Just over a year ago, students and teachers of North Arlington went home after a long day expecting to return the following week–but unfortunately, that never happened. When COVID-19 cases started popping up within the US, not many people were worried–as a matter of fact, many people assumed we wouldn’t have an issue with the virus at all. Obviously, the condition of the United States and the rest of the world has certainly proved otherwise.

However, more and more daily strides are being taken to return to normalcy as vaccine coverage and safety mechanisms are commonplace —  such as students and teachers being able to return to school. Given that many people are becoming restless being at home most of the time, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some of the students in North Arlington were excited to finally be back in their classrooms.

Not only have the students enjoyed returning, but so too have the teachers–with many of them mentioning how glad they were to be back, just like Mrs. Tomko, who emphasized, “I am hopeful…I truly enjoy being with my students in class. I also feel safe with the protocols and safety measures the district has put in place…”. Along with Mrs. Tomko, many other teachers expressed their contentment in being back to in person instruction. 

As for the next school year, teachers are also looking forward to embracing some type of normalcy. Mr. Haines is confident that the administration and school will provide a safe environment for the returning students and faculty, “I expect the school and the overall community to begin to safely reopen, carefully adhering to the safety protocols so that they may gradually be rolled back”.

Many are currently wondering about what the school’s format may look like next year. NAHS Principal Bott and Vice Principal Kenny foresee using more technology in everyday activities. One of the most asked questions, and one of the most crucial, is whether or not the vaccine will be required to enter school next year. As explained by Mr. Bott, it’s important to realize that the state is in charge of  making such decisions.

Another topic that was mentioned was the idea behind becoming more paperless after being completely virtual for a whole year. Obviously, becoming paperless is not only beneficial for  the environment, but also eliminates expenses for printers, paper and toners. Mr. Bott mentioned that many of the paperless alternatives like Google Docs and online presentations that teachers and students have picked up over the past year are far better and should still be used during school–even when NAHS completely opens back up. 

To conclude, many teachers and students are anxiously awaiting the start of the next school year. Let’s Go Vikings!