Pioneer Welcomes Back Mustangs
Starting April 21, a portion of students will return to campus to finish the school year.
By Jace Szarlacki
Starting April 21, a portion of students will return to campus to finish the school year.
By Jace Szarlacki
After a long 404 days away from campus, teachers and staff will finally welcome students back onto school grounds for a six week stretch to cap off the 2020-2021 school year.
New protocols, safety guidelines, and instructional adjustments will be made when a portion of Pioneer’s population returns to campus starting April 21. The school will operate under both the San Jose Unified School District’s and state and county health policies to ensure a safe learning environment for students and staff.
While it has been quite the feat to welcome back students after what seems like an eternity, some teachers have mixed feelings about whether bringing students back is the right and ethical choice.
Physics teacher Colleen McDonough fears for students who haven’t received a COVID-19 vaccine and believes switching the course of instruction to a mixed model of in person and virtual students can create a disruption in a student’s learning process.
“I am relieved that I will have received my full vaccination cycle before students are with me in the classroom. I am concerned about the safety of my students that have not been vaccinated. I am also concerned that the hybrid model will be less effective for the students in the classroom and at home compared with the full distance model we are currently using,” said McDonough.
Psychology and economics teacher Tim Koring however, said the human-to-human interaction will only benefit the needs of the students.
“It will be nice to meet, and interact with some of my students. When I heard students were coming back to school, I was glad some students would be able to meet in person, hopefully allowing them to access the resources they need,” said Koring.
Sophomore Emma Carlson agrees with Koring’s idea of a student’s learning enhancement when placed inside a physical classroom as opposed to distance learning.
“Being present in the class with a present teacher will definitely help students, including myself, stay more focused in class. With online school there’s a lot of distractions, and I think everyone will be able to understand the material easier in person” said Carlson.
When asked how Pioneer will attempt to limit the possible spread of the virus, Principal Herbert Espiritu explained the school will follow extensive contact tracing protocol while also limiting close student encounterments in condensed areas like restrooms.
“We’re going to have personnel who will deal with tracing protocols when there is a positive case or even when a kid or staff member gets exposed to a positive case. We’ll notify students, families and staff members appropriately if they’ve been in close contact or if we have to shut a particular class or cohort down,” said Espiritu. “There’ll be a supervisor or admin supervising the outside so we don’t reach the capacity or even be close to capacity in the restrooms.”
Koring noted this trial run at an in person-virtual educational experience is what the Pioneer community will need in order to prepare for the next school year in August to help determine whether school can be safely held in person.
“This gives the school time to get used to the new protocols needed to keep everyone safe. I view this last month of school as a dress rehearsal for next year,” said Koring.
While there’ll be road bumps along the way to a new normalcy at school, Espiritu and the staff at Pioneer are committed to pursuing student success regardless of the environment or circumstances presented.
“There’s a lot of variables and a lot of work ahead. But I know that if we do it together, what’s going to be worth all the work is seeing students in the classrooms getting support from teachers. Those are the things that are worth it for us. To see students strive and learn and be successful in all the things they’re interested in,” said Espiritu.
New protocols, safety guidelines, and instructional adjustments will be made when a portion of Pioneer’s population returns to campus starting April 21. The school will operate under both the San Jose Unified School District’s and state and county health policies to ensure a safe learning environment for students and staff.
While it has been quite the feat to welcome back students after what seems like an eternity, some teachers have mixed feelings about whether bringing students back is the right and ethical choice.
Physics teacher Colleen McDonough fears for students who haven’t received a COVID-19 vaccine and believes switching the course of instruction to a mixed model of in person and virtual students can create a disruption in a student’s learning process.
“I am relieved that I will have received my full vaccination cycle before students are with me in the classroom. I am concerned about the safety of my students that have not been vaccinated. I am also concerned that the hybrid model will be less effective for the students in the classroom and at home compared with the full distance model we are currently using,” said McDonough.
Psychology and economics teacher Tim Koring however, said the human-to-human interaction will only benefit the needs of the students.
“It will be nice to meet, and interact with some of my students. When I heard students were coming back to school, I was glad some students would be able to meet in person, hopefully allowing them to access the resources they need,” said Koring.
Sophomore Emma Carlson agrees with Koring’s idea of a student’s learning enhancement when placed inside a physical classroom as opposed to distance learning.
“Being present in the class with a present teacher will definitely help students, including myself, stay more focused in class. With online school there’s a lot of distractions, and I think everyone will be able to understand the material easier in person” said Carlson.
When asked how Pioneer will attempt to limit the possible spread of the virus, Principal Herbert Espiritu explained the school will follow extensive contact tracing protocol while also limiting close student encounterments in condensed areas like restrooms.
“We’re going to have personnel who will deal with tracing protocols when there is a positive case or even when a kid or staff member gets exposed to a positive case. We’ll notify students, families and staff members appropriately if they’ve been in close contact or if we have to shut a particular class or cohort down,” said Espiritu. “There’ll be a supervisor or admin supervising the outside so we don’t reach the capacity or even be close to capacity in the restrooms.”
Koring noted this trial run at an in person-virtual educational experience is what the Pioneer community will need in order to prepare for the next school year in August to help determine whether school can be safely held in person.
“This gives the school time to get used to the new protocols needed to keep everyone safe. I view this last month of school as a dress rehearsal for next year,” said Koring.
While there’ll be road bumps along the way to a new normalcy at school, Espiritu and the staff at Pioneer are committed to pursuing student success regardless of the environment or circumstances presented.
“There’s a lot of variables and a lot of work ahead. But I know that if we do it together, what’s going to be worth all the work is seeing students in the classrooms getting support from teachers. Those are the things that are worth it for us. To see students strive and learn and be successful in all the things they’re interested in,” said Espiritu.