September 7, 2022
At Lincoln Park, we haven’t really had a normal school year since the beginning of 2019, when our school year got interrupted by COVID-19. We ended up going online for almost two years.
The class of 2020 had to have an online graduation. The following fall, Lincoln Park began the school year online, then moved to hybrid instruction for the rest of the year. And last year, students had to wear masks until the spring.
But this year we are finally back for a normal year. For example, the breakfast, coffee, ice cream, pizza, and chips are back. We had our first day of school teacher concert, which hasn’t happened since 2019.
COVID restrictions are still occurring by county.
Beaver County and Allegheny County are all at the medium level, which means that masks are optional everywhere, but if you are at risk, you should still wear your mask to be safe. One of the counties we get students from, Washington County, is at a high level, meaning to wear masks in public indoor places, stay up to date on vaccines, and get tested if you have symptoms.
Some stuff still isn’t back to normal. Shows at Lincoln Park still require masks to ensure the safety of the audience and actors. CDC guidelines have become less strict when it comes to testing positive; you just have to stay home for five days after testing positive. If you test positive after those five days, you should isolate for five more days until you test negative.
The SIREN staff asked our fellow students how they feel about everything being back to normal.
Tia Shaffer, a senior theater major from Moon Township, was asked what she missed most from the restricted school year, and she replied, “I miss open mic so much. I really hope they bring it back. I don’t know if they will.”
Another student, Niaysa Ferrell, adds to this idea, as she said, “Because of the type of school we are, we have the talent to do that [and] I think we should.”
We asked our new principal, Roylin Petties, what makes Lincoln Park stand out from other schools. He responded, “It’s definitely the students. The reason why is because, first of all, all of you had to audition to get into school. As I’m learning the staff, the staff is really exceptional as well.”
This school year looks to be packed full of exciting events, and it’s not just the students who think so. Mr. Petties, may speak for all of us when he said, “[I am] excited to see all Lincoln Park offers to our students.”
This article was made with contributions from writers Grace Davis, Gabriella Salvucci, Tyson Florence, and Taylor Hill.
