Covid-19 has impacted students since March of 2020. Gov. DeWine initially sent kids home when the pandemic began, and students had to learn school virtually. Oct.19 was the first day of school for a fraction of Solon High School students, and was the first time students were physically learning in the high school.

Solon High School has initiated a Covid-19 response plan with new classroom guidelines and standards along with adding a data chart of student and staff reports with Covid-19 cases and close contacts on their website.

Solon’s bell schedule has adjusted to accommodate for necessary in person sanitization. Senior Nicollee Hammer is one of the first students to go back to in person learning, and talks about the new school accommodations.

“School is a lot different,” Hammer said. “Classes are very small, and really quiet. The halls are marked with blue arrows directing the flow of traffic. People aren’t socially distancing in the halls, and some students and staff aren’t abiding by the one way staircases.”

Solon High School has added blue arrows on the floor of the school to direct the flow of traffic, and try to dilute the amount of people in the hallways. One way signs are posted throughout the school, and teachers are strictly enforcing the new policies.

Social and physical interacting is very different, and has forced schools to make new adjustments to follow CDC recommendations.

Solon High School students are required to eat lunch in their classrooms to help decrease human contact. Freshman Ella Ryan talks about her first year experience beginning high school during a global pandemic, as well as how she feels about eating lunch in the classroom.

“This is definitely not how I imagined my freshman year to go,” Ryan said. “This is my first time eating lunch in the classroom since 5th grade, and it feels very strange. I miss spending that time with my friends and socially interacting in the cafeteria. Although school is different, my teachers have a great attitude and are very understanding and supportive.” 

Solon has allowed students to choose whether they would like to go completely virtual, or continue a hybrid approach. Junior Tia Niederst has decided to test out the first week of in person learning, and will soon decide if she wants to go all virtual or continue hybrid school.

“It is hard to make a decision so quickly,” Niederst said. “It is going to take a few weeks to get fully acclimated and adjust to the new school routine, but I am eager to get back into the old routine of things.”