What Spring Break Looks like with COVID Regulations

Experiencing Spring Break in a Pandemic
COVID-19 also known as the coronavirus, has taken a toll on everyone. Everyone has been stuck inside for almost a year now with things changing all the time. Schools closed down, grocery stores were out of stock from the panic of people taking shelter, and almost everything to do with human contact is not allowed to happen because of the exposure from other people and the virus.

A lot of people and families have struggled through this time because of all the things we can’t do. Not being able to see our family, not being able to socialize, for some people, they’re not even allowed to go to work. People are tired of being stuck in a world where we always have to wear masks, social distance, and always being stuck inside. We’ve been in this for almost exactly a year, marking March 13th as the last “normal” day for everyone. Now that warm weather and spring is just around the corner, students’ spring break is coming up, everyone’s question is…What can we do for spring break? What’s allowed and what’s not? Is it safe to travel?

Another big question is, what are schools going to do after spring break? Silver Creek High School is planning for all students to return four days a week after spring break and teachers are getting nervous as well as other students.

Mrs. Holtz , an English teacher at Silver Creek High School has been preparing for a classroom full of students. She says, “Yes I am nervous, especially since the school district is planning to have all students come back or as many that want to after spring break, we won’t be able to have the distance that we have now (in classrooms) so I think that we will potentially see a rise in cases a few weeks after spring break.

“This is a lot of teachers worries about having space in their classrooms. Even with the vaccine for COVID-19 out now, it is only available for adults and not teens who can still get the virus.

“They haven’t talked about vaccinating teenagers, so while I know that the teachers are more protected, it doesn’t mean you [vaccinated adults] won’t get it so we’re still susceptible but hopefully it won’t be so bad but teenagers are still susceptible and that concerns me a lot, I don’t want you guys [students] to get sick” Holtz says.

A lot of teens are very excited for spring break and are already planning on traveling
but is flying the safest thing to do right now? Mr. Redding, an algebra teacher at Silver Creek High School who is excited for students to return full time, but is still “a little nervous for the individuals. I think if they’re safe and cautious and if they understand and have a respect for and understanding of the pandemic and that they’re safe with traveling I respect their want to do that. They might wanna be aware that when they choose to come back to school after spring break, a covid test might be a wise choice.”

Mr. Redding is still thrilled to be in a classroom full of students because right now with the hybrid advantage, students coming in everyday the amount of students in the classroom is always changing. “I’ve been really enjoying the more and more students coming in with the option of four days a week. I really like to see who comes in each time and how the class dynamic changes, you know, you add 1 or 2 kids to a group and it really changes and that’s what I’ve been really enjoying.”

Teachers aren’t the only ones that are nervous for the changes, students are also nervous about being surrounded by other students in the school, in classrooms, and in general. Students do have the option to stay virtual and do school work at home but many agree that they lose motivation and get distracted very easily while working at home. Silver Creek High School will be doing the best they can to maintain safety precautions and keeping everyone safe the best they can so we can all stay in school and move forward.

Both Holtz and Redding say that some more safer alternative ways to spend spring break is to, “Read a book, go hiking, especially if you can go someplace that isn’t really well traveled, playing games in the backyard, taking a day trip, not going to restaurants but packing a lunch and going up to the mountains just to have a lunch, find a secluded area, or going to a park and sitting away from people and just getting outside a little bit.” Redding agrees that “park get togethers, backyard cookouts with your family, yard games, going to a park and bringing a game, hiking, bike rides, book reading, puzzle, and playing video games” are some of the many things people can do to stay safe this spring break.