Students have been abuzz with questions regarding their return to in-person learning. Understandably so, as some 47 percent of Tualatin High School students are expected to return on  April 19. 

Seeing as Tualatin has placed the safety of both students and staff as a top priority, there will be numerous protocols and procedures in place in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 within our school. 

One of the largest questions circulating within the student body is what a day will look like. For the first week of school (Apr. 19-23) there is a special schedule. Cohort A will occupy the building on Monday, for freshmen and sophomores, and on Tuesday for all grades. Students will arrive between 9:45 and 10 a.m., and depart from school sometime between 4 and 4:15 pm. During this week, online students will not begin their classes until 10:55, as opposed to the normal 10, due to a 55-minute orientation in the morning. 

The day will go as follows:

Orientation 10-10:55

1st Period 10:55-11:50

2nd Period 12:05-1:40 (Lunch will be 40 minutes during this time either before or after your class)

3rd Period 1:55-2:50

4th Period 3:05-4:00

Staggered Release 4:00-4:15

There will be a 15-minute transitional period in between each class (excluding lunch as lunch will be eaten in your second period classroom), although students are not allowed to congregate socially during these passing times. Cohort B will follow the same schedule, simply on Thursday and Friday. Online students will also be following this schedule, however they will not be attending orientation. 

For the remainder of quarter 4, classes will begin for both in-person and online students at the normal 10 a.m. we are used to. From there, it will go as follows:

1st Period 10-11:20

2nd Period (including lunch) 11:35-1:20

3rd Period 1:35-2:40

4th Period 2:55-4:00

Staggered Release 4-4:15

There will be 15-minute, staggered transition periods between classes for the entirety of the fourth quarter. Students will be released in waves from the building, to avoid bottlenecking or crowded hallways. 

In order to ensure students’ safety, masks must be worn at all times on buses and within the building. Double-layered cloth masks, medical/surgical masks and double-layered gaiters are acceptable mask choices for school. Scarves, bandanas or face shields that do not have a mask worn under them are not permitted. 

Masks that meet the standards and requirements of the school will be available upon boarding the bus or entering the building if a student does not have one. 

In addition to masks, students must maintain social distancing at all times and may not congregate socially before or during school. Tualatin will also remain a closed campus, meaning once you are on campus you must remain on campus for the duration of the school day. Students are still allowed to partake in first or fourth period releases as long as they have a form of transportation to and from school. If you do not have a form of transportation or have a middle of the day release, you need to speak with your counselor to change the release or fill it with another class.

As far as buses go, they will be limited to approximately 20 students per bus, and they will load back to front to avoid crowding. Students will offload from the bus front to back per usual. 

Within the classroom, desks will be six feet apart with plexiglass barriers provided for students. Studentswill also be instructed to wipe down their desks. Lunch will be delivered to students’ second period classes, and a designated lunch time will be provided for students to eat. Microwaves will not be available for student use. 

If students must use the bathroom during school hours, they will have to abide by the two-student maximum within restrooms; if the bathroom already has two students within it, a maximum of two students may wait outside if they can maintain social distancing.

Perhaps most importantly about our return to school is knowing when to stay home. In order to protect everyone’s safety and well being, remain home if you have come into contact within the last 14 days with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID, is exhibiting COVID symptoms or if someone in your household is quarantining due to exposure to someone with COVID or if awaiting results of a COVID test. If you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID, you should remain home and consider contacting a healthcare professional, as well as report symptoms to your school. Symptoms of COVID-19 include a temperature of 100.4 OF or more, severe headache, cough, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, diarrea, vomiting and difficulty breathing. 

A great deal of information in regards to return to in-person learning can be found on Tualatin High School’s website.