When the COVID-19 pandemic turned all of our lives upside-down on an otherwise normal day in the middle of March, we were thrust into the new normal of seeing our friends and teachers on little boxes surrounding a screen instead of talking face-to-face. When remote learning started, it was daunting for many of us and a jolt from our daily routines. Sports and chats with friends were deemed “inessential,” while quarantine and safety became the norm. With news of vaccines slowly making their way into people’s arms, and the possibility of the governor relaxing restrictions under the current public health order, Albuquerque Academy plans to begin hybrid learning in February. If the governor continues to mandate that private schools operate at 50% capacity, the school will begin hybrid learning. If restrictions are relaxed to allow 50% capacity, all students will be able to come to school full-time. Students in 6-7 will begin hybrid learning on February 8. It is not clear as to when students in grades 8-12 can return back to school.

You’ll be noticing many changes upon your return to campus, including a new schedule, new outdoor spaces for class, a new nurses’ office, among many other new guidelines. The new hybrid schedule, available here, shows that students will be split up into two groups, with one group coming to campus on Mondays and Tuesdays, with another group coming to school on Thursdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, everyone will learn from home. This adds up to two days of in-person classes and three days of online classes per week.

Once you make it to campus, everyone will have to wear face coverings for the entire school day, and movement on campus will be restricted to limit contact with people other than your teachers and classmates. Start times for class are staggered to avoid large groups of people rushing to make it to class. Learning in-person will be different too, depending on the class. Some teachers may choose to teach using blended learning, which is where half of the class receives direct instruction from a teacher, while the other half works independently. Some classes may choose to use hybrid learning, which is where teachers will be teaching to everyone – whether they’re in-person or online – at the same time.

Large group gatherings, such as morning meetings, common times, and assemblies, will be held entirely virtually. Lunch will be eaten outside with one of your cohorts instead of in the dining hall. You can choose whether to bring your own lunch or have lunch delivered to you. Students will bring their own supplies to class in their backpacks instead of using lockers. Students and faculty will be subjected to random COVID screening every week. Finally, the West Campus bookstore will be permanently closed, while the East Campus bookstore will remain open only as a place to purchase supplies for class. If someone on campus does test positive for COVID-19, they and their close contacts, such as teachers, classmates, and people that came within 6 feet of them for an extended period of time, will have to quarantine at home for 14 days. In-person clubs and extracurricular activities will reopen, and you can take advantage of them, even if learning virtually. As for sports, many sports seasons will open up in the spring.

While there are many changes coming our way as we prepare to go back to school, we know that while it may seem uncertain now, this pandemic will one day be behind us. Until then, mask up and stay safe!

For more information on the plans to reopen school, go to the Learning Reimagined page on Albuquerque Academy’s website.