With Carlmont implementing the hybrid model and students rolling back into school, the administrators plan for a smooth transition into the 2021-2022 school year.
With the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, the administration must consider the ever-changing guidelines when constructing a master schedule for next year. As COVID-19 cases decrease in the San Mateo county, discussions of safely implementing more students onto campus have begun.
“In the fall, we want to make sure we can have as many students on campus as possible. The most likely course of action is determining what our capacity is. As vaccines become more available and guidelines change, we are trying to be flexible to what we are looking at,” Principal Ralph Crame said.
To safely return to full capacity, the administrators also have to determine whether the COVID-19 vaccine will become an immunization requirement. As the availability for vaccinations is still in question, there is no requirement for teachers or students to be vaccinated.
However, Alec Perkins, a junior, expresses the significance of vaccinations for both students and staff to transition to normal occupancy safely.
“For the school to properly reopen with minimal difficulties, every staff member and student should be verified as vaccinated. This will allow for a smoother transition into a school environment that can be most like what we had pre-pandemic in close quarters,” Perkins said.
We definitely want to see more students on campus. It has been great to see students, talk to students, and have more staff on campus. But I don’t think it has been enough — Ralph Crame
Though the status of whether vaccinations will be required or not is essential, the question of how the new school year will be scheduled holds just as much value for the student body.
Carlmont’s bell schedule has been continually changing throughout the years, but one aspect students want to carry into next year is the asynchronous day of the current schedule.
“Asynchronous Wednesdays have helped me catch up on my homework throughout the week and help me stay organized. Continuing the Wednesday aspect into next year’s schedule could be beneficial for a lot of students,” Nadine Lahlouh, a junior, said.
Though many students desire to maintain the asynchronous day for next year, Carlmont must meet the minimum state-required instructional minutes from the previous years.
“When we come back, we will at least have a modified block. As staff and as a community, we have decided that what is best would be a modified block of some sort. We are now looking at what that means and re-familiarising ourselves with this schedule,” Crame said.
