LZ begins hybrid learning
A LZHS Student Guide to Hybrid Learning
The hybrid schooling system is like nothing LZ has ever had, and because this system is so unprecedented, many students have questions about how in-person learning will be conducted once more students return to the classroom on October 5. From walking from class to class or going to the bathroom, or even as entering the building in the morning, here is Bear Facts’ guide to the intricacies of hybrid learning.
Entering the Building
Walking into the building does not seem to be an action that needs a how-to, but unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. First, anyone who enters the building will be required to wear their health certification lanyards, according to Peter Nadler, Assistant Principal of Student Services.
“We are entrusting all of our students and staff alike to make sure they’re taking their temperatures every day and doing their own self-screening at home before they come to school,” Nadler said. “So we’ll have an entrance for people who screen themselves and we’ll have an entrance for people who haven’t where we will do the screening.”
In order to show that students have screened themselves, students must wear the red lanyard that states they pass the health screening questions for that day, Nadler said. Students will also be required to report straight to their first-period class when they arrive and will not be allowed to hang out in the cafeteria, the library, Studio C, or any hallways to increase the ability to perform contact tracing, according to Nadler.
Hallways
Hallways are already marked with clear single lane traffic in order to help maintain social distancing among students and staff members. Certain hallways that are smaller in width have also been determined to be “one-way traffic”, according to Erin DeLuga, Principal.
Passing Periods
In order to better be able to social distance, passing periods are also extended and will be staggered, according to DeLuga.
“Half the classroom is going to leave at one time outside that’s closer to the door [at the end of each class],” DeLuga said. “[Students will] exit the classes in waves, and then line up on dots outside their next classroom. We’ve had our students with significant special needs and transition programs back for two weeks now and it’s been going really well.”
The new class schedule can be found below or at the school website here.
Lunch Periods
Ironically, the cafeteria will not be used for eating this fall, as the tables have been replaced by socially distanced desks for students waiting to purchase food before they are sent to their determined eating location based on grade level, Nadler said.
“Freshmen will be in their fame rooms, and then sophomores, juniors, seniors will be either in Tonelli, the library, or Studio C,” Nadler said.
In addition, seniors that want to go off campus to have lunch must have their lunch period and either an open or a study hall back to back to leave, according to Nadler. All students that have either a 1st or 9th-period open or study hall are welcome to arrive when their first class is or after their last class.
Bathrooms and Water Fountains
One part of school that can be taken for granted by students is the ability to use bathrooms and water fountains, and administration has already thought through everything about those amenities.
“Some of our toilets and urinals and things will be blocked off just to maintain distance. No one can use a water fountain that you’re going to go drink directly out of, but water bottle fillers are on,” Nadler said.
In addition to having the water fountains turned off, students will not have access to lockers, says Nadler.
Classes with In-Person and E-Learners
With the new hybrid system, teachers are going to be teaching two separate classrooms essentially: the one in person and the one on zoom. However, students should not expect this change to affect their education whatsoever whether or not they are in person or online, according to DeLuga.
“The teacher will typically be at the front whiteboard so that the teacher can then interact with the kids on zoom and interact with the students in person equally. The misunderstanding that did occur is that teachers don’t have to just be on zoom for the whole 45 minutes with everyone they can actually split it up the way they see fit. If they want to, they can make breakout rooms for kids on zoom and small collaborative groups for kids in the room,” DeLuga said. “We’re trying to get a little bit more creative and innovative on how we’re going to think about the classroom because we don’t want students to feel like they’re just going to be doing the exact same thing they were doing in their bedrooms.”
Leaving for the Day
For those who drive to school, students can exit from their 9th-period class out of any door in the building, according to Nadler. However, students who take the bus will have a different protocol than normal.
“We will keep bus riders in their ninth period classes and then we’re going to announce when buses arrive, they should be here with the way our new schedule works and buses should be here when we release, so we’ll be able to announce buses over the PA system so we don’t flood the hallways,” Nadler said.
Some students have been back on campus for a few weeks now, but as more students start to return within the next two weeks, the administration is optimistic that the success of the hybrid model that has already been seen in the school can continue when more students are back, DeLuga said.
“[Hybrid] will be an adventure I think for all of us, but we’ll get around it,” DeLuga said. “There’s been a lot of schools that have tried to hybrid back in a staggered way the way we are and the way Dr. Gallt has planned for us to go back and have been pretty successful I think so I’m hoping that we have that same success too.”
The administration also made a video explaining the ins-and-outs of hybrid learning which can be found here.
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