Among the many issues that must be addressed by in-person school,  adhering to the mask protocol is one of the most important.  When Mount Carmel was planning in person instruction for this year, a key question was whether students could be trusted to wear masks all day, everyday. As we come to the end of the second trimester, I think MC students and faculty have done a pretty good job.

Current protocols require that students wear masks all day, except for when students are eating lunch, or if others are having trouble hearing them under their mask. By my observation, students and faculty have worn their mask appropriately except for some people wearing the mask below their nose.

English and 21st Century Media teacher John Haggerty agrees. He recalled having to “correct students frequently at the beginning of the year, but hardly ever has to now.”

Although she said that some students “are not the best” at keeping masks over their nose, Math teacher Ms. Smola expressed that she was “surprised” and noted that “students have done much better then she had anticipated them to do.”

English teacher and soccer coach Manuel Medina thinks the “only reason the we have been able to stay open so long is because of how well students have followed COVID-19 protocols.” He also noted that fully in-person will only work if “everyone is on board.”

Although students have done a pretty good job of following the mask wearing protocols, I feel that the two week virtual learning period that the school just announced is a sign that students should keep wearing their masks appropriately and persevere through these hard times so we can go back to fully in person school.