Since ʻIolani students’ arrival back to campus on Sept. 21, new safety precautions and protocols are now part of daily routines for all. Students have had to adjust to the newly required PPE (personal protective equipment), consisting of a face mask, covering the nose and mouth, and a provided face shield, made by a few ʻIolani staff members. The way in which students travel between buildings has changed, along with seating arrangements before school, during lunch, free periods, study halls, and after school. Grade level tents were assembled all over campus to enforce the social distancing rules and passing periods have increased in length to allow students to get to their classes in a safe and efficient manner.

One of the most drastic changes is QR scanning. QR codes have been placed in all buildings and students are required to scan the codes wherever they go. With this process, students’ locations are able to be tracked throughout the day. This is necessary if a student contracts the virus. 

Sanitization has been more important than ever. Hand washing stations have been placed near grade level tents and hand sanitizer has also been placed in every classroom. Teachers have also been encouraging students to make it a habit of spraying and wiping down desks and chairs for the next person. 

The required daily health screenings are yet another step the school is taking to ensure the health and safety of everyone on campus. Daily health checks are due by 8 a.m. every morning before students arrive on campus. These health screenings incorporate questions asking about a student’s recent health conditions, social encounters, and more to determine if each student may attend school for the day. 

In addition to reducing large crowds around campus, a new system has been created for students to pre-order lunch on Saturdays for the upcoming school week. This process will ensure that there are no big crowds lining up for lunch, as well as eliminating the process of unsanitary cash payment between students and food service staff. Instead, there are currently quick pickups for lunch at three specific locations on campus. Along with the new protocols surrounding food distribution, water fountains are no longer open for use as it currently appears more uncertain than safe. Water bottle filling stations are open all around campus to encourage the use of reusable water bottles and staying hydrated through these hot temperatures.

Now as we make our way into the second quarter of school, these daily protocols have been regularly incorporated into studentsʻ daily routines. With the workload, PPE, daily protocols to extracurriculars and the large portions of time spent outdoors in hot temperatures, students seem to be managing. With the addition of the company of friends, a benefit online school did not provide, school is still seen as an enjoyable environment for students.