After the scare we had last week (two days of fully remote learning), students were more than eager to finally return to the routine of things. However, routine will have to wait since everyone’s parents just got an email informing them of a two week shut down for all Cresskill Middle/High School students due to more cases in the school. 

Mr. Burke, the superintendent of the Cresskill school district, sent out an email to all the parents of students that there will be no in-person schooling until at least November 9th due to multiple positive coronavirus test results. The middle/high school will continue with the new phase two schedule as they stay home for the next fourteen days. All sports are suspended until November 9th as well to insure the safety of coaches and athletes. However, since the outbreak did not occur in the elementary schools, they will continue to do in-person schooling unless they have been exposed to a positive case of COVID-19. The letter concluded with a heartfelt message by Mr. Burke saying that he understands the setbacks this will cause, but it is in the best interests of the students and faculty to shut down and have those who need to quarantine to do so. 

Sana Varaiya, a 9th grader that attends Cresskill High School, said that “although [she was] deeply upset because school was just opening up and things were getting back to normal, [she has been] well aware that this will happen often.” She mentioned that it is important to try and achieve a daily schedule this year without getting too comfortable, since circumstances can change in an instant. Going into this school year in September, every student was eager to get their life to feel like normal again. Despite how pleasing this might sound, we must remember the times we are living in and keep that in mind when thinking about the future. 

Brianna Savinon is a fully virtual student at CHS that also plays for the Cresskill Girls Varsity Soccer Team. She explained that soccer “contributed to [her] happiness because [she] would always be around [her] friends and people that make [her] laugh. Now [she is] stuck at home with nothing to do and bored out of my mind.” This setback affects both her mental and physical health, but she includes that she knows that she would rather have her and her teammates stay safe instead of possibly getting sick. As for her classes, not much is changing for Brianna. If anything, having all of her classmates on zoom is easier for her because the communication between them and class discussions are smoother. It is important to look at the positives just as much as the negatives when something like this happens or else we will find ourselves struggling to stay optimistic.  

Although this is a major obstacle for the students since it is still the beginning of the school year, we know this is best to keep everyone safe and healthy. It is crucial to listen to the school’s instructions if we want to continue the rest of our school in-person after this short break. I know we can battle the coronavirus as a community if we stay positive and determined over the next two weeks.