In Logan County, extracurricular activities of all types are currently expected to return this year. That being said, no one can really be sure how everything will play out. With the amount of COVID-19 cases and CDC regulations changing daily, it’s extremely difficult to predict what the future holds. Here’s to hoping, albeit doubtfully, that things will be back to normal as soon as it is safe.

Constant quarantines and color-coded maps?

Since the world shut down in early 2020, many people have been forced to quarantine themselves due to direct exposure to the virus. Students and teachers being quarantined clearly had a significant impact on the school year. Will this also be an issue this year? Will students and teachers be forced to switch between and adjust to virtual and in-person education once again? Since schools will not be adhering to the color-coded map anymore, perhaps we will consistently be in school.

Online assignments?

Last year, all assignments were online through websites such as Google Classroom. With students returning to the classroom, will assignments also be returning to pencil and paper? I believe that assignments will continue to be mostly online. It is easier for students to access assignments and documents when they’re outside of the school building, for reasons such as illnesses or appointments. For parents with younger children, it is easier to keep track of what your child is learning and struggling with, and therefore the children can work on it at home as well. Maybe assignments will stay fully virtual, but they also may not.

Buying new supplies

I, and many others, did not purchase new school clothes or supplies last year. We weren’t sure if we would even be able to attend in-person at that time. This year, many of us were eager to get back to our annual shopping. Will we get to use any of it, though? I am excited to find out if the shopping was worth it at all.

Masks

Last year, any student who chose to attend in-person had to wear a mask. In some counties, hough, masks are not mandatory this year. Will students wear masks in counties where masks are optional? I wonder if we will still be wearing masks by the end of the school year. How will cases and quarantines be different in the counties where masks are mandatory compared to counties where they are optional?

Basically, no one can really say what this year will hold. As much as I would love to say that it will be back to normal, I know it probably won’t for a while. I just hope that we can all work and do our simple parts to get things back to normal as soon as possible. In the meantime, let’s make the best of it. Students, I hope that this year is awesome. It may not be perfect or ideal, but we can make it great nonetheless.