After two years of staying in our homes, face-to-face classes are finally back for all! We are now reliving the nostalgia of being woken up by alarm clocks and getting stuck in traffic. Nevertheless, despite the similarities between pre-pandemic and post-pandemic school, there are new procedures that are being implemented as we transition back to the face-to-face setup. So, here is a list of some of the biggest changes in our very own school.
1. Thermometer Check
Before stepping onto the school grounds, a thermometer-scanner is ready to check our temperature. This is among the precautionary measures that had to be enforced to prevent COVID-19, along with wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Scanning our temperature tells us that no one is sick or has symptoms of the virus. On the other hand, before the pandemic, we could pass through the entrance and go straight to the classrooms.
2. Online Ordering System
Prior to the pandemic, we would either bring our own lunches or pay for them at the cafeteria using cash. However, we may now purchase our meals through a safer alternative method: the school’s online ordering system. This digital process allows us to simply order our lunch in advance and have it packaged and prepared for us to pick up from the second or fourth-floor cafeteria. Not only can we order lunch online, but we can also pay for it using the GCash app. Stalls like Dimsum Bites and the fruit shake stand also have QR codes that we can scan for GCash transactions.
3. Online Classes
Even though the majority of students meet in person, some students chose to continue to study online. For the first quarter, face-to-face students can participate in online schooling alongside their full-time online classmates if they are unable to attend face-to-face classes. When students could not make it to school during the pre-pandemic period, they would have to miss out and not attend classes at all.
4. Drop-off and Fetching Areas
During the pre-pandemic days, students could be dropped off and fetched in almost any area that they wanted, whether it be the second-floor cafeteria or the main gate. However, students of all grades now have designated areas where they get picked up and dropped off. Lobby 2 is for the Early Years and Senior High School students, and Gate 1 is for the Junior High School A pupils. The second-floor cafeteria is for Lower Primary, while the fourth-floor cafeteria is for Upper Primary and Junior High School B.
5. School Uniform
Before the pandemic, students had to wear two school uniforms: the regular school uniform and the physical education or PE uniform. Now, for the first several months of school, students dress casually, but adhering to the dress code which prohibits clothing such as sleeveless shirts, backless tops, crop tops, shorts and midriffs. But come November, everybody is required to wear the PE uniform while other levels such as Senior High School, now have daily designated uniforms such as business attire or smart casual—going back to the pre-pandemic situation.
It has been only about a quarter since the new school year began. Whether or not the changes implemented this school year will be retained in the coming years would all depend on the unseen future of the pandemic. As Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, once said, “Change is the only constant in life.”
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