The Story
The school is really saying good-bye and good riddance to masks. Well, sort of.
Wait, what?
As of last Tuesday, Bedford School District staff and students are no longer required to wear masks outside. Previously, staff and students weren’t required to wear masks if they kept 3 feet of distance but with this new policy, distance is irrelevant. So that means you can technically hug your friends outside without masks and teachers can’t yell at you. It’s the little wins that count.
Where did this decision come from?
New CDC guidelines, the Pfizer vaccine getting approved for ages 12-15, and the current state of COVID in New Hampshire are all factors. Students and staff of course have the option to keep their masks on, but it’s looking like masks are starting to lose their fashion prominence.
What does this mean for students?
Students and teachers don’t have to wear masks during classes that happen outside, like gym. Athletes also don’t have to wear masks when they’re playing outside, but band and choir students still have to wear their special masks and maintain social distancing. Interesting how that works.
What about the rest of New Hampshire?
The numbers are looking really good in New Hampshire. There were only 79 new cases yesterday in the entire state, compared to the 7-day average of 114. And New Hampshire is one of six states where more than 70% of adults are fully vaccinated. This is a key contributor to our recent success with COVID, as every healthcare official who knows what they’re doing says that the vaccines work and are essential to ending the pandemic.
Any more changes to be aware of?
As of right now, no. But we also thought that our last schedule change would be the last significant change of this school year. And we have absolutely no idea how next school year will look. We’re not even sure the administration knows at this point.
The Runaway
It’s looking like the pandemic that we’ve been battling for over a year may finally be heading out the door.
What to Say…
When you forgot how parking works…
It’s that time of year: the rush for parking permits. Mr. Jozokos sent out an email to sophomores and juniors on Saturday explaining how it works, because in case you didn’t notice, this year was a bit different than normal. Any students who plan to drive to school next year have to fill out an application form to enter the lottery. No, not like that terribly dark short story we read in middle school, and no not the Mega Millions. This lottery is for parking passes! How exciting! The drawing will take place on June 7th, and all students who entered will be notified as to whether or not they got a pass by June 10th. Students who receive a parking pass will be able to pick up their pass during the summer. The unlucky students who don’t get a pass for the school lots will be entered into the town lottery. Students do not have to have their license in order to enter the school lottery, but they do have to have their license to enter the town lottery. Let the parking spot frenzy begin! And may the odds be ever in your favor.
When you’re short on school spirit…
Aren’t we just a peppy bunch? Last Friday was the first pep rally since last October, and the first pep rally ever for freshmen. Except, it was really 4 pep rallies in one. It was quite a nice day to be outside, but that’s about where the excitement ends. Many students skipped class to go sit and hang out with their friends on the bleachers. There was an all-time low of spirit in the school, as a good portion of students didn’t get the memo about wearing class colors. But that might be partly due to the fact that there was very little hype about the spirit week in general. With the painful absence of tagging, as well as only a fourth of the school attending a rally at a time, it just seemed to fall short of expectations. Most students complained about a lack of creativity. And, of course, we have to mention the cheating (We’re looking at you Broomball. You too Dodgeball.). As with most years, the upperclassmen cheated, so the underclassmen cheated in response, and then everyone’s yelling about cheating and the seniors win by default. It’s a strategy, if you think about it. Sure, the seniors have missed out on almost every high school opportunity this year, but we all know they didn’t actually win that pep rally, despite what they’ll tell you. Well, maybe next year there will be more pep in the rally, but Covid has once again put a damper on the typical high school experience.
When you’re wondering why we were getting pepped…
Once again, we bring you more sports updates. First up, the girls lacrosse team went against Pinkerton on Wednesday. Bedford dominated with a score of 8-1 in the first half and ultimately won the game with a final score of 14-8. The girls tennis team had their last match of the regular season last week against Keene and came out victorious, continuing their undefeated streak. Keene also went against Bedford at a track meet last week. The boys team were not winners this time around and fell to Keene with a score of 59-77. Fortunately, the girls destroyed them with a score of 88-42. It’s looking like overall, the BHS girls athletics are doing better than the boys side. Take that, misogyny!
Things to Know
Keep your eyes peeled…
Next year’s schedules are typically available on PowerSchool within the next week or so.
So close, and yet so far…
Just one more full week of school for the high school.