By Peyton Dickerson, Online-Editor-In-Chief, and Cole Tomlin, Staff Writer
Since the rapid outbreak of coronavirus, or COVID-19, colleges have been closing and moving classes online, all travel from Europe to the United States has been restricted for 30 days and citizens have frequented stores to stock up on supplies.
For the Outer Banks, questions and speculation about what Dare County Schools will do regarding the outbreak have surfaced. For many, the scary thing about coronavirus is how quickly it spreads – and how symptoms may not show as soon as the disease is contracted.
“You could have it and not know it, and then you just keep going around and around and around,” Health Sciences teacher Jennifer Kovacs said. “It’s like the ripple effect of throwing a stone in the water, it just ripples all the way out.”
Because of this, the U.S. is trying to get ahead of the virus by shutting down schools and canceling events that include large gatherings, such as sports events. This has impacted FFHS in a major way, with spring sports and the spring musical, “Chicago,” getting dropped from the schedule.
“The NCHSAA made the decision to put all sports on hold and I support that,” Principal Chuck Lansing said. “I was hopeful that we could hold the musical, but the last thing we want to do is put anyone at risk.”
As of tonight, all sporting events are suspended per the N.C. High School Athletic Association until April 6, taking athletes in spring sports off the field after playing in just a handful of games. Theater students had been spending hours after school for months preparing the spring musical, which had been scheduled for next Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the FFHS auditorium.
Friday morning, however, Superintendent John Farrelly released a statement saying Dare County Schools would follow the recommendations set forth by Gov. Roy Cooper and limit social gatherings of more than 100 people. As of Monday (March 16), use of all DCS facilities such as the David E. Oaksmith Auditorium will be suspended for after-school use involving more than 100 people.
That includes the 57 members of the cast and crew of “Chicago” who were looking forward to entertaining hundreds of family, friends and community members this week. Directors Lauren Deal and Monica Penn met Friday afternoon and announced that “Chicago” has been postponed to a later date, but not canceled.
“The show must go on,” Deal said. “We just don’t know precisely when the show can go on.”
Saturday’s driver education class and SAT administration have not been canceled. As for the regular school day, Farrelly said in an email to staff and parents that DCS and the Dare County Department of Health and Human Services are monitoring the situation on an hourly basis and are aware that other schools are closing across the country. Friday afternoon, Virginia’s governor announced that all K-12 schools in Virginia will close for at least two weeks.
However, for communities such as Dare County in which there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19, schools are not yet shutting down: “We hope to be able to keep our schools open but are ready to roll out an immediate comprehensive digital learning plan within 48 hours of closing school if necessary,” Farrelly said in the statement.
The decision to cancel sports had come as a disappointment to student-athletes, especially the seniors. That’s where the next question presents itself:
What about the entire senior class and the events they have been looking forward to all year? Prom? The Busch Gardens trip? Graduation?
“One of the important things for us is to preserve as much of the traditions that our seniors enjoy,” Lansing said. “If any policies evolve that would present challenges to those things, then we would work very hard to come up with alternatives or delay plans with the hopes that activities would resume at some point.”
The increased possibility of schools closing has pushed many teachers to start moving their curriculum online just in case. The decision to close North Carolina schools is still up in the air, but with other states closing all their campuses – including nearby Virginia – students should start preparing for this circumstance.
“As the virus spreads and fear grows, we will be challenged to make informed decisions to slow the spread of the virus,” Lansing said. “While students may not be at the greatest risk for the effects of the virus, they can be carriers and continue to facilitate the spread of it.”
For now, all people can do to contribute to slowing the virus is continue to take basic precautions that should be in place during flu season anyway.
“Pay attention to your personal hygiene. Wash your hands before you eat, and if you pick something up, wash your hands afterwards,” Kovacs said. “So just step it up just a little bit in terms of those personal infection control measures.”
Junior Peyton Dickerson can be reached at 21dickersonpe28@daretolearn.org.
Junior Cole Tomlin can be reached at 21TOMLINCO11@daretolearn.org.
