Members of the freshmen class attend orientation to familiarize themselves with the campus and new COVID-19 guidelines
Overcast skies and a light drizzle of rain hung over the freshman class of 2021 as they attended their orientation at Paso Robles High School on March 9. Students began to line up six feet apart at the front of the campus at 1:30 p.m. and were greeted by assistant principal Thomas Harrington and counselor Jessica Shatwell to have their temperatures checked to make sure it did not exceed 100.4 degrees fahrenheit, a process that each student will partake in before entering campus when it reopens on March 16.
Each freshman received a map of the campus and were guided to their first period classes by staff members that included guidance counselor specialist Jennifer Clayton, assistant principal Jennifer Dineen, and administration member J.R Reynolds. After entering their first period class, each student met their homeroom teacher for the first time face-to-face, discussed classroom expectations, and watched videos made by the PRHS leadership class showcasing the new COVID-19 guidelines of mandatory face masks, social distancing, and one-way routes to and from classes to avoid further contact.
After attending their first period for about 15 minutes, students made their way to each of their next five classes, spending 15 minutes in each, as they met the rest of their teachers and charted out the path they would take on their first day back to school. Freshman Sonny Garrett remarked that the orientation was helpful for him, and that he was looking forward to attending in-person instruction.
It was a nice way to find out where all of my classes are before I go on the first day. It was hard to learn and stuff got pretty confusing in distance learning so I’m glad to be headed back to school
When students in the A cohort group attend school on March 16 at 8:15 a.m, (12:17 pm for the B group) it will be the first time since the school year began on Aug. 20 that students will attend in-person instruction on campus. The new guidelines put in place to protect against the spread of COVID-19 may complicate the beginning of the school year, but assistant principal Thomas Harrington is confident that with how well the orientation went, the school year should go smoothly.
We’re really excited to have the bearcats back, and if how the orientation went is any indication of how the rest of the year will go, things are looking good.
