What will it be like at school?

It'll be different, I promise you that. You'll most likely be operating on a laptop in the same class all day. We'll probably have to stick to outside gym class, not using the locker rooms. We won't be eating together in the lunch rooms, instead bringing our food to our 5th period class. It'll sort of operate like an early release day.

Mrs. Thrash and the rest of the Newspaper Club decided that group trips to wash hands before lunch seems like a great idea, reminding us of kindergarten. Hand sanitation centers set up around school would become the norm. Someone proposed foam hand sanitizer dispensers being used, but we decided that giving middle schoolers and foam don't mix. I can already see someone getting a bunch of the stuff on their hand before running up to smack someone else with it.

Be prepared for a lot of people wearing masks and staying far apart. "Avoiding people like the plague" just got real. You can get ready to say goodbye to your auditorium/gym time in the morning. Your classroom would be organized in rows, similar to the way it would be set up for a test.

Speaking of tests, how will this affect our grades? As of right now, our state government has been thinking about marking grades with a P for passing or F for failing. Class will be centered around just getting the information and the work done. Absences will be excused for obvious reasons, and if you show signs of sickness you'll probably be sent home. Don't go around coughing on people or pretending to have the virus, though. Doing such things can land you some jail time under the category of terrorism.

Your fellow student D. Dixon and the rest of the Newspaper Club will be working from home to get you the best scoop on our situation, in words we all understand.