On March 1st, freshman and sophomores came back to Novato High for the first time in almost a year. A week later, juniors and seniors returned as well. This all happened because Marin entered the red tier and the Novato Unified School District decided now is the time to go back to school.

The details about how hybrid learning will work are murky, but Novato High principal Mark Brewer described the guidelines needed for a safe return to school.

When asked about how in-classroom teaching will work, Brewer said, “Teachers will continue providing quality instruction online through Zoom and provide differentiated support to the students attending in person.”

Classrooms have been setup with 6 feet in between marked desks and every classroom has an air filter. Students can freely leave class to use the bathroom, drink water, go to their cars and anything else that might need to be done. 

Students have been broken into two groups, based on last name. On Monday/Tuesday A-L are on campus and on Thursday/Friday M-Z.

“There should not be any disparity as all students will still receive the same quality instruction.  The NHS teachers will continue to engage our students in learning with a focus on social emotional wellness and quality instruction,” Brewer said, regarding the potential disparity of learning between kids who choose to stay online.

A worry of parents and students alike is that students will refuse to wear masks, or that their masks won’t be fully covering their noses. 

To combat this, Brewer said, “If a student chooses not to wear a mask on campus, we will contact their parents, the student will be instructed to stay at home and continue their classes online.”

Another concern is that students will disobey social distancing and mask protocols during the 10-minute passing period, which some students think is a break. 

Brewer assured that the instructions would be followed.

“Students are expected to move to their next class, follow the blue directional arrows on the walkways and practice social distancing if they stop to visit with friends. This past week, students did a great job while they were on campus.”

Novato High, Redwood, Drake, San Marin and Tam have all returned to in person learning in some capacity. Terra Linda and San Rafael are still in online instruction.