Since the pandemic started, Sterling High School staff and students, like all others in education, have had to adapt to new guidelines. With a year of changes under their belt, the staff and students of S.H.S. have welcomed a year that is getting closer to resemble “normal.”

  This year, students and staff attend school every day on a regular schedule from 8 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. with a full 30-minute lunch. Due to the inability to house students for lunches with the pandemic guidelines set in place by the state during the 2020-2021 school year, students had a brief snack break with serving stations set up throughout the school. While necessary at the time, snack break wasn’t always a favorite of students.

  Senior Hailey Garcia states, “It is better to have a full lunch because people who struggle at home are looking forward to lunch and need the food.” 

  With or without the vaccination, everyone is required to wear a mask inside of the building. However, this year, teachers and students are not required to sanitize the tables before and after each class period. 

  While students are having to adapt to the guidelines, teachers are as well. While keeping Covid guidelines in mind, teachers have had to modify their classroom rules and activities. 

  Science teacher Steve Johnson states, “The amount of group work that the students are asked to do is limited to their lab partner and the students around them.” During other years, students are allowed to move around the room and work with people they choose to. 

  AP Biology teacher Nicole Schlemmer said, “Being here every single day continuously has made it so much easier for my students, especially in AP Biology. We were so behind last year, by about a month, and now we are right on track!” Last year, AP testing was on a regular schedule, so students had to work twice as hard to stay on track to cover the criteria needed for the tests. 

  Homecoming is a school activity that happens every year. Last year, it took place in the spring and students put their names into different raffles. This year, however, there was an actual dance. The only rule changed from other years was the fact that everyone who attended was required to wear a mask.  

  Senior Samantha Feather said, “I appreciated being able to come together as a school again and put on the best dance we possibly could. It was so nice to return to some normalcy.”

  While there is still a pandemic going on, students and staff have adapted the best they could under the circumstances given. Sterling High School will continue to follow guidelines in hopes that in years following activities and classes will be back to normal.