Back to School

After almost one and a half years of zoom classes, irregular sleeping patterns, and being separated from classmates, PVS students in grades pre-k-10 resumed in-person classes to kick off the 2021-2022 school year. Juniors and seniors will remain remote until the new building is completed.

PVS prioritizes health and safety, allowing for a strong and successful return to the buildings. PVS communicates frequently with the top infectious disease experts in the community to make updated and informed decisions. Masks are required for anyone on school grounds and social distancing is practiced in classrooms. School schedules have been modified to create minimum contact between pods. Biweekly COVID testing is administered for all faculty, staff, and students. If positive cases arise, the school administration follows a strict protocol that includes quarantining and additional testing.

In order to enhance instruction and ensure continuous learning in the event of quarantine or absence, PVS has provided every single student with a personal chromebook. The chromebooks give students easy access to school applications and frequently used resources. The devices have also allowed teachers to use various programs and innovative apps to bring excitement and creativity to the classroom.

STAR testing has also resumed at PVS with the return of in-person learning. Students are also taking the first IOWA test of this school year, which tests math, English, science, and social studies skills. Mr. Ashraf, the vice principal, says that these tests are a way to evaluate and understand better the effects virtual learning has had on students of all grades.

Students are excited for a successful school year. Zaynab Ali, a freshman at PVS, said, “I was very delighted when I heard that we were coming back in-person, especially because Covid-19 happened so fast and I was pretty new to online learning,” she explained. “Some pros that I noticed with in-person learning are that students can have a stronger connection with their teachers and peers, it's much harder to get distracted, and it is a more familiar environment.”

Ali said that she has high hopes for the remainder of the school year and is happy about the switch from virtual learning. “I'm looking forward to being in person for freshman year because it seemed as though online learning wasn't for me and I didn't want to have my first year of high school through a screen."