New Year, New Normal

Masks and Sanitizer Replace Jackets and Ties as Salesianum Reopens in the Midst of a Pandemic

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Salesianum School

Even in such trying times, Salesianum adapts and overcomes as masks and sanitizer guidebook the way to wellness on the first day back.

Benjamin Green, Reporting Journalist
September 10, 2020

Out of all 118 years that Salesianum has been open, the 2020-2021 school year will break boundaries and be enshrined in the school’s history. As seniors start their final year of high school and as the freshmen begin their career in this House of Sales, the first day of the ‘20-‘21 school year was very different from previous years. It’s plain to see that the only pandemic these Salesian scholars have caught is unmatched perseverance and school pride.

Five-and-a-half months have passed from when Sallies first closed its doors and moved online. No doubt, students looked forward to seeing their classmates and teachers returning. This year however, masks, sanitizer, and School Pass have taken over. COVID-19’s effects have rippled into the new school year, causing Salesianum to incorporate a new hybrid online and in-person schedule. 

Students raced to reunite with friends and meet their teachers. These enduring educators excitedly began teaching in person again. As the day moved on, lunch was a time to reconnect as students could finally see each other, maskless, to recap their unusual summers. And at the end of the first days of school, students looked toward the 2020-2021 school year with hope.

“My first day of school was more normal than I thought it would be,” said Pratik Jacob, ‘21 after his first day of classes. “Once the first period started, there was not much different in terms of what we did in class compared to previous years.” 

Freshmen, however, started their high school career in the year of the pandemic. Sallies, though, strived to make the new Salesians feel at home. “The school felt very welcoming and I enjoyed how they made us talk to our new classmates to get to know them better,” said Chase Nardozzi ‘24. “Salesianum feels like more than just a school, and I thoroughly enjoy being here.” 

Overall, the first day of the 2020-2021 school year was a success. The school safely reopened whilst still maintaining the Salesian experience of years past. Sallies students created the foundation for the unusual school year ahead.