Last week, the Mamaroneck  School District announced that all  its schools, including Mamaroneck  High School, will be returning to  full capacity on Thursday, April  8. After seven months of hybrid  learning, the district confirmed  that it is ready to welcome back  all of its hybrid students full time. Students will still be able to  attend school virtually should they  choose to do so, but there will no  longer be a hybrid option. 

The decision stemmed from discussions with students,  teachers, and administrators  which emphasized the benefits  of in-person learning and the  feasibility of safely returning to  100 percent– especially with many  teachers now vaccinated. MHS  Principal Elizabeth Clain stressed  how she feels the high school has  been able to successfully keep its  students safe at both 33 and 50  percent capacity and that, with the  proper precautions, she believes  this will continue as the school  moves to 100 percent. There have  been no confirmed cases of in school COVID-19 transmission in  the high school thus far. 

Upon return, school traffic  patterns and the eight-period  schedule with Focus Fridays will  remain the same. However, for  lunch, students will be encouraged  to eat outside or off campus.  If indoor eating is necessary,  students will be spaced six-feet  apart in larger rooms such as  the gym or cafeteria and will be  required to keep their masks on  when not eating. In classrooms,  students will be spaced three to  six feet apart, following updated  health guidelines, and each desk  will be equipped with a plexiglass  shield. Should there be an increase  in cases, Clain will not hesitate to  make changes. In the meantime,  she is hopeful the switch will bring  a sense of normalcy to MHS.  The Globe recently sat  down with Clain to discuss the  switch. Keep an eye out for  the full conversation on MPR’s  “Discourse.” Find it on Spotify  and Apple Podcasts.