With these new Omicron and Delta Covid variants, unvaccinated kids in New York are becoming more and more vulnerable to the virus. Kids are so careless and oblivious to the fact that Covid is real and is very dangerous. And they constantly take being healthy for granted.

As of this week case numbers have been rising at Pace. In the past we were doing well because we were taking the right safety protocols in the school such as having mandatory mask wearing and social distancing. But some would say that it isn’t going the best either. And that might be because the staff tell you that if you are feeling sick or feel unusual then don’t come to school. But what really annoys me about that protocol is that some cases of Covid happen and the person with Covid might not have symptoms. So how could we really ever know?

One of the good protocols is that there is mandatory mask wearing at all times unless you’re eating which is reasonable. For example Principal Glatz stands at the main entrance where the majority of kids dismiss and go for lunch. While standing there he makes every pull up their mask if it is down and makes sure that they keep their masks on.

Another good protocol that takes place in Pace is social distancing. The protocol that we have to follow is having the desks three feet apart while keeping your mask up. It is way harder for anyone to get Covid from anyone else. Because of this there isn’t really any close contact between the kids and the staff. For example, on the first day of school I tried to push my desk next to someone else’s and the teacher immediately called me out for it and made me put my desk back.

Finally, according to the DOE Covid site, in the first week of December, 80% of kids in Pace have reported being vaccinated. And that’s without everyone updating their statuses, so the number might be even higher.

But with all that being said, there are still some downsides to this whole Covid in school thing. We students at Pace are told that if we feel sick or just don’t feel how we normally feel, we should not come to school. But the thing is that not all Covid cases are noticeable because you might not have symptoms. So my thing is how would you know? You wouldn’t. You could be exposing so many other people to Covid if you have it but have no symptoms and there is no way to tell.

In conclusion, Pace has many protocols that we follow to ensure the safety of kids in the school. There are just some things that people might have an opinion about and maybe would second guess.