The pandemic has changed the lives of many of the young people in the Newcomers High School community. 

It made us change our daily lives. At the beginning of the pandemic, schools were forced to close, to protect students, and for fear of more infections. 

The government obligated the school to allow students to begin their remote learning, which was a challenge for students and teachers.

It was not going to be easy at all. On the contrary, it was very difficult since there were several obstacles such as not all students having had electronic devices at home or internet access.

Many young people had no idea how to use technology, but through some public and private funding, schools tried to support the students. It was not easy; nobody said it would be. 

The return to the classroom has been different from what we usually see every day;  this time with different restrictions.

We had to be vaccinated, wear masks, use disinfectant, socially distance, and fill out a Health Screening Form every day. 

Some of this was controversial since many Americans are skeptical about the effectiveness and risks of the vaccine, which means that there was another challenge from the school to know whether students did not want to be vaccinated for fear of something happening to them. Schools try to do their best for the health of students. 

Improvements were made throughout the school to make learning safe and healthy for every student and staff member so that students feel comfortable and are not stressed regarding the Covid- 19 situation. 

In addition to that, the majority must be vaccinated in the community, so that other people are not afraid of the situation and feel safe. 

The Newcomers High School nurse Ms. Timmins, told us about her experience during Covid-19. She told us that our school has not had major problems with the virus.

“I don’t feel like I’m exposing myself. I got the covid vaccine and I follow all the rules that the schools tell us to do.  For example they told us to be six feet apart, wash hands and wear a mask,” Timmins said.  “Also the students need to follow the protocols.”

Timmins added that she’s not too worried because adults in the school “are vaccinated including me and I follow the protocols so there is nothing to worry about,” she said.

Timmins’s opinion is worth a lot since she is the person who makes sure that Newcomers students are healthy and safe from Covid-19.

In addition, the New York City Department of Education (DOE) requires that “each school will randomly screen unvaccinated students weekly, who have submitted consent for testing, at a threshold of ten percent unvaccinated students per school population.”

Also, parents must give consent for their children to be tested for Covid, to rule out any risk, and to keep the students worry-free. 

All classrooms should have hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes available to be safe.

“I feel safe since I know that they have added several methods of protection against Covid 19 such as daily screening and the availability of vaccines.” Andrea Monge Sanchez, a senior, said.

With good will and cooperation, Newcomers has made it through a difficult part of this seemingly endless pandemic.