Niskayuna Implements Policies to Keep in School Students Safe

by Olivia Reeves

Despite the challenges that the new school year brings, Niskayuna teachers and staff members have made it their utmost priority to keep both themselves and their students safe. To combat COVID-19, new sanitary precautions along with social distancing markers have been implemented and it has taken a team effort from everyone to ensure the schools stay open.

The changes are hard to ignore. For example, frequently occupied spaces such as the media center and the cafeteria, markers have been placed on desks so that staff members know which ones need to be cleaned off after each mod. Lunch mods are a lot different than what they once were with students being seated at desks six feet apart, with eating being restricted to the cafeterias and gymnasiums.

Furthermore, each morning they attend school in person, students are required to complete a health screening. The screening includes questions regarding symptoms related to COVID-19, as well as to whether the student has left the state. It is also required for students to have their temperature taken, to verify it is not above 100 degrees. If either the student or their parents forget to complete the digital health form, a staff member comes in their first period to send them to the nurse’s office, where temperatures can be taken and a paper form can be filled out.

During the summer, the highschool’s hallways were taped to designate traffic patterns. For example, Crossroads has been converted from a crowded place of gathering to a one way roundabout, where students are no longer allowed to congregate before classes begin. Staff members at crossroads and at different points in the hallway ensure that students follow the traffic patterns during the extended seven minute passing times.

Though the passing times are longer, the school days are shorter. To accommodate staggered bussing and maintain high standards of social distancing for the entire district, the high school begins homeroom at 8:30 am and ends at 2:00 pm. Students participating in JV or Varsity sports return to the campus at 4:00 or even later for practice. For most sports, athletes are required to wear masks during both practices and games.

These adjustments no doubt change the atmosphere of attending school, but so far everything seems to be flowing smoothly and there is a general sense of responsibility among the student body to follow the rules and stay socially distant.

Along with our teachers, the janitorial staff has also been hard at work keeping a clean and safe environment for us, working to make sure everything has been disinfected and is ready to go for the students everyday when they come to school. During the day, desks in the gyms and cafeterias are all disinfected between mods. The school also now closes at six to allow for an intense cleanout. At the end of our third week of school, we experienced two fire drills, and the janitorial staff were there to help, standing by and monitoring the students exiting. Although National Custodian Appreciation Day already passed on October 2, it is never too late to go out and thank them for their hard work.

So far, the student body at the high school has done a great job cooperating and being as socially distant as possible, with all of the student body attending school in-person abiding by the mask-wearing policy, although there have been some issues with students taking masks off before they are out of range as they walk or drive home. The hope is as long as everyone can stay diligent about their personal conduct during these times, the rest of the school year will be able to continue along just fine until the time comes when some of the restrictions can eventually be lifted.