choir instructor Ms. Colonna, has worked to make her hybrid lessons successful for her students, especially with choir. This has been very difficult for her now because her class is based around group learning. Her technique for this school year is recording parts and using lines of communication with her students to find their struggle spots.
Despite the struggles, there are also advantages that come out of hybrid learning. For instance, students are learning to work more independently and it shows them how to be responsible in attending classes at the right time. Class sizes are smaller and the hallways and restrooms aren't crowded. Likewise, teachers have learned new computer skills and how to work google meets and maintain communication with their students. Part of that involves providing a chance for students to ask questions if something isn't working or if they are confused on something in the lesson.
Mr. Cortazzo's classes deal with physical activities. He spoke to me saying that he tries to keep things fun and activity based; sometimes in classroom students are doing in-person activities while others at home may be working on different material. His opinion on hybrid concluded with him saying, ¨I would rather have the students in school 5 days a week, but I know that keeping the students healthy and safe needs to be the first priority.¨
Families are having problems understanding the work their children at home are given, since students are only in the building two days a week and some of them are struggling to understand and receive passing grades. Also, hybrid is hard to fit into one's schedule, especially if the students' parents work a full time job.
Currently NC is trying to find a way for all the students to go back to school in person.
Everyone dreams of going out trick-or-treating with their friends and family, but will it change this year? Due to COVID-19, there have been many changes to everyone's daily life including: wearing masks everywhere, doing online school, and social gatherings. There has not been any word if there is even going to be Trick or Treating. Even if there is trick-or-treating this year, what restrictions are they going to make to keep people safe? Well here are some answers for these questions.
Since COVID-19 began, people have had to social distance so it will be very hard for kids to go out trick or treating due to the fact that they will have to go up to houses and it could also be difficult since people could also be touching candy other people may have touched. So the true question is how are they going to do trick-or-treating this year? Are kids going to be wearing COVID masks instead of costume masks? Well here is the inside information if you are curious about trick-or-treating this year.
Trick-or-treating will be different this year, but let’s hope that it can still be celebrated with cheer. There has not been a lot said as of right now for trick-or-treating, but many officials are saying that if the rate of COVID-19 cases decreases before Halloween then trick-or-treating may continue with minor guidelines to keep kids and adults safe. Some of the restrictions so far is that people must wear a mask, avoid going in big groups, keep your distance from other people and groups when you are trick-or-treating, and occasionally use hand sanitizer. Many states have cancelled Halloween leaving all of the children very upset that they will have to skip trick-or-treating this year. Pennsylvania is one of the very few states that’s even thinking about having trick-or-treating. Most states are only allowing adults to wrap their treats in goodie bags and leave them on their porch, so children can maintain social distance and don’t have to come into contact with other treats that other children may have touched. So far, Halloween seems to still be continuing, so everyone get your costumes ready and be prepared for many treats!
For sports players, parents, fans, and other members of the community, the limitation on the number of sports spectators has made life on the football field, volleyball court, soccer field, or golf course different and challenging experience. Put in place on March 12th, 2020, limitations on indoor gatherings of only 25 making it hard for all gatherings, in school and outside of it, to meet those requirements, especially when it comes to Colt fans wanting to support its teams. For instance, the limitation prevented fans from attending the two-time State Champion winning volleyball games. The limitations created challenges. Past and present changes, especially any shut downs on fall sports, can have negative effects on high school athletes, some of which may feel that playing in their sport is escape from the stresses of school, or a way to interact with their friends and have a good competitive time. Luckily, and with strict guidelines being followed, NC's sports seasons have gone forward.
When asked what they thought about the restrictions on fall sports, senior football player Levi Spotts said this:
“I think it’s stupid. If you can go out and protest and have everything from truck pulls to weddings, you can at least let more people into football games if they follow the CDC guidelines”
Levi Spotts, Senior football player
The limit of spectators in the stands at sporting events has affected both athletes and spectators--the athletes who work their hardest to practice to play against other teams and entertain a crowd, and the spectators, who all lose that weekly tradition of going to the game on a Friday night and cheering on their favorite team as they make their way up to the championships.
Even outside of high school football, the NFL Steelers game on October 4th 2020 against the Tennessee Titans was postponed due to an outbreak of Covid-19 from Sunday to the following Monday/Tuesday.
Recently, the Governor had announced that the occupancy of football stadiums is bumped up to 20%, which for our stadium is around 500 people at once, which is double the amount that it was previously. This means that the football team can now have twice as many people watching the game in person, and that means more support for the boys as they make their way into the playoffs.
As Pandemic numbers rise, so do our “boredom levels”, and since we're all in this together, let's go for an adventure!
Some days just feel like they will NEVER end, and that thought digs in deeper when there REALLY IS nothing to do. So, what’s an easy way out of that hole? TV! More specifically, “Netflix.“
That’s what the average American seems to think at least, since Netflix’s average users have inflated along with the pandemic. Now that you’ve made it this far, why not look at the numbers?
Just for example, Netflix dominated the online movie scene in 2018. It held a staggering “51%” of all screen time consumed, cited by CNBC.
2018 2019 2020
58.5 Million 61 Million 193 Million
In 2018 before COVID affected America in mass, it had 58.5 Million monthly users, as cited by Comparitech. In 2019 COVID snuck up on America, and the average growth of Netflix stayed steady with around 3 million additional users.
The big number you can see labeled as 2020, when America was stormed with the pandemic. The number not only doubled, but over tripled the amount of monthly users in the US.
As of writing this, the current population of America is estimated at 330 Million. So, over half of Americans are subscribed to Netflix. Which means Netflix has made a staggering 16 Billion dollars over the course of a year.
Who knows where that number will go?
Loren Donatelli trying out the new water fountain. Photo by Alivia Chila
Zoey Baran in Mrs. Perkovich's computer lab.
Mr. Perkovich encouraging his economics class to stay positive and be safe! Photo by Alivia Chila
It was Friday the 13th, March 2020. Everything was normal. There was chatter going around about an outbreaking virus, but no one took it very seriously. Other schools in different states were getting shut down. Nobody would have suspected that our small school of Northern Cambria would be affected by it--until students and faculty were told late Friday that NC was officially closed for two weeks...
When the announcement first came out about the school being closed for two weeks, students were excited. We all thought it was so awesome. No school, no homework, and no sports for 2 weeks! Teachers considered it as a break from going to work and getting a chance to catch up on grading and testing. It was the break we all thought we needed. It was a chance to take time to better ourselves. Two weeks went by pretty fast. Most people were just about ready to go back to their normal schedule. They wanted their vacation to be over. Until our governor sent out the next announcement.
Then, on March 16, 2020, Governor Tom Wolf ordered that all schools in Pennsylvania would be shut down until further notice. What happened to this virus that was only in China? Why was it now affecting our lives, when it was just so far away from us? How could it have spread, and how did it all happen so fast? This is when it all started to seem real to everyone. It was no longer just a two-week week vacation, this was going to change our lives forever.
For students, it was very heartbreaking. Our prom that we have looked forward to all year, bought dresses and tuxedos for, did fundraisers for was now cancelled until further notice. The seniors’ graduation ceremony was postponed. Everything seemed ruined. None of us realized that Friday the 13th, March 2020, was going to be our last day in the school building for the year 19-20. No one was able to give a proper goodbye. If we would have been aware, I think everyone would have taken it in and said their goodbyes to the staff, students, and memories.
Not only did this affect schools, it affected local businesses and the community as a whole. Restaurants and stores were shut down, and people were losing their jobs. The essential workers had no source of income because of this. Waitresses, Airline companies, gas stations, restaurants and many more were all losing a drastic amount of money.
As summer went on, the coronavirus seemed to calm down. Northern Cambria was in the green phase! Stores and restaurants started to reopen, and more people began to leave their homes. We thought that maybe we had finally come to an end of all of this. Everyone was supposed to return to school at the end of August. The weekend after Labor day is when students returned back to school. High school was never going to be normal again.
It was now back to school time, except this year was going to be very different than what everyone is used to. Students are now split up into two groups, group A and group B. Group A students go to school on Mondays and Tuesdays. Group B students attend school on Thursdays and Fridays. Every student is synchronized on Wednesdays. Synchronized learning is when all students are online doing school at home. It is called the hybrid system. Students have the option if they want to be completely synchronized. That would mean that they are synchronized every week day. The days where one group is not physically in school, they are synchronized from home. Teachers and faculty have to be in school every week day.
The new learning system can be a bit challenging. Teachers and students have both had their own struggles. For most students, it’s much more difficult to learn when they are not physically in the classroom. For most teachers, it’s much more difficult to create assignments and tests for the online students. Spanish teacher, Mrs. Micco, has mixed feelings about the new system of learning, hybrid learning. “I understand the need for the hybrid learning system with the pandemic; however I feel nothing can replace classroom learning with face to face instruction. I have had to completely create all new material to be able to align what and how I was teaching to incorporate teaching totally through the computer. This has been a great deal of work. I have also had to learn all of this technology in a short period of time. This definitely was not easy; but I am doing very well; thankfully! I am happy that I am still able to offer Spanish to our students. I think this new way is much harder for me as the teacher as I feel many times I am doing the same thing X3. I miss seeing all of my students everyday and the energy they bring to the classroom. I am definitely able to interact more with each student when in person, but I am happy that I can still do what I do and that students are still learning Spanish in this very new and different way!” said Mrs. Micco. Students and staff are doing a great job of staying positive. We are all in this together, and it makes it a little bit easier when we all put in our best effort!
The importance of social distancing has caused some changes to our school as well. As students first walk into the building, they are required to wear a mask, and get their temperature taken. If everything is good, they are allowed to proceed into the school. In classrooms, students are to sit 6 feet apart from each other. Meaning students can only sit in every other seat, leaving spaces on all sides around them. The school has also gone all paperless! Every assignment is online. We use the chromebooks that the school provided for us for homework and notes. That is not the only change in our school for the purpose of social distancing. The way we are all used to walking from classroom to classroom has even made a change. In the hallways, you are required to walk accordingly to the arrows on the floors, which direct you in which way you are allowed to walk. The purpose of this is to social distance as much as possible, if everyone goes in the same direction. The water fountains have been replaced. You can no longer take a drink from them. If you are thirsty, you must bring in your own, clear, water bottle. The school nurse has to approve of the bottle before it is opened, and place a sticker on it. You then are allowed to refill your bottle at any time in the water bottle fountain.
The cafeteria. The place where all students look forward to going to throughout their day. The place where students get to take their break, and socialize with their friends, has also had some major changes. In the cafeteria, students are required to sit a certain distance away from each other. Meaning, only 2 students are allowed at a table. The school has bought new lunch tables, and placed stickers where it is safe for students to sit, without being too far away from their friends. Ketchup is limited, you get one cup per meal. There are no napkin dispensers, or silverware placed outside of the lunch lines for you to grab on your way out anymore. Everything is handed to you in line. There is also no snack bar anymore. No snacks or drinks are allowed to be sold. The washable trays have now been replaced with throw- away Styrofoam plates. You are required to wear your mask at all times, besides when you are eating.
There were some major changes made to the Northern Cambria High School. With time, I think all students and staff members will get used to the new rules and requirements. I understand that this year might be different from the rest, but that does not mean that we can’t all make the best of it.