By now, everyone has heard that the Delta variant is still prevalent in Pennsylvania and around the world. Taking this into account, as well as the mandates of Pennsylvania’s governor and the Montgomery County Office of Public Health, Lower Moreland set new Covid-19 precautions at the beginning of the school year. Below is everything you need to know, from mask mandates to seating charts, about what is or is not changing at LMHS. 

Do students need to wear a mask? Yes, all students need to wear a mask while in school or on the bus. The only exception is when they are eating lunch in the auditorium or cafeteria. In general, all students are recommended to wear their masks, even if the mandate drops.

But what if students/teachers are vaccinated? Yes, masks are still required regardless of vaccine status. At this time, the Delta variant is extremely contagious, and even those who are vaccinated can get sick. The good news is that if someone is vaccinated, the chances of getting extremely sick are greatly reduced. 

What about visitors? All visitors must wear masks in the school. Whether they are parents cheering for their kids at a game or community members participating in an activity, they must wear masks. 

Why do students need assigned seats at lunch or in the classroom? Assigned seats allow for contact tracing in case of infection, and make sure students are distanced at lunch. It may suck to not be able to sit with friends, but if conditions improve, that may change!

What happens if someone gets Covid-19? They will switch to synchronous virtual learning, which all students are familiar with from last year. Based on seating charts, any close contacts will be quarantined and use a rapid test to verify if they can stay in school. If it is determined that Covid was spread at school, larger Covid precautions or virtual learning will take place. 

Why do the stairways have arrows/why are we not using lockers? They are to show the direction of the stairway, as LMHS has one-directional stairways currently. This is to reduce the number of people in one space. No lockers will be used for this same purpose, except in the hallways. 

What about Special Education? These students have a specialized plan for their educational and health needs, which may change from in-person and at-home. 

Why did the school do away with “disinfection time” at the end of class periods? This is now optional for teachers, but all schools are being cleaned daily. If Covid is reported in the school areas where infected people have been, they will be cleaned. 

Will any of this change? This may change if the board and school administration adopt different protocols due to state or county mandates, or if the Covid levels in schools and communities changes.