While most Missouri schools have started to go back in-person either five days a week or twice a week, protocols in place to keep students and staff safe are numerous. While COVID-19 is still affecting our society, many people are doing their best to move on from this pandemic to more normal circumstances. As kids go back to school, they are required to wear a face mask, and keep a distance of six feet from other students and staff. The main question is how are these protocols going to be enforced?

Having kids in person means the schools need to be constantly sanitized. How are the students going to be kept safe? Parents and students have studied the safety precautions Pattonville is taking to combat COVID-19 and to keep the students and staff safe.

Pattonville High School teacher, Ms. Haar, says that the school gave the teachers, students and parents a handbook.  Ms. Haar noticed the benefits of the safety protocols implemented. “I feel fairly safe. I like that there are only half of the students here on any given day… I do think that everyone is doing their best to follow the long list of rules and guidelines that we have to be as safe as possible.”

Even though some schools are in-person right now, they may not know if they will be continuing to be in-person next year. Ms. Haar is not sure that it is safe for students to come back in January, and many others agree with her.

Staff members are doing their best to keep kids safe so they can go continue in person learning. If everyone chips in to help keep other students safe, like avoiding school with COVID-like symptoms, this can tremendously help the state, school, and community as well. Finally, everyone is united: anyone and everyone has an impact on the community. If everyone wants to defeat this virus together, everyone needs to have some hope and energy, wear a mask in public, and keep their hands washed.