On August 10th, Seymour Community Schools opened for the 2020-2021 school year, after a five month long break. Indiana’s many school corporations have made their own decisions on how students will learn this academic year. Some schools have chosen in-person learning, a mix of in-person and online learning, and some have even chosen remote learning as their only platform of education.

Only a few schools in our state are choosing remote learning for the 2020-2021 school year. Some school corporations are starting the year on an e-learning platform, only to later transition to in-person learning.

However, most of the schools in our state are returning to in-person learning for their full school year. This includes Seymour Community Schools. We can try our best to get through this year by looking out for ourselves and others to the best of our ability. Wearing your mask, practicing social distancing, and sanitizing often are just some of the ways you can protect yourself and your peers.

Of course, though, masks and hand sanitizer won’t completely halt the spread of COVID-19. As expected, we are seeing the effects of reopening our schools in many different aspects across the state.

According to the news outlet IndyStar, “more than 100 cases across dozens of school buildings” have been reported across the state. A middle school located in Greenfield, Indiana had to close its doors and send students home on their first day back to school after a student tested positive. Just an hour away from Seymour, the town of Avon, Indiana has had at least five schools in their district contain a positive case of COVID-19. Only one of these schools paused in-person learning to close temporarily.

There are a lot of questions that are currently left unanswered when it comes to the future of this school year. Many events are now being controlled by school and government regulations. Rules and restrictions are still being decided on and adjusted, with little set in stone.

As we continue to move through this school year with uncertainty, remember to keep you and your peers’ health your first priority. Keep your mask on around others, and remember to social distance as best as you can. Let’s try our best to get through this unpredictable school year!