With the new 2020-2021 school year in effect. There have been many changes in the learning environment for both teachers and students. With the many COVID-19 cases that have arisen in the past several months, schools and many other places have had to accommodate their rules to the new reality.

The student’s have been split up into three different groups. Group A goes to school on Mondays and Tuesdays, Group B goes on Thursday and Fridays, making Wednesdays a fully remote day; as for Group C they are fully remote for the entire week. Group A has 196 students, Group B has 205 students, and Group C has 1,091 students. However, on October 26, there were only 122 students that arrived at school, meaning there were less students for Group A than anticipated; along with that there were 120 teachers.

As for inside the school, Dr. Lottmann has said that there are now one way directional hallways and staircases during passing time and that they make sure no one enters the building unless a parent/guardian completed the Attestation Form.

Mackenzie Tighe, a senior at Woodbridge High School, is in Group B for this school year. “[The beginning of the school year” has been okay, honestly it’s the best it can possibly be,” she said. As for which learning style she prefers, she said she prefers going to school, however wishes everything was “back to normal”.

“In certain classes it has been difficult. Some classes have been more difficult because I was not learning to the full extent compared to being in the classroom all the time with the teacher. That is why I am going to school and most likely won’t change my mind and become fully remote.”

The same notion goes for some teachers at WHS. Mr. Nowicki is a teacher at WHS who teaches Entrepreneurship & Sports Marketing, Principles of Marketing, and Advertising & Promotion. He says that it has been difficult to teach students virtually through Zoom and/or Google Meet.

“Teaching virtually requires a lot more patience. I like to include a lot of collaborative and practical assignments. The virtual environment makes that much more difficult… Home can be a distracting place. The classroom separates students from the distractions.”
With all the new and different changes that have happened in this school year so far, many students and teachers have worked together to make this school year possible.